Trains slowed to a halt. Schools and physicians’ offices were forced to close their doors because of the snowstorm. The galleries of the British Museum were shut down. As a result, the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace was slashed in half. In addition, the government encouraged individuals to work from home.
As a fire-ravaged European continent pushed brutal heat north, most of the British Isles took an unintentional nap on Monday, hitting the warmest temperature ever recorded in Wales.
As temperatures soared to nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.5 degrees Celsius) in London and other parts of the south and midlands, the government issued a “red” heat warning for the first time ever. As a sweltering country, the difference between 100.6 Fahrenheit (38.1 Celsius) and the record of 101.7 Celsius achieved in Cambridge in July 2019 was insignificant.
Despite the oppressive heat, Georgia McQuade, 22, trudged through the London Underground, hauling a bulky luggage all the way to Victoria bus station, where she expected to board a bus back to Paris.
Mrs. McQuade observed, “The Tube is sweltering,” to which I nodded in agreement. The fact that so many people are relying on automobiles to move about is what prompted her to say, “I don’t want to get an Uber.”
As a mass of hot air has roasted Italy and Spain over the last week and sparked flames in France and other areas of Europe before overflowing across the English Channel, she expects even more fierce temperatures in Paris.
Two massive wildfires ravaged 55 square miles of parched pine forest in southwest France during the last week, forcing 16,000 residents to flee, and French firemen were still fighting these blazes on Monday.
The blast furnace of Arizona-style heat was enough to disturb most of the country for Britain, which is famed for its scudding clouds, frequent rains, and mild climate. In the middle of a campaign season, it even found its way into the discussion.
Those who are more acclimated to the heat may not even notice it in the United States. People’s bodies have become more used to it because of the preparedness of the infrastructure in such climes, which includes everything from public transit to private residences.
The homes in Britain, particularly the older ones, were designed to preserve heat, and their tenants are similarly equipped. It’s no surprise, therefore, that Britons are notoriously unprepared for all types of harsh weather, including pavement-shimmering heat.
For safety reasons, some train services were cancelled and others operated at a reduced pace. After the heat produced a “fault” in the runway at Luton Airport, north of London, a number of planes, including those from Mediterranean vacation destinations, had to be diverted to other airports.
Reflective foil was used to cover the cast-iron chains and pedestals of the Hammersmith Bridge across the Thames in London to keep them cool during the summer. The stately but corroded 19th-century bridge had been threatened by previous heat waves, which had caused fissures to grow in the iron.
Thousands disobeyed warnings and raced to bodies of water to escape the heat on Monday evening, including a 14-year-old kid who was reported missing by London police. Police suspect the young man perished in the Thames.
According to a spokeswoman for the Royal Air Force, the tar on the runway at the service’s busiest facility may have melted, prompting the suspension of all aircraft in and out. Air Force activities were unaffected because of the usage of other airfields, according to him.
In a call reminiscent of the height of the coronavirus outbreak, government officials pleaded with the public to utilise public transit only when necessary and to work from home on Monday and Tuesday. Since few houses have central air conditioning, many people are forced to choose between an uncomfortable commute and an uncomfortable home office.
A cabinet minister in charge of the government’s reaction stated, “Our immediate priority is to get the nation through the next 36 hours in the best condition possible.” Tuesday is expected to be considerably hotter, which might put all previous heat records at jeopardy.
A staunch supporter of Boris Johnson, Mr. Malthouse backed the PM’s decision to remain at Chequers and avoid crisis sessions of the cabinet. Mr. Malthouse said he was in the process of informing Mr. Johnson, who announced his retirement two weeks ago after losing the backing of his party.
As the Conservative Party fights to replace Mr. Johnson as leader, the weather has unavoidably entered the fray. There is no urgency in addressing climate change, regardless of the weather.
