Government officials are warning Britons to brace themselves for the hottest day in the country’s history on Monday and Tuesday, with temperatures set to hit a record 106F (40C) and dire government warnings being issued after the Met Office issued an unprecedented ‘red alert’

Government officials are warning Britons to brace themselves for the hottest day in the country’s history on Monday and Tuesday, with temperatures set to hit a record 106F (40C) and dire government warnings being issued after the Met Office issued an unprecedented ‘red alert’. 

The  has said people’s lives could be at risk as it indicated it is likely that a new UK record temperature could be set on Monday and Tuesday.

However despite government health officials briefing that there is no public health reason to close schools or offices, a raft of drastic measures and closures are being introduced in schools, in hospitals and there will be severe disruption on trains.

Meteorologists gave an 80 per cent chance of the mercury topping the UK’s record temperature of 38.7C (101.7F) set in Cambridge in 2019, with the current heatwave set to peak on Tuesday.

Temperatures will climb over the weekend, and the Met Office has issued an unprecedented red warning for the south of England on Monday and Tuesday , and an amber warning for heat covering much of England and Wales from Sunday until Tuesday.

The Cabinet Office Minister Kit Malthouse is to chair a meeting of the Government’s Cobra civil contingencies committee today to discuss the impending heatwave, a Government spokesman said.

It will be the second Cobra meeting Mr Malthouse has led on the issue.

Thousands of people could die in the searing heat if the proper precautions aren’t taken, experts warned ahead of the heatwave.

Climate researches have said the country could see as many as 2,000 deaths from just one period of heat.Two lesser heatwaves last year resulted in an estimated 1,600 excess deaths, according to official figures. 

The ‘danger to life’ red warning for heat was issued for the first time but Government health officials yesterday insisted there was no reason for schools or workplaces to close.

Bosses have also shot down the idea of Britons working from home to protect themselves – but many will face major disruption on their commute, with Network Rail advising passengers to ‘only travel if absolutely necessary’.

Expected extreme temperatures have prompted Londoners to be urged against travelling on Monday and Tuesday.

Transport for London (TfL) is advising passengers to only travel for ‘essential journeys’.

The firm’s chief operating officer Andy Lord said: ‘Due to the exceptionally hot weather that is expected next week, customers should only use London’s transport network for essential journeys.

‘If customers do need to travel, they should check before they travel as we are expecting there to be some impact to Tube and rail services as a result of temporary speed restrictions we will need to introduce to keep everyone safe,’ he added.

‘It is also vital that customers always carry water at all times with them when travelling.’

Very hot temperatures can affect rails, overhead power lines and signalling equipment, with TfL saying it will work hard to keep as many services running as possible using ‘enhanced’ inspections to mitigate the impact of the extreme weather.

Track temperature checks will continue to be carried out regularly across the Tube and rail networks to ensure they remain safe and slot gampang menang that the track is not at risk of bending or buckling, TfL said in a statement.

It added it was also inspecting the air conditioning units on the trains that cover 40% of the Tube network, the trains on the Elizabeth Line and London Overground as well as the air cooling units on double-deck buses to ensure they are functioning well.

TfL also has response teams standing by on its rail and road network to deal with any issues as they occur, with a particular focus on stalled trains and times, crowding and customer advice.