By Susanna Twidale
LONDON (Reuters) -EDF said on Friday that it is unlikely that high temperatures forecast for Britain next week will affect the performance of its nuclear power plants.
Britain’s Met Office on Friday issued its first ever "Extreme Heat" warning for parts of England on Monday and Tuesday when temperatures are forecast to reach record highs, triggering a "national emergency" alert level.
“We’ve reviewed the forecast conditions for the next 14 days and there is low likelihood that temperatures will reach a level that will impact the operation of our sites,” an EDF (EPA:EDF) spokesperson said via email.
Much of Europe is experiencing unusually high temperatures, with people evacuated from their homes due to wildfires in France, Spain and Portugal.
Some nuclear plants in France are expected to cut output over the coming days due to high temperatures in the river Rhone, which the reactors depend on for cooling.
"All of EDF’s UK nuclear power plants benefit from the cooling effects of a coastal location, and are therefore less likely to experience the highest temperatures forecast or recorded in the UK," the EDF spokesperson said.
EDF added that there are a range of measures that can be taken to help mitigate high ambient temperatures, such as increasing ventilation.