The new Minister of Health has said additional measures will be taken for emergency services as an extreme heat warning goes into effect.
Steve Barclay This additional emergency support, e.g. B. more call agents and additional working hours, is set up on Monday and Tuesday.
meteorologists have given mercury an 80 per cent chance of surpassing the UK’s record temperature of 38.7C set in Cambridge in 2019 – with the current heatwave set to peak on Tuesday.
Searing temperatures are forecast for Monday, with Peterborough expected to hit 37C and Milton Keynes, Norwich and Lincoln 36C – while temperatures in London could hit 40C on Tuesday.
The UK’s first red extreme heat warning has been issued across much of England from London to Manchester and York on Monday and Tuesday, while a yellow warning on Sunday initially covers the whole of England and extends south Scotland and Wales from Monday to Tuesday.
The UK Health Security Agency has raised its heat warning from level three to level four in what is being described as a “national emergency”.
Mr Barclay told the BBC: “The clear message to the public is to take the sensible steps around water, shade and cover that many people are familiar with. This is the best protection against the heat.
“We ask people to keep an eye on their neighbors and those who may be at risk.
“We also provide additional emergency support.”
He added: “We are taking additional measures in terms of call handling and fleet support [and] additional hours capacity in the ambulances.
“Every ambulance trust has well developed contingency plans for extreme weather.
Lorraine Stalford gives her dog Barney some water during the hot weather in Belfast (Photo: Liam McBurney/PA)
(PA wire)
“We are also working with the hospitals to facilitate ambulance transfers to hospitals, but also to ensure that where people can be transferred to the wards themselves, we use the hospital’s full capacity rather than waiting longer for them must be outside in ambulances.”
Ministers held a virtual Cobra emergency meeting on Saturday after meteorologists warned record temperatures could be endangering lives.
Cabinet Secretary Kit Malthouse, who chaired the meeting, said transport services would face “significant disruption” on Monday and Tuesday and urged people not to travel.
He added that guidance would be given to schools so they could remain open.
Met Office climate attribution scientist Dr. Nikos Christidis said the 40 degree prediction was a result of climate change.
“We had hoped we wouldn’t get to this situation but for the first time ever we are forecasting over 40C for the UK,” he said.
“In a recent study we found that the likelihood of extremely hot days in the UK has increased and will continue to increase throughout the century, with the most extreme temperatures expected to be observed in south-east England.”
The Met Office, meanwhile, has forecast dry weather across Wales, the Midlands, the south east and south west of England on Sunday as temperatures soar to 31C.
A cloudier day with intermittent showers or rain is forecast for north-west and north-east England and Scotland.
Highs of 25°C are predicted in the north-west of England, while highs of 23°C could be reached in the north-east and most of Scotland.
