Work not taking red alert seriously

[Founderflower]

Why are some people not taking the red weather warning seriously? Where I am it’s 39 degrees on Wed/ Thur but ‘feels like’ 42 according to BBC.

At work they’re expecting everyone in - the office is air conditioned, so fine, but we’re central London so everyone needs to schlep in on public transport.

Red means a danger to life and not just for vulnerable people. Some people who are healthy will die because of the weather. There’s warnings of power outages and transport failures. So what happens if we get stuck on a broken down underground train?

I KNOW other countries see these temps regularly. But they are prepared for dealing with it. England is not and it fucks up. I don’t want a heart attack from sitting in 48 degree heat on a train. I’m really stressed out!

If it were a red warning around severe wind or rain or flooding they wouldn’t be telling everyone to come in! So why is heat seen differently?

Any climate change denialists want to weigh in?

I got caught in that too - had to walk 3 hours home through the snow. I was young then and didn’t have a child to look after - it was still tough. But now I’m over 50 with bad joints, nah…

They have already. They’re the ones saying ‘stop being so dramatic, it’s just a bit of heat’ about 40 degrees in the UK in June.

most of the London Underground north of the river is built in London Clay. The clay has slowly been absorbing heat from the trains and people for as long as the underground has existed, about 200 years. And there's not an easy/cost efficient way of cooling the infrastructure down. So whilst it's shady down there, it's definitely not cooler. Since the tube was constructed the clay has heated up by about 15 Deg C and can no longer absorb heat. So on a hot day it easily causes air temps in the underground system of 30 degs C

Pub drinks in 39 degree heat is not a "treat", it's a dehydration risk!

This is the crux of it I'm afraid, dangerous wind and rain and snow is seen as such.

Dangerous heat isn't viewed like that by some workplaces, it's seen as a lovely sunny day, something to enjoy (as your workplace seem to think by the drinks plan) and therefore if your bum isn't on an office seat they think you'll be skiving in the garden or down the pub.

Siri show me someone with so much privilege they didnt even think of people who live in flats in tower blocks

I have to agree about the underground. I stopped using it years ago because of the stuffy heat and the feeling of being enclosed. After I began using the buses I got a much better idea of how London was laid out.

I wouldn't go. I went to work once during a storm warning and promised myself never again. It was so stressful and we closed after half an hour and I had to make my way home in the same conditions.

Sorry to intrude but you shouldn’t martyr yourself when pregnant. Pregnant women are on the vulnerable list for a reason and you need to take care of your health for your baby. I admire your ethic but it’s also not worth risking your baby for hospitality which isn’t essential. Your employer should also be doing a specific risk assessment for your condition.

As a fellow pregnant woman, this heat is making me very sick and faint no matter how much water I drink - so sometimes it isn’t just ‘sucking it up’. Some people really don’t do well in heat the same as some people are utterly miserable and useless in the colder weather.

This is an unprecedented heat wave and every workplace should be doing a risk assessment for their staff. One example is we could adapt with different work hours temporarily or in OPs case - work from home if we know public transport is atrocious in any extreme weather situation (it’s pathetic but that’s the state of our infrastructure).

Some professions can’t adapt and I feel for them but it shouldn’t be the norm to just ‘survive’ in a first world country to our paymasters when most of us don’t really have jobs that are absolutely crucial and that 3 days of adapted work patterns mean the country would grind to a halt (it won’t).

To the essential workers - I really feel for you all and thank you.

The employee would have to have raised their serious concern for their immediate health and safety before they travel to the employer, and the employer refuse to take that concern seriously for there to be any chance of a case.

British people like a good moan. They have a joke in Aus, "How can you tell when a plane load of Brits has arrived"? "The whining continues after the engines stop".

Sorry, but this is a myth. The isochoric change in air pressure between 20C and 40C is only 6%. So even if you had your tyres pumped up to the maximum rated pressure (which no-one does anyway as it would be like riding on solid tyres) you will be well within the safety margin of the tyres.

I remember going to a pub in the 2022 heatwave and the manager telling us he had closed the kitchen for the safety of the staff. That’s being a responsible employer - plus it’s not like they’ll do a good job if everyone feels like they’re about to keel over anyway!

Great idea. I’ll leave my child home alone shall I

I think you have posted about your stuffy/hot flat before... I hope you're OK, and are not struggling too much in this heat. Open all the windows, and let the breeze blow through (if you can,) and drink loads of water. (Sorry ifthat sounds patronising.) All the best. 😗

😆 Some people!

Not sure about that. I occasionally have to use the tube in the heat and it's hell unless it's the Elizabeth Line.

Have you ever travelled on a packed tube when it’s hot? I expect not.

That's what I thought, but I have just taken a look at the actual warning and it's not just the most vulnerable who are at risk.

The advice is pretty reasonable, I think.

https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/warnings-and-advice/uk-warnings#?date=2026-06-24&id=d795ba0c-52fd-4d9f-a01d-9a3891139e02

Ffs it called summer.

Have you read the met office warning linked in the post before yours?

We are discussing work not people's living circumstances so your comment falls a little flat. No privilege here- former nurse who worked long hours in non A/C building in hot uncomfortable uniforms. Forgive me if I'm struggling to feel sympathy for someone who has to commute to an air conditioned office.

Threads like these always bring out the absolute arseholes.

The temperature was not 39 degrees 20 years ago. Try again.

Shush don't muddy the waters with facts and common sense comments!