The Met Office boosted its heatwave forecast for the UK in the coming days as the country prepares for record temperatures that are expected to cause disruptions to travel, hospitals, schools and jobs.
There is now a 90 per cent chance that the UK will set a temperature record this week and a 60 per cent chance of reaching 40 ºC, according to the Met Becky Mitchell office weather.
London and other parts of the south-east of England are under a red warning for exceptional heat on Monday and Tuesday, with highs forecast to reach 41ºC in some places. The previous UK temperature record of 38.7ºC was set in Cambridge in 2019. Areas in the south of Scotland, including Dundee and Perth, are now on amber alert.
While these high temperatures are common in some other parts of the world, Britain’s typically mild climate means that infrastructures such as railways and buildings are often not designed to cope with extreme heat.
Both Network Rail and Transport for London have warned of a disruption due to the risk of rails getting stuck due to the heat and have asked passengers to travel only if necessary.
There will be no services on the main east coast line between London King’s Cross and York and Leeds on Tuesday afternoon, with only a skeleton service in the morning. “The projected temperatures are much higher than those for which our infrastructure is designed,” Network Rail said.
This hot climate also carries serious health risks, including heat exhaustion and heat stroke, and is associated with increased mortality rates.
A woman holds a fan while traveling on the London Underground: rail networks have warned of disruptions due to the risk of heat sinking rails © Maja Smiejkowska / Reuters
Cabinet Office Minister Kit Malthouse will chair a meeting of the government’s Cobra emergency committee on Monday as he intensifies preparations for what has been declared a “national emergency”.
Boris Johnson, the outgoing prime minister, was criticized on Saturday after failing to attend a meeting of Cobra ministers and officials to discuss the approaching heat wave. Johnson stayed at his Checkers country camp, before a Thanksgiving party for fans on Sunday.
Senior government officials held a meeting on Sunday to discuss the potential impact of heat on the transport system and the NHS.
Network Rail, the railway infrastructure operator, will set speed restrictions in England and Wales between 12pm and 8pm on Monday and Tuesday. TfL will also apply speed restrictions on some parts of its network, which will lead to a reduction in services and delays.
Dominic Raab, deputy prime minister, said on Sunday that it depended on employers whether their staff worked from home.
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But Malthouse suggested that this might be advisable given the disruption of services, saying: “If [staff] No need to travel, this may be a time to work from home. ”The GMB union has called for a maximum indoor workplace temperature of 25 ° C in accordance with World Health Organization guidelines.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay met with ambulance chiefs on Saturday and said additional support for health services would be launched on Monday and Tuesday.
NHS providers, representing NHS leaders, warned that there could be disruptions in some planned care, as well as additional pressure on emergency care, with staffing levels already affected by absences related to Covid.
“We’re hearing that some operating rooms need to be suspended because they get too hot,” said Miriam Deakin, director of policy and strategy for NHS Providers. “Conditions are also making it difficult to maintain key services.”
The Department of Education does not advise closing schools. But some school leaders said they were making local decisions to close early Monday.
The Harris Federation, a group of 51 academies, said that in buildings where heat was a known issue, schools closed at 1 p.m. after providing lunch, but would remain open for children who wanted to stay.
Steve Chalke, the founder of the Oasis academy chain, said schools were adapting to their individual circumstances, but that they would all remain open, as children’s homes tend to be warmer than the school.