Nothing works in the UK anymore: schools and shops are closing, rail traffic is paralysed. The reason for this are extreme temperatures in many parts of the country, which overshadow everything that has been known so far. And as the day progresses, it could get even hotter.
Temperatures in the UK have surpassed 40 degrees for the first time since records began. 40.2 degrees Celsius were measured at midday at London's Heathrow Airport, according to preliminary data from the Met Office.
Shortly before that, a British heat record of 39.1 degrees was set in Charlwood in the English county of Surrey - but this lasted little more than an hour. It cannot be ruled out that the Heathrow record could be broken again. Up to 42 degrees were expected in parts of England. Tuesday night had also turned out to be the warmest so far.
Public life was disrupted in large parts of the country at the beginning of the week: schools remained closed, and some shops and restaurants closed. Rail traffic was temporarily paralyzed in parts of England. As the route network operator Network Rail announced, operations on the main railway lines along the English east coast and in the Midlands have been completely discontinued.
People have been urged to change their travel plans. Disabilities had already occurred on Monday due to the heat. Among other things, several flights had to be canceled or diverted at London's Luton Airport due to damage to the runway. School lessons were sometimes cancelled.
The previous temperature record in Great Britain was 38.7 degrees and was recorded in Cambridge in 2019. The night had already turned out to be the warmest so far.
"This is not 'the new normal'," wrote Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg on Twitter, referring to the record temperatures. "The climate crisis will continue to escalate and get worse as long as we stick our heads in the sand and put profit and greed ahead of people and the planet. We're still sleepwalking towards the abyss." Climate change has made heat waves more common and likely.
