The mercury hit 46°C in Portugal today. A record. The ground is cracking. People are collapsing in the streets. And here in Westminster, the phones are ringing off the hook.
Whitehall sources tell me the Cobra emergency committee is being stood up for Thursday. Not a drill. The UK Health Security Agency has already issued a Level 3 heat-health alert for parts of southern England. But the real panic is about what happens next week.
Meteorologists are briefing Number 10 that a 'heat dome' is forming over the continent. It could drift north. Temperatures in London might hit 38°C by Sunday. That's not just uncomfortable. That's deadly.
The NHS is bracing for a surge in admissions. Elderly patients. People with respiratory conditions. The usual casualties of extreme heat. But this time, the system is already on its knees. Waiting lists are at record highs. Ambulance handover delays are still a crisis.
One senior health source described the situation to me as 'a perfect storm.' They used that phrase. Not off the record. They wanted it known.
And then there's the political calculation. Ministers are nervous. Very nervous. They remember the 2022 heatwave when the government was caught flat-footed. The transport secretary had to apologise after trains melted and roads buckled. This time, they want to be seen as in control.
But control is an illusion in this weather. The Met Office is warning of 'exceptional' wildfire risk. Not just the moors. Suburban gardens. Parks. The edges of motorways. A single spark could cause devastation.
Across Europe, the picture is grim. Portugal's wildfires have already forced hundreds to evacuate. Spain is bracing for its own heatwave. France has issued red alerts for several departments. Meanwhile, the UK is watching the temperature charts like a hawk.
The question inside the Lobby now is simple: Will this be the heatwave that finally forces the government to implement a national resilience strategy? Or will we muddle through, as always?
There's a meeting scheduled for 5pm today. Cabinet Office. Environment Agency. NHS England. The usual suspects. I expect some tough words about communication. The public needs to know what's coming. And the public needs to be told how to stay safe.
But let's be honest. The message often gets lost in the noise. People will still go to the beach. They will still sunbathe in the park. They will underestimate the danger.
So brace yourselves. The next 72 hours could define the summer. For the government. For the NHS. And for thousands of vulnerable people who are about to feel the full force of a changing climate.
