Transport, schools, companies disrupted as UK braces for record-breaking temperature at 40oC

Daily activities in the United Kingdom are disrupted as temperatures are set to hit a record of 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday.

Some reports said that the temperature, emanating from a heat wave, will most likely exceed 40 degree Celsius across eastern England breaking record of 38.7°C set at the Cambridge Botnic Garden on July 25, 2019, according to Met Office.

Experts say that increasingly frequent and strong heat waves are the direct result of climate change, and these extreme temperatures are set to become more common as the world continues to burn fossil fuels.

Bloomberg affirmed that ruthless conditions have already hit some countries like India, the United States and western Europe this year but represent a particular challenge for regions unfamiliar to scorching temperatures.

The newspaper said that trains have been delayed or canceled, schools have closed early, and workers have been stranded at home due to this.

The UK’s Met Office released its first ever red emergency warning for extreme heat for Monday and Tuesday, warning of the potential for power outages, road closures and even loss of life. It has also extended its most severe warning for the risk of fires over most of England Tuesday.

It has provisionally been the warmest night on record in the UK

The Met Office recommended closing curtains to keep rooms cooler, and to drink plenty of water. The risk of wild fires remains very high for large parts of England, according to the Copernicus Emergency Management Service.

In parts of cushioning the adverse effects of the temperatures, railways can commence to secure at certain heat thresholds, requiring trains to run at slower speeds or not at all. It can also become impossible to do maintenance on equipment when the temperature is too high.

Transport for London told people not to travel and suffered severe delays due to heat-related restrictions on a number of lines of the London Tube, including the Central and District lines. The Hammersmith & City line was suspended entirely because of heat.

It was further revealed that service was suspended on London North Eastern Railway from London King’s Cross station to Leeds and York. Southern Rail also reduced service and warned customers not to travel unless it’s absolutely necessary.

Thameslink and Greater Northern trains out of London, including those serving Luton airport were canceled Tuesday morning. Thameslink and Gatwick Express services are also not running to Gatwick airport.

Temperatures should start to ease later Tuesday as cooler weather moves in from the west. The biggest relief should come Wednesday evening when temperatures drop to the low 20s Celsius — around average for the season.