Posted: 22:33, July 16, 2022 | Updated: 02:22, July 17, 2022
Britain is set to experience its highest ever overnight temperature tomorrow with highs of 30C (86F). And by day, ‘Furnace Britain’ will be hotter than Delhi and the Sahara desert, with experts predicting the mercury could hit 41C – twice the UK summer average. Yesterday, Ministers held a Cobra meeting to discuss the health effects of the heat wave after declaring a national emergency – but warned schools not to close. It’s the UK’s first red extreme heat warning as temperatures soar to 40C for the first time on record. Forecasters gave an 80% chance of the mercury surpassing the UK record of 38.7C set in Cambridge in 2019. Forecasters have given an 80 per cent chance the mercury will top the UK record 38.7C set in Cambridge in 2019 Forecasters have warned there is a 50 per cent chance temperatures will reach 40C or more on Tuesday, likely along the A1 corridor Health Minister Steve Barclay has urged the public to look out for vulnerable relatives and neighbors during the coming heatwave Crowds take advantage of the warm weather during the annual International Busking Day event at London’s Wembley Park A young girl enjoys the sun on Margate beach on Saturday 16th July. A level 3 health alert has already been issued, rising to level four in some areas until Monday A steamy 30C – 15C above average – expected at 1am. tomorrow night in London. The current overnight temperature record is 23.9 degrees Celsius, set in August 1990 in Brighton There are fears thousands could die and the health service has put in extra ambulance capacity and more 111 operators.
Brighton rocks… as Britain hits the beach
There wasn’t enough room to put a bath towel on Brighton beach yesterday as around 300,000 people descended on the South Coast resort to soak up the sun. Another 200,000 headed to Bournemouth, 150,000 to Blackpool and 150,000 to Great Yarmouth as the temperature soared to 29C. Families were expected to spend £4billion this weekend visiting beaches, shops and pubs before the heat becomes too unbearable to go out next week. The ‘beat the heat’ spree has seen rowing sales rise tenfold, according to Asda, while Sainsbury’s said it has sold 19 times more fans than usual. Many took to the back garden for a barbecue, with Asda saying it had sold 4.5 million sausages and 1.4 million burgers last week. Aldi predicts it will have sold 2.5 million burgers by the end of the weekend and all supermarkets said they had seen a surge in demand for ice cream. Sunscreen sales have also tripled, while shoppers are stocking up on aloe vera gel for sunburns, Holland & Barrett said. Domestic tourist spending on day trips and accommodation this weekend is expected to top £1.5bn, according to trends in VisitEngland figures. Families are rushing to stock up on coolers to avoid the worst of the heat tomorrow and Tuesday. Figures on spending trends show households will spend £2bn in supermarkets over the weekend. Met Office chief executive Penny Endersby said: “Here in the UK we are used to treating a warm spell as an opportunity to go and play in the sun. It’s not that kind of time.” Health Minister Steve Barclay urged the public to look out for vulnerable relatives and neighbors and urged people to take “sensible steps in terms of water, shade and cover”. After chairing the Cobra meeting, Cabinet Minister Keith Malthouse warned there would be significant disruption to transport at the start of the week and urged people not to travel unnecessarily. He said: “The heat will affect the tracks, for example, so trains have to run more slowly. There may be fewer services. People should be on the lookout for disruption. “If they don’t have to travel, this might be a time for them to work from home.” Research last week showed people were trying to make the most of air conditioning at work with offices running at 42 per cent capacity, the highest level since March 2020. Some schools have started their summer holidays early because of the heatwave, but contrary to teaching unions’ suggestion that some schools should be closed, government sources told The Mail on Sunday that the “consensus” at yesterday’s Cobra meeting was that young you will be at risk if left unattended at home. Forecasters have warned there is a 50 per cent chance of temperatures reaching 40C or more on Tuesday, most likely along the A1 corridor, which runs from London to Scotland through counties such as Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire. This would make the UK warmer than the 35C expected in Tamanrasset in the Sahara and 37C in New Delhi, India. A steamy 30C – 15C above average – expected at 1am. tomorrow night in London. The current overnight temperature record is 23.9 degrees Celsius, set in August 1990 in Brighton. Firefighters have warned the public to be careful when disposing of disposable barbecues or charcoal and cigarettes and not to burn garden waste. Western Europe continues to record record temperatures with fires in western France and Spain. The heat wave in France is expected to peak on Monday, with temperatures reaching over 40 degrees Celsius. In Spain, health ministers say unusually high temperatures of 45C have led to 360 heat-related deaths.
