London is bracing for its hottest week of the year, with temperatures forecast to reach 34 degrees on Tuesday before a brief drop midweek.
BBC Weather predicts Monday will hit 33 degrees centigrade, Tuesday 34 degrees, and then from Wednesday temperatures drop to 24 degrees.
Thursday will reach 27 degrees and Friday 30 degrees, where the weekend will see 28 and 25 degrees with less sunshine.
Research shows climate change is making heatwaves more likely and the Met Office found heatwaves are now 30 times more likely than before the Industrial Revolution due to higher concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
By the 2050s, heatwaves of similar intensity could occur every other year, with effects being felt on the capital’s transport network.
A Transport for London (TfL) spokesperson said: “We have a comprehensive hot weather plan in place to protect the network’s infrastructure with resources on standby to help respond to the impact and to keep services running.
“Climate change means that these kinds of severe weather events are becoming more frequent and more intense, with the potential to affect the safety and wellbeing of our staff and customers and the reliability of our services.”
They added: “There is air conditioning on more than 190 Tube trains, covering 40 per cent of the Underground network, and on all of the London Overground and Elizabeth line trains.
“We are encouraging customers to carry water with them when they travel and, if they feel unwell, to speak to a member of staff who can provide assistance.”
According to The Met Office, reaching 30 degrees in May is unusual as the last time it occurred in this month was 2012.
The three warmest springs on record have all occurred since 2017.
TfL is urging Londoners to carry water when travelling and speak to a member of staff if they feel unwell.
Feature image: Free to use from Unsplash
