Another day, another crisis. This time it’s the mercury. Public Health England has dusted off its emergency playbook, issuing fresh guidelines as the UK bakes under a stubborn heatwave. Temperatures are set to hit 35 degrees in parts of the south. The NHS braces for a surge in heat-related admissions. But the real story is how the country is coping. Or not.
I’ve been listening in. The chatter on the ground is fascinating. It’s not about the official advice – stay hydrated, seek shade, check on the elderly. Britons have their own survival tips. They’re pragmatic. They’re stubborn. They’re very British.
‘Keep the curtains drawn. It’s like a greenhouse out there.’ That’s from a woman in Dorchester. She’s right. The official line is to open windows at night, but by day, blackout blinds are the new normal. The garden centres are sold out of parasols. Pubs report a run on lager shandies.
Then there’s the transport chaos. Trains running at reduced speeds. Tracks buckled in Lincolnshire. Commuters left stranded. The Department for Transport is monitoring. That’s code for doing nothing. The real heat is in the carriages without air conditioning.
And the politics? It’s simmering. No 10 has been quiet, but backbenchers are grumbling. ‘They’re obsessed with net zero, but can’t keep the trains running in a bit of sun.’ That’s from a Tory MP who shall remain nameless. The mood is mutinous. The next heatwave could be the one that breaks the party’s discipline.
Public Health England’s advice is sensible: drink water, avoid alcohol, wear sunscreen. But the public knows better. They’re buying fans. They’re camping in the living room with a paddling pool. One man in Manchester told me he’s sleeping in the garden shed. ‘It’s cooler,’ he said. He’s probably right.
The real test will come tomorrow. The peak is forecast for Tuesday. The NHS is on standby. Ambulance services are stretched. The government is briefing that everything is under control. But the lobby knows better. There’s a quiet panic in Whitehall.
So here’s the bottom line: the heatwave is a political weather event. It exposes the cracks. Broken trains. Overheating hospitals. A public left to its own devices. The survival tips are a coping mechanism. But they’re also a silent protest. We’re in this alone. And the government is watching from a distance.
Stay cool. Stay hydrated. And keep an eye on the polls. This heatwave could melt more than the tarmac.
