Millions Swelter as UK Endures Its 1st Extreme Heat Warning

A police officer givers water to a British soldier wearing a traditional bearskin hat, on guard duty outside Buckingham Palace, during hot weather in London, Monday, July 18, 2022. The British government have issued their first-ever "red" warning for extreme heat. The alert covers large parts of England on Monday and Tuesday, when temperatures may reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) for the first time, posing a risk of serious illness and even death among healthy people, the U.K. Met Office, the country's weather service, said Friday. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

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By Associated Press

July 18, 2022 at 8:36 AM UTC

Updated on

July 18, 2022 at 5:49 PM UTC

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London (AP) -- Millions of people in Britain stayed home or sought shade Monday during the country’s first-ever extreme heat warning, as the hot, dry weather that has scorched mainland Europe for the past week moved north, buckling rail lines and forcing two airports to close their runways.

The red heat alert covers a big chunk of England and is to last through Tuesday, when temperatures may reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) for the first time, posing a risk of serious illness and even death among healthy people, according to the Met Office, the U.K.'s meteorological agency.