Country\u2019s meteorological agency says temperatures could get even hotter on Tuesday, breaching 40C mark for first time
\n London
\nBritain on Monday braced for another day of soaring temperatures, with predictions that the country could see its hottest day in history as people tried to find ways to stay cool.
\nThe mercury was set to rise to highs of 38 Celsius (100.4 Fahrenheit) in London, as a heatwave that has been building since last week showed no let-up.
\nBut the country\u2019s meteorological agency the Met Office said temperatures could get even hotter on Tuesday, breaching the 40C mark for the first time.
\nBritain\u2019s current record temperature stands at 38.7C, which was reached at Cambridge Botanic Garden in eastern England on July 25, 2019.
\n\u201cIt is a bit frightening, I think, definitely… what it\u2019s going to do to us, to the world,\u201d Karina Lawford told AFP of the potentially record-breaking heat, as she took a mid-morning stroll by the sea in Tankerton on the north Kent coast.
\nThe Kent coastline southeast of the UK capital is several degrees cooler and with its on-shore breeze was attracting plenty of people eager for some respite.
\n\u201cWe enjoy it, we\u2019re just apprehensive of the effects that it will have, so we try to be sensible and drink lots and stay covered,\u201d said Ceri Sherlock, as she celebrated her daughter\u2019s fourth birthday with a beach trip.
\n\u201cI think it is a sign of what\u2019s to come, that\u2019s of huge concern for the future, for these guys,\u201d she added, gesturing at her daughter.
\nEarlier, chief meteorologist Paul Davies warned there was a \u201cgood chance now of hitting 40C or 41C\u201d on Tuesday.
\n\u201cThis is entirely consistent with climate change,\u201d he told Sky News, describing the \u201cbrutality\u201d of the expected heat as \u201castounding\u201d.
\n\u201cIt does worry me a lot, and my colleagues… that this sort of unprecedented heat could become a regular occurrence by the end of the century.\u201d
\nNigel Arnell, professor of climate system science at the University of Reading, said modelling and projections suggested heatwaves would get worse and more frequent.
\nAs such, infrastructure needed to be adapted.
\n\u201cWe really need to up the game in terms of adaptation and resilience in the UK and in other countries,\u201d he told reporters.
\nThe Met Office last week issued its first ever red extreme heat warning for large swathes of England, coming into effect Monday.
\nAn amber warning \u2014 the next level down \u2014 has been in place for much of the nation and neighbouring Wales since Sunday and was extended to parts of southern Scotland.
\nSome schools have closed while train passengers were asked not to travel on Monday and Tuesday, with speed restrictions in place on some lines.
\nNetwork Rail, which is responsible for rail infrastructure, said the main east coast route out of London King\u2019s Cross to York and Leeds would be shut between 1100 GMT and 1900 GMT on Tuesday.
\nOperations director Sam MacDougall said closure was the last resort but was necessary given the extreme heat.
\n\u201cThe forecast temperatures are well above those which our infrastructure is designed for, and safety must come first,\u201d he added.
\nThe government\u2019s emergency contingencies committee met Sunday, as hospitals said services would be stretched to the limit in the coming days.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Country\u2019s meteorological agency says temperatures could get even hotter on Tuesday, breaching 40C mark for first time London Britain on Monday braced for another day of soaring temperatures, with predictions that the country could see its hottest day in history as people tried to find ways to stay cool. The mercury was set to rise […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":272138,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-272116","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n