UK on Red Alert: Heatwave Kills, Schools Shut, Trains Halt

A record-breaking heatwave is hitting the UK and western Europe. Scientists call it a "heat dome" or "atmospheric lid"—a mass of hot, trapped air. The extreme heat is already deadly. Reports from France say dozens of people have drowned, and children and elderly people have died from heat-related causes. For the UK, this is a serious test. The Met Office has issued a rare red weather warning for most of southern England and Wales. This is only the second such warning ever. Temperatures are expected to break the UK’s June record of 35.6°C. Hundreds of schools have closed. Network Rail is telling people not to travel unless absolutely necessary. France and Spain face even higher temperatures. The heat will then move east. But the UK is less used to such heat than its Mediterranean neighbors. This creates special problems. The country lacks strong plans to adapt to the rising risks of climate change. As the heat escalates, experts say the UK is dangerously unprepared for what comes next.