In Britain's Scorching Heat, an Offer for Redheads

Monday is shaping up to be the hottest day Britain ever recorded, with a forecast of at least 104 degrees. One cinema chain is scoring some related publicity with an unusual offer: free admission to redheads over the next two scorching days, reports the Evening Standard. "Since redheads are often more vulnerable than most to the sun's rays, we're giving them shelter from the sun inside our fully air-conditioned cinema screens to catch the latest blockbusters for no cost at all!" reads a statement from Showcase Cinemas. (Research indeed suggests that redheads are at higher risk for skin cancer.)

The Washington Post adds some context: While air conditioning is nowhere near as common in the UK as it is in the US, movie theaters typically have it. The unusual heat has prompted the first ever "red extreme" alert from the national weather service in Britain, and it has caused schools to close and hospitals to scrap nonessential procedures. The European heat wave has been moving north, having earlier caused wildfires and heat-related deaths in France, Spain, and Portugal. (More heat wave stories.)