Wisbech: The businesses adapting to hot weather

Soaring temperatures have brought with them cancelled trains, an extreme heat warning from The Met Office red and gritters out on the roads spread road-protecting rock. How are those working as usual coping with the heat?

Cambridgeshire currently holds the highest temperature ever recorded in the UK, when the mercury reached 38.7C (100F) in Cambridge in 2019.

On Monday, the north Cambridgeshire town of Wisbech saw temperatures reach 36C (97F). While some businesses in the town decided to close up early because of the heat, others remained open.

Nicky Morris manages the Sense charity shop in Market Place.

For her, managing the current temperatures is all about being sensible.

She says: "Make sure you've got plenty of drinks, comfortable clothing, nice cool clothing and just to stay out of the midday sun."

Older volunteers and members of staff were advised to stay at home while volunteers have been urged to take regular breaks.

Meanwhile, the use of steaming machine to clean donated clothes has been suspended.

Ms Morris said: "We do steam clothes upstairs so when it's really hot, there will be no steaming of clothes because it's just too hot for that.

"That's just a little adjustment but it needs to be done because people that are doing that are older.

"I did recommend to a lot of my older staff not to come in if they didn't feel like it, but to be fair they have come in so that's really good.

"We are working at a slower pace and just taking it easy and making sure we take plenty of breaks."

The current hot weather is nothing new for Alex Toteva, who works as a project co-ordinator at the Rosmini Centre in Queens Road.

Originally from Bulgaria, she says she is accustomed to the high temperatures.

"I don't mind the heat," she says. "I do love the heat and because I'm not originally from here but from Bulgaria we do have heatwaves often."

Ms Toteva says that she has not noticed any impact the hot weather might be having on the visitor numbers.

"We have everyday from 12:00 to 13:00 homeless lunches provided but today we started at 11:00 - we tried to do it a bit earlier because obviously at noon it's more hot and we do provide water and try to let people know to try more water."

Christine Patrick and Beverley Hindmarsh works at The Barber Shoppe in Market Place.

Deprived of air conditioning, the pair had set up a fan with ice blocks in front of it.

They both said that it was hard to keep old buildings cool and would be going home at lunch time with the shop closing on both Monday and Tuesday for half days.

Ms Patrick says they've coped with the heat by "drinking more, being sensible and turning the lights off in between customers".

Even with the heat, the pair say customers have been eager to get their hair done.

"It was really busy Saturday, people were trying to get ahead of the heat wave I think," says Ms Patrick.

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]