As the United Kingdom faces its first national heatwave emergency, the new health minister announced the implementation of new measures, including extended shifts for ambulance staff.
The United Kingdom is preparing for substantial disruptions as temperatures could reach 40 degrees Celsius by Tuesday, and health experts warn of the perils of intense heat.
The increased capability, which includes more call handlers, will be implemented on Monday and Tuesday, according to Steve Barclay.
The Met Office has issued a heat advisory for the majority of England, which will stretch to Wales and southern Scotland from Monday to Tuesday.
On Monday and Tuesday, the United Kingdom will issue its first-ever red alert for a vast portion of England, from London to Manchester and York.
Temperatures in London could reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, as health officials warn of the perils of excessive heat.
Mr. Barclay said: “The clear message to the public is to adopt the commonsense measures about water, shade, and cover, which are widely known. This is the most effective method for minimizing heat.
“We are requesting that everyone keep an eye on their neighbors and those who may be susceptible.
Additionally, we are adding additional contingency support.
As the United Kingdom prepares for potentially record-breaking temperatures, residents are asked to be “neighborly” and check on those who may be more susceptible.
A corpse was discovered at Salford Quays on Saturday after Greater Manchester Police got a complaint of a person getting into difficulty in the water due to the rising temperatures.
In the meantime, a search was underway in West Yorkshire after suspicions were reported about a person in the water at Ardsley Reservoir.
Mr. Barclay added: “We are doing additional measures in terms of call handlers, fleet support, and ambulance capacity hours.
“Each ambulance service has well-developed weather contingency strategies.
We are also collaborating with hospitals to facilitate the transfer of patients from ambulances to hospital wards, as well as to utilize the hospital’s maximum capacity so that patients do not wait longer than necessary in ambulances outside the hospital.
Saturday, the government convened an emergency COBRA meeting in response to forecasters’ warnings that potentially record-breaking temperatures could endanger lives.
Cabinet Office Minister Kit Malthouse, who presided over the meeting, stated that there will be “severe disruption” to transport services on Monday and Tuesday, and he asked people to avoid traveling.
He added that schools were being given guidance to help them remain open.
Dr. Nikos Christidis, a climate attribution scientist at the Met Office, attributed Tuesday’s forecast of 40 degrees Celsius to climate change.
“We had hoped to avoid this problem, but for the first time, we are predicting temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius in the United Kingdom,” he stated.
In a recent study, we found that the risk of extremely hot days in the United Kingdom has been growing and will continue to do so throughout the century, with the southeast of England likely to have the highest temperatures.
