London, July 18 (BNA): Britain was on track for its hottest day ever, Monday, with temperatures expected to hit 40 degrees Celsius for the first time, forcing train companies to cancel services and health authorities to put more ambulances in alert status.
Much of Europe is experiencing a heat wave that has pushed temperatures into the mid-40s in some areas, with wildfires raging in dry rural areas of Portugal, Spain and France.
The British government has launched a “national emergency” alert as temperatures are expected to exceed 38.7 degrees Celsius (102 Fahrenheit) recorded at the University of Cambridge Botanic Garden in 2019 on Monday and Tuesday.
“We have a difficult 48 hours ahead,” Kate Malthouse, the minister responsible for government coordination, was quoted as saying by Reuters.
London’s Underground network imposed temporary speed limits on the network on Monday and Tuesday, meaning it will operate on a reduced service as journeys take longer than usual. He urged passengers to travel only if necessary.
The National Rail Network also urged commuters to stay home, and said some services – including a major route between north-east England and London – would not operate during parts of Tuesday.
Network Rail’s Jake Kelly said he hopes normal operations will resume on Wednesday, when temperatures are expected to drop, but that will depend on “the damage the weather does to infrastructure over the next couple of days.”
Some schools are scheduled to close earlier than usual on Monday.
The Health Security Agency (UKHSA) raised the Health Heat Warning to Level 4 in England for Monday and Tuesday.
The UK Met Office defines a Level 4 alert as a national emergency, and is used when a heat wave is so severe and/or prolonged that its effects extend beyond the health and social care system. At this level, disease and death may occur among healthy and fit people, not just in high-risk groups.”
The Met Office said “substantial” changes to work practices and daily routines would be required and there was a high risk of failure of heat-sensitive systems and equipment, which could lead to localized loss of power, water or mobile phone services.
Malthouse said the government was prepared for severe weather and would seek to learn lessons from it.
“We definitely need to adapt the way we build buildings, the way we operate and look at some of our infrastructure in light of what appears to be an increasing frequency of these kinds of events,” he told BBC Radio.
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