Much of Europe is baking in a heatwave that has pushed temperatures into the mid-40s Celsius (above 110 Fahrenheit) in some areas, with fires raging across dry countryside in Portugal, Spain and France. read more The British government issued a “national emergency” alert as temperatures were expected to exceed the 38.7 degrees Celsius (102 F) recorded at Cambridge University Botanic Gardens on Monday and Tuesday. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register “We have a difficult 48 hours,” Kit Malthouse, minister for government coordination, told BBC radio. The London Underground network imposed temporary speed restrictions for Monday and Tuesday, meaning it would run reduced services with journeys taking longer than normal. He urged passengers to travel only if necessary. The national rail network also urged passengers to stay at home and said some services – including a key route between the north-east of England and London – would not run during Tuesday. Jake Kelly from Network Rail said he hoped normal operations would resume on Wednesday, when temperatures are forecast to drop, but that would depend on “the damage the weather does to the infrastructure over the next couple of days”.

HIGH STUFF

A member of the Queen’s Guard receives water to drink during the hot weather outside Buckingham Palace in London, Britain, July 18, 2022. REUTERS/John Sibley
read more The government urged schools to stay open, but many were to close earlier than usual, normal uniform requirements were scrapped and end-of-term sports days were cancelled. Some schools have closed, resorting to online lockdown-style classes. And at least one major zoo, in Chester, said it would close for two days, while London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo said many animals could be withdrawn to “cold zones” and some exhibits may be closed. Some factories also extended their working hours to prevent workers in the hottest jobs, such as welding, from getting sick. The UKHSA has raised the heat health warning to Level 4 for England for Monday and Tuesday. Britain’s Met Office defines alert level 4 as a national emergency, used when a heatwave “is so severe and/or prolonged that its effects extend beyond the health and social care system. At this level, illness and death can to appear among the fit and healthy, and not just in high-risk groups.” The Met Office said “substantial” changes to working practices and daily routines would be required and there was a high risk of damage to heat-sensitive systems and equipment, potentially leading to local loss of power, water or mobile phone services. Malthouse said the government was prepared for the extreme weather and would try to learn from it. “We absolutely have to adjust the way we build buildings, the way we operate and look at some of our infrastructure in light of an increasing frequency of these events,” he said. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Report by Kate Holton. Edited by William Schomberg and Alex Richardson Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.