The heatwave in the UK is going underground.
As somebody who moved to London at the beginning of 2018 and therefore as somebody who had never before experienced the apocalyptic hell that is travelling via the city’s tube system in summer until this year, let me just emphasise for all non-Londoners how awful it is.
It’s really f**king awful. Sure, the heatwave can be bad when you’re outdoors, but at least that’s out amongst fresh air, not squashed together beneath the very earth itself. Your face in another four people’s faces. Your arms cramped unable to move. Your glasses steaming up. Your mouth dry. Your mind focused only on escape. Beads of sweat running down your forehead.
It’s hot down there, is what I’m saying, and uncomfortable.
And while the UK Met Office has said that Britain could see temperatures of up to 35 degrees by the end of the week, a BBC weatherman has discovered that down there below the surface it gets even hotter.
BBC presenter John Hammond took a thermometer on the London Underground’s Piccadilly Line and discovered it was 39.4C down there. That’s 102.92 degrees Fahrenheit.
Watch him here…
Enjoying the #heatwave? If you've been on the #londonunderground today, you might have a different view! Here's John's take on the hell-hole of Londoners' daily commute in this weather #TfL @EveningStandard @MetroUK ☀️🌡️🌡️🚃 pic.twitter.com/7uBoPMZXlG
— weathertrending (@weathertrending) July 23, 2018
All of this means that with temperatures set to rise even further as the week goes on – and heatwave warnings already in place – it could get above 40C down there.
Met Office forecaster Simon Partridge said: “The heat this week is going to be highest in the south and south-east of the UK. We are going to see a gradual increase in the temperature through the week as warm air arrives in Britain from the south of Spain.
“It will be around 31C on Monday, followed by 31/32 degrees on Tuesday and then could see temperatures of up to 34/35 degrees on Wednesday and Thursday – higher than 33 degrees which is the hottest recorded temperature this year. In fact, we could see the hottest day for three years.”
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