Tube temperatures near 40C as commuters brave heatwave: ‘It’s hotter than South Africa’
Temperatures on the London Underground network reached almost 40C on Wednesday, marking the day June was officially declared the hottest day in history.
Temporary outside temperatures were recorded at 36°C at Wisley in Surrey and Gosport in Hampshire, surpassing the previous highest temperature of 35.6°C set in 1976 and setting the record three times a day, the Met Office said.
The forecaster has issued several health warnings for extreme heat, including a rare red alert covering much of southern England until Thursday.
Many schools and offices across the country remain closed due to hot and humid conditions.
Despite record temperatures, groups of commuters could still be seen in central London braving the bitter tube temperatures.
Readings taken by Independent Carriages on the London Underground showed the highest temperatures ever recorded of 39.4C on the Central line, one of the capital’s busiest lines.
Gemma, 24, and Jenna, 23, who work in public relations in a central London office, said: Independent: “We work just around the corner and there is air conditioning in the office, which made us want to work!”
Gemma said she didn’t want to cycle to the office and used the Victoria line: “Hottest.”
“It’s always hot down there, but you especially feel it on days like today,” he added. An electrical fault on the line also meant he had trouble passing the barriers in the morning.
Much lower temperatures were recorded on metro lines with air-conditioned trains; The Metropolitan line and Elizabeth line were around 22 degrees. However, currently only 40 percent of trains are air-conditioned.
Andre, 55, is visiting London for a week’s holiday with his family. He said: “We chose to come at the hottest time in British history!
“Then we go back to Johannesburg where it’s 9C right now. We’re South Africans and we’re used to this kind of weather. But since we’ve been here it’s been crazy.”
Forecasters said the weather event was caused by a “heat dome” settling over Western Europe. Extreme temperatures have been felt across the continent, with human-caused climate change named as a major factor by experts.
London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan said on Wednesday the capital was not adapting well to cope with climate change and temperatures approaching 40C and asked people to “bear with us” as they face public transport delays.
37-year-old Edward told Independent: “I’m wearing a basketball jersey right now and I’m still feeling it.”
He plans to visit the local community center, which has air conditioning, to get away from the heat.
“I like that the warm weather brings people together and there are activities to do,” he said. “But there are limits, and this is pushing the boundaries. I enjoy it, but at the same time I don’t. It’s a gift and a curse.”
Claire Mann, Transport for London’s chief operating officer, said: “Given the red extreme heat warning issued by the Met Office for parts of the country, including London, we are working closely with other agencies, including Network Rail, the Greater London Authority and others, to confirm our hot weather plans.
“Customers should be aware that we are likely to see some disruption to rail and metro services given the very high temperatures forecast; rail temperatures are likely to lead to temporary speed restrictions and therefore reduced services in some cases.
“We encourage our customers to think about their own comfort and decide whether their journey is essential. We will do our best to operate as many rail and metro services as possible and keep customers as comfortable as possible.
“Please look out for each other when travelling. For the latest information on how TfL services are working, customers should use TfL’s real-time travel tools including status updates, journey planner and TfL Go.”
