It is not just the ice cream vans doing a roaring trade. This heatwave is serious. Temperatures are hitting levels that usually make travel writers reach for the 'Costas' comparison. But this is not Spain. This is the UK. And Westminster is sweating.
Whitehall sources are briefing furiously. The narrative is clear: the government is on top of this. But off the record, it is a different story. One cabinet minister described the situation as 'a waking nightmare.' Not because of the heat itself. The political heat is worse.
Polling data, leaked to this bureau, shows a worrying trend for the Tories. The public mood is turning. It is not the sun they are angry about. It is the lack of preparation. Trains are slowing down. Water shortages are looming. And the NHS is bracing for a surge of heat-related admissions.
Downing Street is trying to project calm. They are rolling out the usual playbook. Emergency committees. Statements about 'business as usual.' But the backbenches are restless. I have it on good authority that a group of northern MPs are drafting a letter. They want a dedicated 'Heat Czar.' Yes, you read that right. Another one.
Labour is circling. They smell blood. Shadow ministers are being told to focus on the failures. Broken rail tracks. Melting roads. The fact that many schools lack air conditioning. 'They can't even keep the nation cool,' one Labour source quipped.
The real battle, however, is internal. The chancellor is worried about the economic impact. Lost productivity. The cost of emergency measures. The health secretary is worried about the body count. And the transport secretary is just worried. Full stop.
Meanwhile, the Met Office is updating its colour-coded warnings. We are now at 'Amber.' Red is not ruled out. If that happens, expect panic. Emergency planning meetings. Urgent questions in the Commons. And a prime minister who looks increasingly like a man trapped in a greenhouse with no exit.
The irony is not lost on anyone. The UK spent decades complaining about the weather. Now it is too hot, and nobody knows what to do. The civil service is scrambling. I am told the Cabinet Office is dusting off contingency plans that were meant for floods. They are improvising.
This is a genuine crisis of governance. Not because of the weather. Because of the inability to adapt. The political establishment is stuck in a system designed for drizzle. And now the sun is beating down, exposing every crack.
Watch this space. The next 48 hours are critical. If the temperature drops, the pressure eases. But if it keeps rising... expect Westminster to start melting in ways that have nothing to do with the mercury.
