Climate protesters blocked Britain’s busiest motorway on Wednesday, warning that a record-breaking heat wave was a dangerous reminder to take urgent action.
Protesters gathered on drawbridges over the M25 ring road in the capital, London, causing the police to intervene and queuing vehicles for several kilometers in one direction.
Police later said that a 22-year-old woman who was climbing a bridge was arrested on suspicion of causing danger to road users.
Temperatures topped 40 degrees Celsius in southern and eastern England for the first time on Tuesday, with the country setting a new record of 40.3 degrees Celsius.
Minister Kate Malthouse told Parliament that firefighters had had “the busiest days since World War Two” as they dealt with dozens of bushfires.
The minister, who chaired recent meetings of the government’s emergency committee, urged residents to heed safety advice while the risk of more wildfires remains high despite the cooler temperatures.
“Unfortunately…13 people are believed to have lost their lives after encountering difficulties in rivers, reservoirs and lakes while swimming in recent days, seven of them are teenagers,” he said.
The London Fire Brigade said 16 firefighters were injured across the capital and two were taken to hospital.
“This is the moment when the deadly climate inaction is unfolding for all to see,” the group explained.
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