The UK Meteorological Office has issued its first “red” warning for exceptional heat, saying record temperatures early next week will put even healthy people at risk for serious illness and death.
Key points:
- The weather alert is for an area that stretches from London to Manchester
- Temperatures in England may reach 40ºC for the first time
- The highest temperature ever recorded in the UK is 38.7 ºC
The warning was for Monday and Tuesday, when temperatures in England could reach 40 degrees Celsius for the first time, the agency said.
The highest temperature ever recorded in the UK is 38.7 ºC, set in 2019.
The alert comes when scientists say climate change is increasing the likelihood of exceptional heat waves in Britain, a country best known for gray skies and rain.
The chances of temperatures like those forecast for next week are already 10 times higher than they would be without the influence of human activity, said Nikos Christidis, a climate scientist at the Met Office.
“We were hoping not to get into this situation, but for the first time we are forecasting more than 40ºC in the UK,” Christidis said.
“In a recent study we found that the likelihood of extremely hot days in the UK has been increasing and will continue to be so throughout the century, with the most extreme temperatures expected to be observed in the south east of England. ”
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The UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) raised its own alert to the highest level, warning of a “national emergency”.
The alert system was set up in 2004, when concerns about climate change prompted authorities to develop their first plan to protect the public from severe heat.
“At this level, illness and death can occur among fit and healthy people, and not just in high-risk groups,” the UKHSA said.
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“This is a very serious situation”
Temperatures are expected to rise over the weekend before peaking on Monday and Tuesday.
The weather alert, which covers much of England from north London to Manchester, also warns of possible disruptions to air and rail travel and a possible “localized loss of energy and other essential services, such as water or mobile phone services “.
“If people have vulnerable relatives or neighbors, now is the time to make sure they are putting in place the right measures to be able to cope with the heat because if the forecast is as we believe it will be in the red alert zone, then people’s lives are at risk, ”said Met Office spokeswoman Grahame Madge.
“This is a very serious situation.”
Both agencies issued lower-level warnings earlier this week, with much of the UK experiencing above-average temperatures, although there was cooler weather on Thursday and Friday.
“Even as a climate scientist studying these things, that’s scary,” said Professor Hannah Cloke, a natural risk researcher at the University of Reading.
“That sounds real to me. Earlier in the week, I was worried that my goldfish would get too hot. Now I’m worried about the survival of my family and my neighbors.”
Nigel Arnell, a professor of climate system science at the University of Reading, said Britain needs to prepare for more heat in the future, adapting buildings to deal with extreme weather and planting more vegetation in cities.
Adaptation and resilience must become a political priority, he said.
“We can’t keep dealing with extremes in crisis mode,” Arnell said.
AP