Londoners react to UK heatwave

LONDON — Temperatures reached 34 degrees Celsius (94 Fahrenheit) in north London on Monday afternoon, but residents were eagerly awaiting Tuesday, when it was expected to 'It's getting even hotter.< /p>

Mona Suleiman, 45, and her friend Zaina Al Amin, 40, waited for a bus as the afternoon warmed up .

"I'm not worried about myself in this heat," said Ms. Suleiman, from Eritrea. "But I'm worried about my children."

Her apartment is getting too hot, she says, and despite being advised to watch her children, aged aged 6 and 10, home from school, she decided to send them because she thought it might be cooler there.

Schools , most of whom are in their last week of school before summer vacation, were doing their best to keep children cool, especially in older buildings ill-equipped for high temperatures. At a primary school near Portobello Road, staff had set up a paddling pool, and you could hear children splashing and laughing in the street.

"Especially at night, in the 'been in my apartment, it's already too hot,' Ms Suleiman said, adding that she feared it would get unbearable on Monday night.

Ms Al Amin said the women, who are both Muslim and wore traditional clothes and headscarves, didn't care about the weather outside in their light cotton clothes, but were afraid to get on the bus.

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"Right now it's too hard," she said. "There's not enough air."

In Hyde Park, a handful of bathers braved the afternoon heat and laid blankets on the visibly parched grass. u Serpentine Lido, where a sign said the facility was at capacity. Among them were Lalou Laredo, 19, and Rachel Trippier, 22, who were disappointed to be turned away but noticed that the hot water, which was 26 degrees Celsius (78.8 Fahrenheit), could in makes them worse.

< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">"London really isn't good for days like this," Ms Laredo said, lamenting the lack of places to cool off in the extreme heat.

Mrs. Trippier added that she was worried about the new reality of increasingly extreme temperatures.

Ms. Laredo agreed. "It's always on our minds," she said. "It's frustrating that people are still denying it."

In central London, the area near St Paul's Cathedral was buzzing with activity at the lunchtime, despite the heat. A few joggers dodged both traffic and pedestrians in the scorching sun. Tourists stood in the shadow of the cathedral, consulting maps on their phones. Office workers wore suit jackets outside despite the heat, carrying takeout food.

Image people shielded themselves from the scorching London sun. Many employers have encouraged their employees to work from home because of the heat. Credit... Yui Mok/PA Images, via Getty Images. "Ice cream, ice cream, baby!" was scrawled on a sign outside a pub, The Paternoster. "A refreshing peach iced tea or iced coffee!"

On a working day, the pub normally hosts at least 80 people at lunchtime. But on Monday, when many workers had been encouraged to work from home, there were five.

"It's usually busier than that," said Sam Jordan , 22, a bartender. "I think a lot of office workers are working from home."

Close to Paternoster Square, ab...