Snowf lake UK melts
As Britain sizzles at 31.7C, binmen claim it’s too hot to collect rubbish, unions demand firms let staff WFH and schools cancel sports days
IT was one of the hottest days of the year yesterday – but snowflakes were still out in force.
As temperatures hit 31.7C (89F) in Wisley, Surrey, some parts of British society were accused of over-reacting to the heat.
Refuse collection bosses in South Oxfordshire and Greenwich, south-east London, warned that it may be too hot for binmen to carry out their work.
Unions urged firms to allow staff to work from home or leave the office early to avoid overheating at their desks or on their daily commute.
The TUC called for a maximum indoor temperature of 30C (86F) – or 27C (81F) for those doing strenuous jobs – to indicate when work should legally stop. No official limit currently exists.
It also wants companies to allow staff to come in earlier or stay later to ‘avoid the stifling and unpleasant conditions of
‘We shut down when hot weather arrives’
the rush- hour commute’, adding: ‘Bosses should consider enabling staff to work from home while it is hot.’
Schools in parts of London cancelled sports days. Sir John Hayes, chairman of the Common Sense Group of Conservative MPs, said: ‘It is not surprising that in snowflake Britain, the snowflakes are melting. The idea that we clamour for hot weather for most of the year and then shut down when it does heat up is indicative of the state in which we now live,’ he told the Daily Telegraph.
It came amid warnings that the
UK could be crippled by sweltering temperatures this weekend.
The heatwave is expected to cause chaos to transport, the NHS and other services.
Rail bosses say trains may have to be cancelled and speed restrictions imposed, doubling journey times. Roads could also be shut and air travel affected. Some hospitals have already declared ‘critical incidents’ and every ambulance trust in the country is on the highest level of alert.
Patients are already suffering ‘handover waits’ of up to 24 hours in A&E because of the extreme temperatures. The Met Office and UK Health Security Agency both issued ‘ danger to life’ alerts in advance of predicted soaring temperatures, which could see the record for Britain’s hottest day broken on Sunday when 40C (104F) is possible. The Government yesterday confirmed that ministers and officials are drawing up plans with the NHS and councils to safeguard against the heatwave.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister said: ‘There is significant work going on across Government in making sure those who are most vulnerable to high temperatures are looked after and given the requisite advice.’ Experts said there is a 30 per cent chance that Sunday could be the hottest day in the UK ever, beating 38.7C (102F) recorded in Cambridge in 2019.
The hottest day of 2022 so far was on June 17 when 32.7C (91F) was recorded at Heathrow.