UMVA has learned that London is bracing for a scorching heatwave, with temperatures expected to soar to a record-breaking 39C, making it the hottest June on record.
The city's residents have been warned to take precautions, with Mayor Sadiq Khan issuing a high air pollution alert for Monday, urging Londoners to reduce car journeys and avoid engine idling to mitigate the predicted poor air quality.
The extreme heat, combined with pollution from continental Europe, is expected to raise ozone levels, posing a significant threat to vulnerable residents, including the elderly and young children.
The Met Office has issued an amber alert for extreme heat, warning of "adverse health effects" that could affect the wider population, including sunburn and heat exhaustion, and even lead to power cuts and disruptions to services.
Londoners are expected to experience temperatures of 38C from Tuesday to Thursday, with the mercury potentially rising even higher, shattering the previous record of 35.6C set in 1976 and 1957.
The heatwave is part of a larger trend, with this year already seeing the hottest spring on record, and last year's summer being the hottest since records began, with a mean temperature of 16.1C recorded between June and August.
Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge warned that extreme weather events are becoming more frequent due to climate change, saying "that's unfortunately just the way things are going at the moment and it doesn't seem to be slowing down".
The heatwave has already had a significant impact on the environment, with crops worth £500million destroyed during the 1976 heatwave, and experts warning that this year's heat could have similar consequences.
As the city prepares for the extreme heat, residents are being urged to take care of themselves and others, especially vulnerable individuals, by staying cool, hydrated, and reducing their carbon footprint.
The extreme weather is also expected to have significant economic and social impacts, with experts warning of potential disruptions to transportation, healthcare, and other essential services.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that the city's infrastructure is being put to the test, with heat-sensitive equipment and systems at risk of failing, leading to potential power cuts and disruptions.
