Schools are preparing to send students home or tell them to wear their gym clothes to class next week as experts issue a ‘death-risk’ warning about the heat wave hitting Britain – with temperatures potentially reaching as high as a record 40C.
Health leaders fear the NHS will be overrun by some heat-related casualties if the mercury does indeed rise to levels normally found only in Death Valley Californiathe world’s hottest place.
Tuesday is likely to be the hottest day, with the potential to surpass Britain’s record 38.7C (101.7F) temperature in Cambridge in 2019, forecasters say.
The With Office warning says the weather can cause health problems for the entire population, not just those vulnerable to extreme heat, leading to potentially serious illness or death.
Climate Change Lecturer John Grant told the Mirror: ‘I think hundreds will die in the UK, if not thousands, that’s my fear if we reach temperatures of 40°C.
“It’s terrifying what happens if we don’t have a management plan and set up cooling centers.”
Meanwhile, schools are also taking steps to try to protect students in the harsh conditions – some encouraging the wearing of t-shirts and shorts and others canceling sports days and giving parents the chance to keep their children all at home.
Experts have issued a ‘death hazard’ warning about the heat wave hitting Britain – with temperatures potentially reaching a record 40°C. Pictured: Bournemouth Beach
A rainbow over Spanish City in Whitley Bay in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear on Thursday amid the current heat wave
People walk among the flower meadows, around the Tower of London, central London on Thursday afternoon
Tuesday is likely to be the hottest day, with the potential to surpass Britain’s record 38.7C (101.7F) temperature in Cambridge in 2019, forecasters say. Pictured: A woman on Bournemouth beach
The Hereford Academy in Herefordshire has announced an earlier start and finish to the school day to try to beat the worst of the heat.
A post on his Facebook page read: “Due to the high temperatures that will hit next week, we will have a rather abbreviated format for our final four days: finish earlier but start earlier, so the hottest part of the day will be gone.” ‘
Elsewhere in the same county, a letter to parents of children in Marlbrook, Little Dewchurch and St Partin’s Primary School warned that gym classes will be canceled and students will not be allowed to play outside.
It added: “We also give parents the option to keep children at home on Mondays.”
Meanwhile, the Crestwood Community School in Eastleigh, Hampshire, said it was canceling its sports day because “we don’t think it’s safe for students to be out in the heat all day and participate in physical activity.”
And in east London, the director of the Clapton Girls’ Academy warned of an early termination for fear the school’s facilities could not handle rising temperatures.
Anna Feltham told the parents: ‘In many classrooms it is already very hot, even with fans, and students struggle to keep cool, drink enough water and maintain concentration during classes.
‘Because of next week’s heat wave, many classrooms in classes 4 and 5 will become unbearably hot. We’ve looked at a number of options, but we don’t have enough ‘cool’ classrooms to move the classes into.’
Before then, however, Friday will begin with eruptions of showers moving south-east across the northern and central parts of the UK.
Meanwhile, people in the South and Southwest can expect warm sunshine. London is forecast to experience 26C on Friday while 23C is forecast for Cardiff, 20C in Belfast and 19C in Edinburgh.
Saturday also starts with cloudy skies and scattered showers in northern areas, before turning dry across the country as extreme heat rolls in.
At the peak of the heat wave on Tuesday, 36C is forecast in the capital, 28C in Cardiff, 26C in Belfast and 25C in Edinburgh, but some meteorologists believe it could even reach an unprecedented 40C.
Cabinet Minister Kit Malthouse has said the government is preparing for a ‘rise’ in demand for the NHS and other services as a result of the expected heat wave.
After chairing a meeting of the Cobra Civilian Emergencies Committee in Whitehall, Mr Malthouse urged the public to watch out for people who were particularly vulnerable in the heat.
Elsewhere, Avanti West Coast has warned passengers wishing to use services between London Euston and Scotland to plan ahead due to the heat’s impact on rail lines.
The company said weekend services may be canceled at short notice, while travel on Mondays and Tuesdays is subject to schedule changes.