Red extreme heat warning issued for first time across England for Monday and Tuesday

A national emergency has been declared with a red warning for extreme heat issued for the first time for England on Monday and Tuesday – when temperatures could hit 40C for the first time.

Forecasters now say there is an 80% chance of the mercury topping the UK’s highest ever record temperature of 38.7C (101.7F) set at Cambridge University Botanic Garden on 25 July, 2019.

There is a 50% chance of temperatures hitting 40C somewhere in the UK, the Met Office said.

This is likely to be along the A1 corridor north of London up to Lincolnshire, in areas including Peterborough, Grantham, Sandy and Stevenage.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has now upped its heat health warning to level four – an “national emergency”.

Level four is reached when “a heatwave is so severe and/or prolonged that its effects extend outside the health and social care system”.

This means fit and healthy people could be susceptible to illness and death – not just high risk groups, UKHSA said.

UK weather live updates: Temperatures set to soar by 10C

“Potentially very serious situation”

The “exceptional hot spell” will bring “widespread impacts on people and infrastructure”, the Met Office said.

“Population-wide adverse health effects” are expected, “not limited to those most vulnerable to extreme heat”.

Met Office spokesman, Grahame Madge, described the rising heat as a “potentially a very serious situation”.

“We’ve just issued a red warning for extreme heat for Monday and Tuesday which is the first such warning ever issued.

“The warning covers an area from London up to Manchester and then up to the Vale of York.”

Mr Madge said the mercury hitting 40C would be a “historic” moment.

“If we get to 40C, that’s a very iconic threshold and shows that climate change is with us now,” he said.

“This is made much more likely because of climate change.”

Elsewhere, the existing amber warning has been extended to the rest of England, Wales, and parts of Scotland from Monday.

The Met Office has said the red warning means “adverse health effects” may be experienced and will not be limited to “those most vulnerable to extreme heat”.

Find out the five-day forecast for where you live

The weather could also lead to “serious illness or danger to life”, the forecaster added.

England’s chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, shared the signs of heat exhaustion on Twitter as he said “early intervention to cool people down and rehydrate them can be lifesaving”.

Substantial changes to daily life required

“Substantial changes in working practices and daily routines will be required”, the Met Office said.

The national weather service also warns there is a “high risk of failure of heat-sensitive systems and equipment, potentially leading to localised loss of power and essential services, such as water or mobile phone services”.

There will also be “significantly more people visiting coastal areas, lakes and rivers, leading to an increased risk of water safety incidents”.

The public has also been warned to expect delays on roads, along with delays and cancellations to rail and air travel.

Senior ministers assembled for a COBRA meeting earlier this week in anticipation of a national heatwave emergency being declared.

Cabinet Office minister Kit Malthouse warned the government is preparing for a surge in demand on the NHS and other services – as he urged the public to look out for people vulnerable in the heat.

Read more:

UK heatwave: Revealed – the areas of England that are most vulnerable to hotter weatherExplainer: What is a national heatwave emergency and how will it impact the UK?

Transport delays anticipated amid fears roads could melt

Motorists, particularly those driving older cars, have been urged to travel outside of the hottest part of the day amid concerns roads could melt.

Sean Sidley, AA patrol of the year, said: “There are reports of road gritters being out this weekend to reduce the chances of our roads melting.

“If it does get sticky on the roads there’s nothing worse than being stuck in a jam with the mercury rising, so make sure you carry plenty of water – at least a litre per person – and sufficient fuel, or if you’re driving an electric vehicle, make sure you have plenty of charge so you can use the air-conditioning when needed.”

Public transport is also set to be affected by the searing temperatures, which can cause tracks temperatures to reach up to 50C and in some cases buckle under the heat.

Avanti West Coast warned passengers travelling between London Euston and Scotland journeys could be disrupted due to the impact of heat on rail lines.

Image: St Mary’s Lighthouse in Whitley Bay pictured just before sunrise on Friday, 15 July.

Services could be cancelled at short notice and on Monday and Tuesday will be subject to revised timetables.

Meanwhile Network Rail also said slower speeds may need to be implemented and reminded people to carry water on journeys.

Schools take precautions to protect pupils

A number of schools are allowing children to wear PE kits or loose, light-coloured clothing in a bid to combat the heat.

St John’s CE Middle School Academy in Bromsgrove will sell ice lollies in aid of Cancer Research and will encourage pupils not to run during playtime to prevent heat exhaustion.

Other schools will allow children to start and finish early to avoid the hottest part of the day, with some sports days also rescheduled.

Heatwave guidance for schools published on Thursday warned children sweat less than adults meaning they are unable to regulate their body temperature as well, putting them at risk of heat stress and exhaustion.

Affected pupils could be “out of character” and display “signs of discomfort and irritability”, the advice states.

Signs of heat exhaustion can include tiredness, nausea and confusion.

Teachers have been asked to open windows ahead of pupils arriving to improve ventilation and reduce use of electric lights and equipment.

Sales of paddling pools, fans and ice cream soar

Retailers say the scorching temperatures have led to a record-breaking amount of ice creams and lollies sold in a single week.

Tesco is expecting to sell more than 9million frozen treats this week, together with more than 900,000 packs of BBQ meat, 2m packs of sausages, almost 3m punnets of strawberries and more than 5.5m bottles of wine.

Waitrose said ice cream sales had increased by 20% compared to last week.

Demand for sun protection products rocketed by 220%, the supermarket said.

Meanwhile John Lewis has reported fan sales were up 256% compared to last year, while blackout curtains were up 193%.