Seriously this time. It is not a heatwave with temperatures of 28º or 30º that provokes ridicule from southern European countries. The UK government has issued, for the first time in history, a red alert (level 4) ahead of the approaching heatwave next Monday and Tuesday. Forecasts suggest temperatures could reach 40º in parts of central and eastern England, as announced weather office. A red alert, the highest level of health risk, is automatically translated into a national emergency.

The UK’s Health Safety Agency has pointed out that these warnings of severity pose a risk to the health and lives of people, not just the most vulnerable. Residents have been asked to change their work habits and routines on those days, to avoid sun exposure and peak heat hours. In areas not covered by the red alert, the yellow warning remains in effect, one notch below in terms of severity.

Authorities have asked residents to stay hydrated constantly, and to monitor the condition of the elderly or those with health problems at all times. The hospital is already preparing to increase the number of admissions during the specified days; the railway company is preparing contingency plans for a possible change in travel schedules, due to the required speed reduction, and sand has begun to spread on the roads to prevent the asphalt from melting.

The Ministry of Culture and Sports has contacted the organizers of major sporting events, such as the 2022 Women’s Euro Cup match, to be aware of an emergency, and to prepare assistive devices for spectators.

“People might think that it’s an bearable temperature, the same temperature they face when they go on vacation to Spain,” meteorologist Aiden McGivern told the paper. Time. “The truth is that in England we are not used to these numbers. It happens very rarely, and we already know the impact it has on people’s health, even the healthiest.”

The record maximum temperature in the UK was recorded in the summer of 2019 in the city of Cambridge, at 38.7º. Forecasts suggest that the figure will be exceeded in the coming days.