UK: A national emergency has been declared after a red extreme heat warning was issued for the first time, as temperatures could reach 40C (104F).
The Met Office’s highest warnings cover areas including London, Manchester and York on Monday and Tuesday.
This means there is a life risk, and the daily routine will have to be changed. Speed restrictions are likely on railway lines, some schools will close early, and some hospital appointments will be cancelled.
On the roads, the gritters plan to spread the sand to reduce melting, and the RAC warns that more drivers will need help as the cars heat up.
On top of a Met Office warning, the UK’s Health Protection Agency issued four of its highest-level heat alerts for health and care bodies, warning that illness and death could be “between the fit and healthy”.
NHS leaders warned on Friday evening that there would be a high demand for ambulances and that patients could be at risk if left outside hospitals in emergency vehicles in hot weather.
In a letter, he said ambulances should wait no more than 30 minutes outside emergency departments before offloading patients. This is the first time a red heat warning has been issued for parts of the UK, although the extreme heat warning system was only introduced in 2021.
Downing Street said the alert was being treated as a national emergency. The officials met on Friday and will meet again during the weekend to discuss the response.
The weather is forecast to be warm across the UK early next week, but Scotland and Northern Ireland will see temperatures exceed 30C, while parts of England and Wales are predicted to exceed 30C.
The heatwave – originating in North Africa – is spreading across Europe and fueling wildfires in Portugal, France and Spain. In some areas, the night temperature will not go below 25 degrees Celsius, but cold weather may start on Wednesday.
Met Office CEO Penny Andersby said the extreme heat forecast was “absolutely unprecedented” and urged people to take warnings as seriously as a red or amber warning for snow and wind.
People in Britain regard warm weather as “a chance to go out in the sun and play”, but “it’s not that kind of weather”, she said.
In England, hot weather caused 2,500 more deaths in the summer of 2020, and the Red Cross predicts that heat-related deaths in the UK could triple in 30 years.
The latest heatwave has brought warnings of disruption to travel, with rail firm Avanti West Coast warning that weekend services might be cancelled at short notice, with amended timetables and extended journey times expected on Monday and Tuesday.