England is bracing for temperatures in excess of 40C, which would break the record set three years ago, prompting the UK’s National Weather Service to issue its first “red warning for exceptional heat”.
“Early next week is likely to see exceptional temperatures, perhaps record highs,” said Paul Gundersen, the UK’s chief meteorologist. “There is a 50 per cent chance that we could see temperatures above 40C and an 80 per cent chance that a new maximum temperature will be reached.”
He warned that this level of heat “may have adverse health effects”.
The severe weather warning for Monday and Tuesday covers parts of central, north, east and south-east England. There has been an amber warning for much of this week.
There will be a high risk of “failure of heat-sensitive systems and equipment, which may result in a localized loss of power and other essential services, such as water or mobile phone services,” the Bureau said on Friday Meteorological in its statement.
Rail passengers in England and Wales have been warned not to travel unless it is “absolutely necessary” on Monday and Tuesday.
Network Rail, which manages Britain’s rail infrastructure, said the heat can affect overhead power lines and steel railway tracks. It could impose speed restrictions next week to stop the rails breaking.
Avanti West Coast, which runs train services between London and cities in the Midlands, northern England and Scotland, has warned passengers to expect disruption, including timetable changes and longer journeys.
More people will head to coastal areas, lakes and rivers, increasing the risk of water safety incidents, the Met Office added.
Motoring group RAC expects road assistance to increase with the number of drivers on Monday and Tuesday between 15 and 20 per cent higher than normal by mid-July. This would equate to more than 1,000 additional breakdowns per day.
The UK record temperature is 38.7ºC, set at Cambridge Botanic Gardens on 25 July 2019.
⚠️⚠️🔴 A Red Extreme Heat Warning 🔴⚠️⚠️ has been issued
Parts of England Monday and Tuesday
Latest information 👉 https://t.co/QwDLMg9c70
Stay #Conscious of time ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/YHaYvaGh95
— Met Office (@metoffice) July 15, 2022
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