Cabinet Office Minister Kit Malthouse is to chair meeting of the Government’s Cobra civil contingencies committee on the heatwave, Downing Street has said. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said the move was a “progression” of the “significant work “ that had already been done to prepare.
The spokesman said that there were a number of contingency measures which have been enacted or are ready to be enacted. The Met Office has extended its amber warning for extreme heat for much of England and Wales, so it is now in place from Sunday until the end of Tuesday, with the hot spell expected to peak on Monday or Tuesday.
It warns that it could cause health problems across the population, not just among people vulnerable to extreme heat, leading to potential serious illness or danger to life. Widespread disruption, including road closures and cancellations and delays to rail and air travel are also possible, as temperatures look set to soar into the mid-30s or above.
