As MPs reiterated their advice urging schools not to close, deputy prime minister Dominic Raab said Britons should be strong enough to “enjoy the sunlight” over the coming days.
The nation is preparing for sweltering heat as an amber heat warning goes into force today, followed by the country’s first-ever red heat alert tomorrow.
On Monday, according to scientists, Britain might be hotter than Delhi and the Sahara Desert.
The temperature could hit 41C, which is double the UK summer normal.
On Monday, scorching temperatures are expected with Peterborough hitting 37C, Milton Keynes, Norwich, and Lincoln hitting 36C, and temperatures in London might reach 40C on Tuesday.
But today, Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, argued that kids should stay in school, saying on Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday: “I think kids have missed out quite a bit already in terms of their education and it’s right for them to be there.”
The first red extreme heat warning for the UK will be issued this week when temperatures for the first time in history rise toward 40C.
An 80% possibility exists that the temperature will surpass the UK record of 38.7C established in Cambridge in 2019.
There is a 50/50 possibility that Britain will reach the 40°C threshold on Monday or Tuesday, according to meteorologists.
The chief executive of the College of Paramedics, Tracy Nicholls, warned that the “ferocious heat” that the UK is expected to experience over the next several days could be harmful to Britons.
The NHS Confederation leader stated that over the next days, hospitals will be “truly, really stretched.”
In an effort to escape the heat, Brits flocked to lakes and beaches yesterday night, where the body of a 16-year-old lad was discovered in the water.
Thousands of people in the south-east of England are now without water as a result of a string of burst water mains brought on by the heat.
In Kent, Challock, Mollash, and Broadstairs, there are service interruptions that began on Saturday night.
To prepare for the record temperatures anticipated at the start of next week, severe water main breaks have occurred throughout the region, including in Paddock Wood.
Following the declaration of a national emergency, Ministers met yesterday in a Cobra session to discuss the health effects of the heatwave.
“Here in the UK, we’re used to considering a hot spell as an opportunity to go and play in the sun,” Met Office Chief Executive Penny Endersby said. This weather is not like that.
Mr. Raab urged people to take “common sense” precautions because temperatures are expected to reach 40C on Monday and Tuesday.
He said on Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: “Obviously there is some common sense practical advice we are talking about – remain hydrated, stay out of the heat at the warmest periods, wear sun cream – those types of things.”
We should take advantage of the sunshine and be strong enough to withstand some of the pressures it will bring.
When asked whether individuals should think about working from home, Mr. Raab responded, “That is for employers to consider and individuals to decide.”
I won’t start dictating things like that, she said. However, we now offer more flexible scheduling. Thus, that will also be helpful in situations like this.
Bridget Phillipson responded to a question about whether she would support parents who choose to keep their kids out of school on those days by saying, “I am sure that headteachers will be doing everything they possibly can to ensure that their schools are kept as cool as possible, that children are kept out of the hot sun and are kept indoors as much as possible.”
“I believe that youngsters should be there since they have already missed out on a lot in terms of their education.”
She continued, “Headteachers always operate in the best interests of the students in school.”
Steve Barclay, the health secretary, asked people to take “reasonable actions in terms of water, shade, and cover” and to watch out for elderly relatives and neighbours.
Cabinet Office Minister Kit Malthouse, who presided over the Cobra meeting, warned that there will be substantial transportation disruptions at the beginning of the week and asked people not to go needlessly.
The trains must travel slower, he continued, because the heat will slow down the rails. Services might be reduced. People should be alert for disruptions.
If they don’t need to travel, they could be able to work from home at this time.
The chairman of the NHS Confederation, Lord Victor Adebowale, stated that while the NHS “will cope” over the coming days, “coping isn’t good enough.”
My members are quite stretched right now,’ he admitted to Times Radio. The demand for ambulances is at its highest point, and waiting times are growing longer.
We will be pushed extremely hard, and it’s not only the temperature and the red warning. One of the reasons we have openings is that we are dealing with COVID-19, which is making our ambulance crews unwell.
We also face a problem with social care, which is that we are unable to discharge patients from hospitals due to the crisis in social care.
“The NHS will cope, but coping isn’t good enough,” Lord Adebowale continued.
We must genuinely conduct our business in a way that enables individuals to receive the necessary care when and when it is needed. And that’s difficult.
According to research conducted last week, people were seeking to maximise the use of the air conditioning at work, with offices operating at 42% of their maximum capacity since March 2020.
Due to the heat, some schools have already begun summer vacation, but despite teaching union predictions that some schools will have to close, government sources told The Mail on Sunday that the ‘consensus’ at yesterday’s Cobra meeting was that children would be in danger if left unattended at home.
There is a 50% possibility of temperatures hitting 40C or more on Tuesday, most likely along the A1 corridor, which runs through counties like Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire on its way from London to Scotland.
That would make the UK hotter than the 37C in New Delhi, India, and the 35C predicted for Tamanrasset in the Sahara.
Tomorrow night at 1am, a sweltering 30C, 15C above average, is forecast for London.
The most recent nighttime temperature record was established in Brighton in August 1990 at 23.9C.
The public has been cautioned by fire departments not to burn yard debris and to be careful when discarding disposable BBQs, charcoal, and cigarettes.
Wildfires are raging in western France and Spain as Western Europe continues to experience record temperatures.
Monday is anticipated to be the hottest day of the heatwave in France, with temperatures exceeding 40C. (104F).
Health authorities in Spain report 360 deaths from heat-related causes as a result of abnormally high temperatures of 45C.
The UK is expected to face “ferocious heat” during the next few days, and the chief executive of the College of Paramedics has issued a warning that this could lead to fatalities.
“This isn’t like a wonderful hot day where we can put a touch of sunscreen on, go out, and enjoy a swim and a dinner outside,” Tracy Nicholls said on Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday show.
This heat is intense and could ultimately lead to fatalities because it is so fierce. We simply aren’t prepared for that level of heat in this nation.