The National Trust is to introduce siestas to the working day to help staff escape the heat of the English summer.

Workers at heritage sites in the south east will be able to take long lunchbreaks during hot weather, returning later in the afternoon when the weather cools down.

Hours may also be changed to allow workers to start early in the morning before the weather heats up and finish early, Mediterranean style.

The charity has revealed the new policy as part of plans to cope with rising temperatures and extreme weather conditions in the UK.

They predict warmer weather caused by climate change could lead to tourists avoiding hotter parts of the day – or avoiding certain sites entirely during peak summer months.

The National Trust analysed data from more than 85 million visits, before the pandemic, to 170 of its coastal and countryside sites, castles, stately homes, gardens and historic buildings across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

It compared visitor data with weather conditions and discovered that a quintessential ‘National Trust day’ is one with temperatures of 21C (70F), moderate winds and a very small amount of rain.

It also found that as temperatures rose above 20C (68F), visits to stately homes and other historic buildings start to decline.

And while people head to outdoor locations, particularly beaches and coasts when the weather hits 24C (75F) – numbers decline dramatically once temperatures heat up to 28C (82F).

The National Trust said climate change could shift peak tourism season from July and August to autumn as summer becomes too hot.

It also warned the £127 billion UK-based tourism industry may not be ready for the extreme weather and rising temperatures climate change will bring.

An increasing number of stately homes and other indoor venues may have to temporarily close more often due to climate-driven excessive heat or storms, they say, adding that investment may be required to make venues more resilient to weather extremes.

Indeed, National Trust’s Ham House in Richmond was forced to close for the first time in August 2019 when temperatures reached 40C.

The conservation organisation said it was already taking steps to deal with a changing climate, from planting plants at Sissinghurst Castle, Kent, that are resilient to warmer conditions to planting trees at Lyme Park in Cheshire to protect car parks and the house from flooding.

The charity said it was also planting trees away from buildings and busy areas to reduce the impact of storms blowing trees over and looking at creating shade for outdoor seating areas and to help buildings cope with heat.

But it called for the Government to take action to bring world leaders together at crucial Cop26 climate talks in Glasgow in November to limit global temperature rises and produce a credible, well-funded strategy to cut the UK’s emissions to zero overall, known as ‘net zero’.

A National Trust spokesperson said: ‘We have a lot to do to prepare the UK tourist industry for the effects of climate change.

‘Much of the debate around tourism and climate change to date has rightly focussed on international travel and the impact flights and foreign holidays is having.

‘But what hasn’t been fully addressed is what the domestic tourism industry could be facing unless we take drastic action to reduce emissions.’

‘The National Trust is already taking action but there is much to be done across the industry to collectively prepare us for more frequent days above 30C, higher winds and increased flooding,’ she said.

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