Pubs across Britain have been closing as a record-breaking heatwave cooks the country.
Brits have been sweating and swooning in temperatures not seen in the history of weather records, claiming lives across Europe.
Monday night went down as the warmest night recorded in the UK, in places not falling below 25°C, ahead of forecasts for Tuesday of highs up to 42°C.
It has prompted Britain’s first ever “red warning” across swathes of England, with people being advised to stay out of the heat and keep hydrated.
The UK’s Met office reported a peak of 40°C in London yesterday, soon after midday. The department offers that climate change has greatly contributed to the likelihood of these extreme weather fluctuations.
Not equipped for roiling temperatures, many pubs have posted notice they are closed or taking time out during the heatwave.
The Rat Inn of Northumberland was closed Monday, suggesting kitchen temperatures were “unsafe”. Nottingham’s Kilpin Beer Café offered its closing was in the ‘best interests’ of staff.
The Drapers Arms of North London also did not open Monday, but was planning a ‘cold kitchen’ for the Tuesday, sparing chefs from hot equipment, while the Cross Keys of Ombersley has not opened since last Saturday, although it expects to resume trading Wednesday.
Britain’s Morning Advertiser reports that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the climate science body of the UN, advises that the world is experiencing its hottest period in the past 125,000 years.
