The British have never been so hot

Climate change The British are facing extreme heat - can knock out the mobile network 

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Adrian Ericson 

Published: Less than 10 minutes ago 

NEWS 

Britain is holding its breath in the face of what is expected to be the worst heat ever. 

Operations are canceled and the mobile network can be switched off when the mercury rises. 

"There is a high risk that heat-sensitive equipment will stop working," writes the British weather institute Met Office. 

On Monday and Tuesday, anything but rain and dense fog is expected in the UK. 

It should be so hot that it can be life threatening. "Diseases and death can also occur among healthy people and not just in high-risk groups," writes the British public health agency UKHSA. 

The British weather institute, Met Office, has for the first time issued a red warning for extreme heat. The forecasts point to 40 degrees in the shade. Including in London, Manchester and York. The previous record is 38.7 degrees in 2019. 

The last time the UK was hit by a major heat wave was in 2020, when 2,500 people died as a result of the heat. This time significantly higher temperatures await. 

A sign on the highway warns of extreme heat. Photo: Owen Humphreys / AP 

Healthcare "very pressured" 

On Saturday, the government gathered for a crisis meeting and a national emergency has been announced. Workplaces around the country are closed and residents are advised against using public transport. The British railway network Network Rail has had some railway tracks repainted in white so that they do not get caught in the heat, writes The Guardian.  

On electronic road signs, motorists can read "extreme heat - plan your trip - bring water". 

To prepare, the British health service has extra staff on standby. Operations have been canceled to make fragile people not travel in the heat and to free up capacity in healthcare, writes Mirror.

- The serious heat can actually in the end, because it is so violent, lead to people dying. "We are simply not equipped for this type of heat in the country," Tracy Nicholls, head of the British Ambulance Association, told Sky News.

Above all, the elderly, children and babies are exposed to dehydration and heat stroke. 

The situation for healthcare is expected to be "very, very pressured", Victor Adebowale, who is chairman of the national healthcare system NHS, tells Sky.

People are crowded in the heat of the subway. Photo: MAJA SMIEJKOWSKA / REUTERS 

Mobile networks can crash 

Extreme heat can also threaten important infrastructure. The meteorological institute Met Office warns that the mobile network may fail. 

"There is a great risk that heat-sensitive equipment can be switched off, which can lead to local interruptions for electricity and mobile networks," writes Met Office. 

The expert company Cornwall Insight warns that overhead lines and transformers risk being beaten in the heat and can lead to disturbances, writes Mirror.. 

 If the temperature exceeds 40 degrees, nuclear power plants can also have problems with cooling, writes Wales Online, referring to the UK's national plan for heat waves.

More heat with changing climate 

The highest temperature so far in the UK is 38.7 degrees and was measured in Cambridge in 2019. Nikos Christidis, climate researcher at the Met Office, says that climate change means that extreme weather will become more common in the country. 

- We hoped that we would not end up in this situation. But for the first time, we forecast over 40 degrees in the UK, he tells the Mirror.