The British government is set to hold an emergency meeting on Saturday to plan for record high temperatures after authorities issued the first ‘red’ warning for extreme heat early next week. The alert covers large areas of England on Monday and Tuesday, when temperatures could reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) for the first time, posing a risk of serious illness and even death for healthy people, the Met Office said on Friday United Kingdom. The British record is 38.7 C (101.7 F), set in 2019. Train passengers and London Underground users are advised not to travel on Monday and Tuesday unless absolutely necessary. With children and the elderly considered particularly vulnerable to high temperatures, schools and nursing homes have been urged to take measures to protect students and elderly residents. “If customers need to travel they should check before they travel as we expect there will be some impact on Tube and train services as a result of the temporary speed restrictions we will need to put in place to keep everyone safe,” he said Andy Lord. chief executive of Transport for London, which manages the capital’s transport system. The alarm comes as scientists say climate change is increasing the likelihood of extreme heatwaves in Britain, a country not used to such temperatures.
