UK heatwave: The British government held an emergency response meeting on Saturday to plan for record high temperatures next week after weather officials issued its first “red” warning for extreme heat.
The alert covers large parts of England on Monday and Tuesday, when temperatures can reach 40 °C (104 Fahrenheit) for the first time, posing a risk of serious illness and even death in healthy people. is, Britain’s Met Office, the country’s weather service, said on Friday.
The British heat record set in 2019 is 38.7C (101.7F).
After chairing the meeting, Cabinet Office Minister Kit Malhouse warned that transport services would be severely affected.
“The heat will affect the rail, for example, so trains have to move at a slower speed. There may be fewer services,” he told the BBC. “People need to be on their guard for disruption. If they don’t have to travel, this may be the time to work from home. ,
Rail passengers and users of the London Underground subway system were being advised not to travel on Mondays and Tuesdays unless absolutely necessary. Children and older people are known to be particularly vulnerable to high temperatures, with schools and nursing homes urged to take steps to protect students and older residents. Most schools in England are still in session until the end of next week.
The warning comes as scientists say climate change is increasing the likelihood of extraordinary heat waves in Britain, a country not accustomed to such temperatures. Few homes, apartments, schools or small businesses in the country have air conditioning.
Britain generally has moderate summer temperatures. Across the UK, average July temperatures range from a daily high of 21 C (70 F) to a low of 12 C (53 F).
London Mayor Sadiq Khan met with representatives of the National Health Service, police, fire and other emergency services on Friday and reviewed plans to deal with the summer emergency.
A doctor warned that the ensuing heat wave and the rise in COVID-19 infections is causing a nightmare for healthcare workers.
“A lot of hospital buildings are very old, especially in London, and many don’t have air conditioning and windows that don’t open – so they’re extremely hot,” said Claire Bronz, 38, an emergency room consultant in London. “Some employees still have to wear PPE – so plastic gowns, masks, gloves – over their normal uniforms, which, as you can imagine, means people are going to get very hot and dehydrated quickly.”