With 40 degrees Celsius and more forecast for Monday and Tuesday, the UK has to expect an enormous heat wave.
The UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office have already offered advice on how to cope with the hot weather. The advice includes staying cool indoors by closing curtains, drinking plenty of fluid, and keeping out of the sun between 11 am and 3 pm.
Experts say you should not travel this week and you should consider working from home. The rails, for example, will have to run slower, and there might be fewer services because of the heat. National Rail has already implemented some speed restrictions. There have been reports about a fire on a rail track near Victoria station in London because of the heat – this fire has been extinguished now. Transport for London has issued a warning that its services might be reduced on Monday and Tuesday.
Heat wave: Tips for travellers
But what can you do if you have to travel this week? We have some tips for you:
- Allow more time for the journey: trains will run slower, or some services will be cancelled altogether. Drivers will have to slow down because tyres could melt due to the heated roads.
- Drink plenty of water: in the heat, the body loses much more water than usual. To replace this loss, you should drink plenty of fluids – but no alcohol! As Transport for London advises: »It is also vital that customers always carry water with them when travelling.«
- London is going to be one of the hottest places worldwide! Most underground lines in the capital do not have air conditioning. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said in a statement that public transport should only be used if absolutely necessary. “Londoners who do not have to travel to their place of work should work where they feel most comfortable,” the mayor said.
- If you have booked a flight to or from the UK, you should be prepared for long waiting times. Flights could take off later due to the extreme heat, and transport to and from the airport will also take much longer. There have been chaotic scenes at London-Gatwick in recent days as waiting passengers have become highly stressed due to the high temperatures. Similar situations could happen at Heathrow and other airports as well.
