UK braces for record temperature as first ever red heat warning comes into effect

theguardian.com:

The UK’s first ever red warning for exceptional heat came into force at midnight, with temperatures expected to climb up to 41C (105.8F) over the next two days, breaking the country’s heat records.

Passengers have been urged not to travel by train from Monday as a record-breaking heatwave hits the UK, while the deputy prime minister said schools should not close and people should be resilient enough to “enjoy the sunshine”.

Transport services are expected to be disrupted on both Monday and Tuesday, with Network Rail asking people not to travel unless absolutely necessary and painting some train tracks white to try to prevent them from buckling in the heat.

Some schools in several counties, including Nottinghamshire and Hampshire, have confirmed they will close.

Dominic Raab said people should take precautions, but insisted that they should also be able to enjoy themselves.

That was despite the UK Health Security Agency increasing its heat health warning from level three to level four, meaning “illness and death may occur among the fit and healthy, and not just in high-risk groups”.

“Obviously there is some common-sense practical advice we are talking about: stay hydrated, stay out of the sun at the hottest times, wear sun cream,” Raab told Sophy Ridge on Sunday. “We ought to enjoy the sunshine and actually we ought to be resilient enough through some of the pressures it will place.”

The chief executive of the College of Paramedics, Tracy Nicholls, warned that the heatwave posed real danger, particularly to the vulnerable such as elderly people.

“This isn’t like a lovely hot day where we can put a bit of sunscreen on and go out and enjoy a swim or a meal outside,” she said. “This is serious heat that could actually ultimately end