The Met Office has raised its forecast for heatwaves for the UK over the coming days as the country braces for record temperatures expected to cause disruption to travel, hospitals, schools and workplaces.
There is now a 90 per cent chance of the UK setting a record temperature this week and a 60 per cent chance of reaching 40C, according to Met Office forecaster Becky Mitchell.
London and other parts of south-east England are under a red alert for extreme heat on Monday and Tuesday, with high temperatures of up to 41C predicted in some places. The previous UK temperature record of 38.7C was set in Cambridge in 2019. Areas in southern Scotland, including Dundee and Perth, are already under an amber alert.
While such high temperatures are common in some other parts of the world, Britain’s typically mild climate means that infrastructure such as railway lines and buildings are often not designed to cope with extreme heat.
Both Network Rail and Transport for London warned of disruption due to the risk of rails bending in the heat and asked passengers to travel only if necessary.
There will be no services on the East Coast Main Line between London King’s Cross and York & Leeds on Tuesday afternoon, with only a skeleton service in the morning. “The forecast temperatures are well above what our infrastructure is designed for,” Network Rail said.
Such hot weather also poses serious health risks, including heat exhaustion and heat stroke, and is associated with increased mortality rates.
A woman holds a fan as she travels on the London Underground: rail networks have warned of disruptions due to the risk of rails warping in the heat © Maja Smiejkowska/Reuters
Cabinet minister Keith Malthouse will chair a meeting of the government’s Cobra emergency committee on Monday as he ramps up preparations for what has been declared a “national emergency”.
Boris Johnson, the outgoing prime minister, was criticized on Saturday after failing to attend a Cobra meeting of ministers and officials to discuss the looming heatwave. Instead, Johnson remained at his country residence in Checkers, ahead of a thanksgiving party for supporters on Sunday.
Senior government officials held a meeting on Sunday to discuss the potential impact of the heat on the transport system and the NHS.
Network Rail, the rail infrastructure operator, will introduce speed restrictions across England and Wales between 12pm and 8pm on Monday and Tuesday. TfL will also implement speed restrictions on some parts of its network, which will lead to reduced services and delays.
Dominic Raab, the deputy prime minister, said on Sunday that it was up to employers whether their employees work from home.
It is recommended
But Malthouse suggested that might be advisable given the disruption to services, saying: “If [staff] you don’t have to travel, this could be a time to work from home.” The GMB union called for a maximum indoor workplace temperature of 25°C in line with World Health Organization guidelines.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay met ambulance chiefs on Saturday and said extra support would be provided to health services on Monday and Tuesday.
NHS Providers, who represent NHS leaders, have warned there could be disruption to some planned care, as well as further pressure on emergency care, with staffing levels already hit by Covid-related absences.
“We are hearing that some operating theaters are having to close because they are getting too hot,” said Miriam Deakin, director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers. “The conditions are also making it difficult to keep key services running.”
The Ministry of Education is not advising schools to close. But some school leaders said they were making local decisions about closings early Monday.
The Harris Federation, a group of 51 academies, said that in buildings where heat is a known problem, schools would close at 1pm after providing lunch, but would remain open for children who wanted to stay.
Steve Chalk, the founder of the Oasis academy chain, said schools were adapting to their individual circumstances but all would remain open as children’s homes would often be warmer than school.
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