UK prepares for 1st ever extreme heat “red” alert, scientists warn of dangers to health

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The U.K. is preparing for extreme heat in the coming days, Britain's Health Secretary Steve Barclay said on Saturday, giving examples of the government and ambulance services putting in extra measures to deal with any increased demand caused by possibly unprecedented temperatures.

Officials are worried about the effects on people's health and on a healthcare system already challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic as searing heat sweeps the country. The British government is set to hold an emergency response meeting Saturday to plan for record high temperatures after authorities issued their first ever “red” warning for extreme heat early next week.

The red alert covers large parts of England on Monday and Tuesday when temperatures may reach 40 C for the first time, posing a risk of serious illness and even death among healthy people, the U.K. Met office said Friday. The British record is 38.7 C, set in 2019.

"That's very frightening in a way, that even some of the computer models are picking up these extremely high temperatures," climate scientist Hannah Cloke from the University of Reading said. With beaches typically filling up on hot days across the country, Cloke also warned of the serious dangers from lying in the sun as well as cold shocks from suddenly plunging into cold water.