Britain's heat wave disrupts travel, health services and it's only expected to get hotter

Millions of people in Britain stayed home or sought shade Monday during the country's first-ever "red" warning for extreme heat, as the hot, dry weather that has scorched mainland Europe for the past week moved north, snarlingrail serviceand forcing two airports to close their runways.

The red heat alert covers a big chunk of England and is to last through Tuesday, when temperatures may reach 40 C for the first time, posing a risk of serious illness and even death among healthy people, according to the Met Office, the U.K.'smeteorological agency.

"We've got a difficult 48 hours coming," Kit Malthouse, a minister in charge of government co-ordination, told BBC radio.

The extreme heat warning stretches from London in the south to Manchester and Leeds in the north.

The temperature Monday reached 38.1 Cat Downham in eastern England, just shy of the highest-ever recorded in Britain 38.7 C, a record set in 2019. The country isn't at all prepared to handle such heat most homes, schools and small businesses in Britain don't have air conditioning.

Wales provisionally recorded its highest-ever temperature, the Met Office said37.1 C at Hawarden in northeastern Wales.

The Level 4 heat alert issued by the Met Officeis defined as a national emergency, to be used when a heat wave "is 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."

At least four people were reported to have drowned across the U.K. while trying to cool off in rivers, lakes and reservoirs.

Service disruptions in effect

Train operators asked customers not to travel unless absolutely necessary, saying the heat was likely to warp rails and disrupt power supplies, leading to severe delays. Some routes were running at reduced speed or shutting down entirely in the afternoon amid peak temperatures.

Flights were temporarily disrupted at London's Luton Airport because of what was described as a "surface defect" on the runway amid the high temperatures. The airport said engineers were called to the site and repair workwasbeing done. The runway reopened to arriving and departing flights at 6:05 p.m. local time, the airport said in an evening update.

RAF Brize Norton, a major air force base northwest of London, also closed its runway because of the heat. The air force said "aircraft are using alternative airfields in line with a long established plan."

Medical appointments were cancelled to relieve strains on the National Health Service.

With most British schools having not yet closed for the summer, the government urged them to stay open. But many were due to close earlier than usual, normal uniform demands were ditched and end-of-term sports days were cancelled. Some schools were shut, resorting to lockdown-style online lessons.

At least one major zoo, at Chester, said it would close for two days, while London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo said many animals would be able to retreat to "cool zones" and some exhibits might be closed.

Some factories also brought their opening hours forward, to prevent workers on the hottest jobs, such as welding, from falling ill.

The extreme heat even led Parliament to loosen its strict dress code. The Speaker of the House of Commons said male lawmakers could dispense with jackets and ties for the week.

Heat expected to continue

The high temperatures are even more of a shock since Britain usually has very moderate summer temperatures. Across the U.K., average July temperatures range from a daily high of 21 C to a low of 12 C.

But nightfall on Monday will bring little relief from the heat,with the Met Office forecasting temperatures of 29 C at midnight in London.

Monday night will be "very oppressive" and it will be difficult to sleep, Chief Meteorologist Paul Davies said.

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Nigel Arnell, a University of Reading climate system science professor, says extreme weather events should be a wake-up call to upgrade infrastructures not designed for very high temperatures.

Temperatures are expected to rise further as warm air moves north on Tuesday, Met Office CEO Penelope Endersby said.

"So it's tomorrow that we're really seeing the higher chance of 40 degrees and temperatures above that," Endersby told the BBC.

"Forty-one isn't off the cards. We've even got some 43s in the model, but we're hoping it won't be as high as that."

Hot weather has gripped southern Europe since last week, triggering wildfires in Spain, Portugal and France. Almost 600 heat-related deaths have been reported in Spain and Portugal, where temperatures reached 47 C last week.

Climate experts warn that global warming has increased the frequency of extreme weather events, with studies showing that the likelihood of temperatures in the U.K. reaching 40 Cis now 10 times higher than in the pre-industrial era. Drought and heat waves tied to climate change have also made wildfires harder to fight.