UK heatwave could put people’s lives at risk, Met Office warns, as ‘national emergency’ declared | UK News

There are growing concerns that people’s lives could be at risk as the Met Office says there is a chance that a new UK record temperature could be set as early as next week.

Meteorologists say there’s an 80% chance mercury will top the UK’s record 38.7 degrees Celsius (101.7 degrees Fahrenheit) temperature set in Cambridge in 2019.

The heat wave is set to peak on Tuesday, with temperatures soaring over the weekend.

The Met Office has issued an amber heat warning covering much of England and Wales from Sunday to Tuesday.

Find out the five-day forecast for where you live

Daytime temperatures on Saturday are predicted to be around 27C in London, 26C in Cardiff, 23C in Belfast and 21C in Edinburgh. On Sunday it could hit 30C in the capital, 27C in Cardiff, 24C in Belfast and 23C in Edinburgh.

Temperatures are expected to rise further across the country on Tuesday and reach the mid-30s in much of England and Wales.

There is a 50 per cent chance of temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius somewhere in the UK, with the Met Office issuing the first red warning of extreme temperatures.

The UK Health Security Agency has increased the heat health warning from level three to level four – a”national emergency“.

Level four is achieved “when a heatwave is so severe and/or prolonged that its effects extend outside the health care and social systems… At this level, disease and deaths can happen to healthy and well-to-do people, not just high-risk groups,” it said.

The Met Office’s red alert for Monday and Tuesday covers an area from London to Manchester, and to the Vale of York.

Read more:
Why ‘tropical nights’ in the UK can be deadly
Areas in the UK most vulnerable to hotter weather
What is the national heatwave emergency and how will it affect the UK?

Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said: “If people have a vulnerable relative or neighbour, now is the time to make sure they are taking the right measures to be able to cope with the pandemic. hot weather because if the forecast is correct as we think, then in the red warning zone, people’s lives are in danger.

“This is a very serious situation.”

A No 10 spokesman said rail speed restrictions may be needed for “some parts of the network next week to manage hot weather and avoid any potential damage”.

Jake Kelly, of Network Rail, warned journeys would be “significantly longer and potentially delayed as a result of speed restrictions put in place to keep passengers and rail staff safe”.

Train operators have warned passengers to avoid anything but “really necessary” travel on Monday and Tuesday.

Several schools across the South also closed on those days.

Motorists have been advised to make their journey outside of the hottest parts of the day, especially if they have older cars.