Brits set to sizzle as mercury tipped to top a record 40C
Britain is on course for its hottest day on record with temperatures forecast to hit 40C for the first time, forcing train companies to cancel services and heath authorities to put more ambulances on standby.
A view of people on the beach in Margate, Kent, England, Sunday, July 17, 2022. The Met office has issued its first-ever “red warning” of extreme heat for Monday and Tuesday, when temperatures in southern England may reach 40 C (104 F) for the first time. (Gareth Fuller/PA via AP)
Much of Europe is baking in a heatwave that has pushed temperatures into the mid-40s in some regions on Monday, with wildfires raging across tinder-dry countryside in Portugal, Spain and France.
Britain’s government triggered a national emergency alert as temperatures on Monday and Tuesday were forecast to surpass the 38.7C recorded in the Cambridge University Botanic Garden in 2019
London’s Underground metro network imposed temporary speed restrictions on the network for Monday and Tuesday, meaning it would run a reduced service with journeys taking longer than normal. It urged commuters to only travel if essential.
The national rail network also urged passengers to stay home, and said some services – including a key route between northeastern England and London – would not run during parts of Tuesday.
Some schools were due to close earlier than usual on Monday.
The Health Security Agency (UKHSA) raised the heat health warning to Level 4 for England for Monday and Tuesday.
Britain’ Meteorological Office defines a Level 4 alert as a national emergency, and is used when a heatwave “is so severe and/or prolonged that its effects extend outside the health and social care system. At this level, illness and death may occur among the fit and healthy, and not just in high-risk groups”.
The Met Office said “substantial” changes in working practices and daily routines would be required and there was a high risk of failure of heat-sensitive systems and equipment, potentially leading to localised loss of power, water or mobile phone services.
