Red alert: UK set to roast in 'ferocious heat' as temperatures could hit above 40C and bring widespread disruption – Sky News

A national emergency has been declared and much of England is covered in the Met Office’s first-ever red warning.
News reporter
Monday 18 July 2022 08:09, UK
Britons have been urged to stay inside as the UK braces for “ferocious” temperatures breaching 40C, and swathes of the country are now covered in the first-ever red warning for extreme heat.
A national emergency has been declared amid the threat of severe disruption as schools close, hospitals cancel appointments and events are scrapped.
The last week has seen high temperatures across Britain, but Met Office forecasters issued a red warning for Monday and Tuesday in an indication that the mercury could soar still higher.
Find out the five-day forecast for where you live
Keep out of the sun between 11am and 3pm and avoid physical exertion
Drink plenty of fluids and avoid excess alcohol
Close curtains in rooms that face the sun
Never leave anyone in a parked car – and check in on elderly and vulnerable neighbours
Walk in the shade, apply sunscreen and wear a wide-brimmed hat
Check medicines can be stored according to instructions – and check that your fridges, freezers and fans are working properly
For more tips on how to stay cool, click here
Experts say there is now an 80% chance a new temperature record could be set, topping the 38.7C (101.7F) set in 2019 and a 60% chance of highs hitting over 40C (104F).
Read more: What a Level 4 heatwave means for the UK
Meteorologist at the Met Office Paul Davies told Sky News that there is a good chance the record will be broken today.
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“Tonight will be very oppressive. I mean it is exceptionally difficult sleeping conditions,” he said.
“Tomorrow is the day we are very concerned about. There’s a good chance now of hitting 40 or 41 degrees Celsius.
Mr Davies added that the extreme heat today and tomorrow could be a regular occurrence by the end of the century.
NHS warns hospitals will be “really pushed” – UK weather latest
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Kit Malthouse told Sky News that people need to be “sensible” as “we have not seen this kind of heat before”.
Mr Malthouse, who is expected to chair another COBRA meeting on the heatwave later on Monday added that Boris Johnson is “right across” the extreme weather despite not attending previous meetings.
‘Ferocious heat’ could lead to deaths
The College of Paramedics chief executive Tracy Nicholls, warned the “ferocious heat” the UK is predicted to experience over the next few days could lead to deaths.
She told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: “This isn’t like a lovely hot day where we can put a bit of sunscreen on, go out and enjoy a swim and a meal outside.
“This is serious heat that could actually, ultimately, end in people’s deaths because it is so ferocious. We’re just not set up for that sort of heat in this country.”
The UK Health Security Agency raised its heat health warning to Level 4 – a “national emergency” – on Friday.
Level 4 is reached when “a heatwave is so severe and/or prolonged that its effects extend outside the health and social care system”.
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The Met Office has issued an amber extreme heat warning for the majority of England, which extends to southern Scotland and Wales from Monday until Tuesday.
The red warning has also been issued across a large part of England, from London to Manchester and York on Monday and Tuesday.
Read more: Why Britain’s cities need a radical overhaul
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The blame for the extreme heat roasting the UK has been levelled squarely at climate change by various scientists.
Climate attribution scientist at the Met Office Dr Nikos Christidis has said Tuesday’s above 40C prediction is a result of our changing climate.
Read more: ‘It’s no longer denial… it’s here’ – Why climate change will make this heatwave more dangerous
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