The chief meteorologist at the Met Office has said that exceptionally high temperatures expected across the UK on Monday and Tuesday are “entirely consistent” with climate change.
Paul Davies warned that such heat could become a regular feature by the end of the century, adding that the UK’s first red heat warning has come into effect, with temperatures expected to reach 41C (105.8F) on Monday or Tuesday, breaking the country’s heat records.
He further stated that the heatwave has already caused school closures, transport service delays, increased pressure on health services and a call from unions for flexible working options.
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“I’ve been a meteorologist for about 30 years and I’ve never seen the charts I’ve seen today,” said Davies”. “Human-induced climate change was the “additional boost” behind temperatures reaching 40C in the UK”.
According to reports, the extreme heat warning has been issued across a large part of England for Monday and Tuesday, while an amber warning initially covers all of England on Sunday and extends to southern Scotland and Wales from Monday until Tuesday.
Davies urged the public to keep hydrated and look out for vulnerable people, particularly children and older people. He also encouraged employees to work from home, while schools have been advised to stay open, except for those lacking cooling infrastructure.
He said that colleagues in countries such as Spain and Portugal had described the scenes in the UK as “exceptional, adding that the “plume” of heat pushing across Europe was affecting Britain differently.
“A combination of that plume and human activity generating its own heat was contributing to the high temperatures,” he said.
Story was adapted from the Guardian.
