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The U.K. has declared a national emergency as it braces for a heatwave after the United Kingdom’s National Severe Weather Warning Service issued its first ever “red” warning for extreme heat. Much of England is expected to experience record high heat of 104 degrees early next week.
British authorities are spreading the word on heat safety practices before the wave is expected to hit on Monday and Tuesday, such as maintaining hydration, keeping cool inside, staying out of the sun and following weather advisories closely. Environmental groups are gearing up to strengthen water conservation campaigns in response to increased water consumption and droughts in the U.K.
“Exceptional, perhaps record-breaking temperatures are likely early next week, quite widely across the red warning area on Monday, and focussed a little more east and north on Tuesday,” Chief Meteorologist, Paul Gundersen, said in a statement. “Nights are also likely to be exceptionally warm, especially in urban areas. This is likely to lead to widespread impacts on people and infrastructure. Therefore, it is important people plan for the heat and consider changing their routines. This level of heat can have adverse health effects.”
The Met Office defines a red heatwave as, “so severe and/or prolonged that its effects extend outside the health and social care system. At this level, illness and death may occur among the fit and healthy, and not just in high-risk groups.”
The colored warning system begins with the color green, which signals a minimum state of vigilance during the summer, yellow, the alert and readiness stage for potential heatwaves, amber, once heatwave temperatures have been reached and are predicted to continue, and then red, a national emergency. An amber warning had already been in place…
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Source : time
