The mercury is soaring. German records have been smashed, with temperatures in Berlin hitting 39.2°C. That’s a new national high for June. Europe is baking. And Whitehall is scrambling.
Sources tell me the Cabinet Office has activated the Cobra emergency committee for this afternoon. The meeting was called at short notice. Downing Street is nervous.
Why now? Because the Met Office has issued a level 3 heat-health alert for London and the South East. That means forecasters are 90% certain of a heatwave. The vulnerable are at risk. The NHS braces for the surge.
But this isn’t just about health. It’s political. Ministers remember last summer’s transport chaos. Tracks buckling. Trains cancelled. The transport secretary is under pressure to deliver a plan. Fast.
Environment Agency officials are monitoring river levels. Water companies are wary of restrictions. A hosepipe ban is not off the table. That would be toxic for ministers already fighting a cost-of-living crisis.
There is also a backbench rumble. I hear a handful of Tory MPs are uneasy about the government’s preparedness. One said to me: “We knew this was coming. Where is the resilience?”
The PM’s team is keen to show action. Look out for a Downing Street statement later today. They will stress the NHS is ready. But don’t expect any flashy announcements. This is a slow-burn crisis.
Across the Channel, German authorities are fighting wildfires. France has recorded its earliest 40°C day. The narrative is shifting. Climate change is no longer a distant threat. It is here. And it is breaking records.
The question in Westminster is simple: is the machine ready? The last heatwave exposed gaps. The health service struggled. The railways failed. The government cannot afford another mishap. Especially not with the by-election in Wakefield looming.
Let’s see if the emergency planners have learned their lessons. The heat is on.
