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The exit of six prime ministers in the last decade may have made the British populace impervious to the effects of political heat. But, amid the revolving door of prime ministers, residents seem to be still grappling with the impact of the unprecedented heatwave that swept across the country last week.
As the mercury soared (both inside and outside 10 Downing Street), with the "feels like" temperature touching 40°C or more in parts of England, it won’t be an exaggeration to say that much of the country's infrastructure was in disarray.
A red warning for extreme heat—which indicates a risk to life—was in force across parts of the UK for at least three days. For much of the rest of the country, an amber warning—indicating a potential health impact—was in place through the week.
On Wednesday, 24 June, the country recorded its hottest June day ever at 36.1°C in Hampshire. That record was broken the very next day as the temperature soared to 36.7°C. By Friday, it had been broken yet again, with the mercury hitting 37.3°C in Suffolk.
As UN Secretary-General António Guterres remarked at the just-concluded London Action Climate Week on 23 June, “London isn’t just calling—it’s cooking.” Ironically, a climate event focused on extreme heat, scheduled as part of the climate week, was cancelled due to the extreme heat in London.