A national emergency has been declared in the United Kingdom (UK) as the Met Office has issued the first-ever red warning, the highest level alert, for extreme heat in the country, when temperatures could hit an unprecedented 40C.
The highest temperature recorded in the UK so far was 38.7C at Cambridge Botanic Garden in July 2019.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) had on Friday, raised its heat health warning to level four – a national emergency.
UKHSA says that Level four is reached when “a heatwave is so severe and/or prolonged that its effects extend outside the health and social care system, meaning that fit and healthy people could be susceptible to illness and death – not just high risk groups.
Forecasters now say there is an 80% chance of the mercury topping the UK’s record temperature of 38.7C (101.7F), set at Cambridge University Botanic Garden on 25 July 2019.
The Met office said that there is a 50% chance of temperatures hitting 40C (104F) somewhere in the UK.
Situation potentially very serious
The Spokesman for the Met office, Grahame Madge, described the rising heat as a “potentially a very serious situation”, saying that the mercury hitting 40C would be a “historic” moment.
He said, “If we get to 40C, that’s a very iconic threshold and shows that climate change is with us now. 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.
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”.
Met Office CEO says extreme heat unprecedented
The Chief Executive Officer of Met ofiice, Penny Endersby described the extreme heat forecast as “absolutely unprecedented” and urged the public to take warnings seriously.
- She said, “Our lifestyles and our infrastructure are not adapted to what is coming. Please treat the warnings we are putting out as seriously as you would a red or amber warning from us for wind or snow, and follow the advice.”
- The Met Office said, “Substantial changes in working practices and daily routines will be required” to cope with the unusual conditions.’’
- The national weather service also warned 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”
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