The mercury is soaring. Southern Europe is under a red alert. Temperatures are hitting 40C. British holidaymakers are in the firing line.
Downing Street is watching closely. The Foreign Office has issued travel warnings. But the real game is unfolding in the private meetings. Cabinet ministers are worried. The heatwave could disrupt summer recess. It could damage the tourism economy. It could become a political headache.
Whitehall sources tell me the Cobra committee is on standby. Not yet convened. But the mood is tense. The usual summer lull has been shattered. The PM’s team is briefing nervously. They don’t want a repeat of 2003. That heatwave killed thousands. This one could be worse.
On the ground, it’s chaos. Airports are reporting delays. Flights are being cancelled. Holiday firms are scrambling. The AA has seen a surge in breakdown calls. The NHS is bracing for heatstroke cases. But the real concern is for the vulnerable. The elderly. The young. Those with underlying conditions.
Political calculations are being made. The opposition is sharpening its attacks. Labour is demanding an emergency response. The government is trying to appear in control. But the optics are bad. Pictures of sunburned Brits lying on beaches will dominate the news cycle.
Behind the scenes, there is jockeying. The Health Secretary wants to be seen as robust. The Transport Secretary is under pressure to keep flights running. The Environment Secretary is monitoring drought risks. Every minister is protecting their patch.
And the polls? They are already wobbling. The Tories are down three points in the latest YouGov tracker. A heatwave crisis could accelerate the slide. The PM knows this. His allies are briefing that he is ‘laser-focused’ on the situation. But I’ve heard that before.
There is another twist. The heatwave is also fuelling the culture war. Climate change deniers are being given airtime. They are blaming the government’s green policies. The net zero agenda is under attack from the right. The PM is caught between his green pledges and his backbenchers.
The forecast is grim. The heat is expected to last another week. Temperatures could climb higher. Southern Europe is not used to this. British tourists are not used to this. The infrastructure is buckling.
In the Lobby, the talk is of a ‘summer of discontent’. The heatwave is just the start. There are strikes brewing. There is a cost-of-living crisis. The government is on the back foot.
I am hearing that the PM is considering an emergency statement. But he is holding fire. He wants to see if the situation escalates. His advisors are divided. Some want a bold intervention. Others want to keep a low profile.
The betting markets are shifting. Odds on a snap election have lengthened. But the smart money is on a Cabinet reshuffle. The PM needs to refresh his team. The heatwave offers an opportunity to bring in new faces.
For now, the advice is simple. Stay hydrated. Stay in the shade. Keep away from direct sunlight. The politics can wait. The heat is the priority.
I will keep you posted. This is a developing story. The mercury is only going one way.
