The government is reportedly drawing up plans for an emergency response to the heat wave currently ravaging the country, as the Met Office extended its orange heat warning until Monday. The Daily Telegraph reported that a Cobra meeting was held in Downing Street on rising temperatures in the UK and the potential risk to life if temperatures reach 40 degrees Celsius. The UK’s Health Safety Agency could declare a “level four emergency” if the heat becomes so intense that “illness and death may occur in the healthy and the healthy”. A spokesman told the newspaper: “There is a chance of heat level four. If it exceeds 40 degrees Celsius, then it is likely to be a level four heat wave for the first time.” Meanwhile, the Met Office’s orange extreme heat alert for “extremely hot” temperatures has been extended until next Monday, with forecasters warning the conditions could cause serious illness or even death. The heatwave has just begun and forecasters said there was a 30% chance the UK could see record temperatures of 40C towards the end of the week.
Basic points
Show latest update 1657690200
Passengers warned of transport interruption due to heat
The rise in temperature is expected to cause problems for transport in the coming days. Network Rail is preparing to introduce speed restrictions to reduce the chance of rails buckling. This will cause delays to passenger journeys and disrupt freight services. Meanwhile, drivers are being warned of an increased chance of breakdown. The RAC recorded a 10% increase in breakdowns on Monday compared to a typical mid-July Monday, with hundreds of vehicles across the UK unable to function properly due to the heat. Drivers are advised to have a bottle of water in their vehicle. Other advice from motoring associations includes starting early and checking travel conditions before you set off. Liam James 13 July 2022 06:30 1657688352
Images: Sunbathers cool off in rivers while others are not so happy
Some people made the most of the UK’s abundant sunshine, while others braced themselves for the sweltering heat. As the heatwave continues, some residents are venturing out and taking a dip in the rivers to make the most of the sunny skies. However, others did not look so happy and one man was seen carrying a large fan on his shoulders. Families cool off in the River Daredest (Getty Images) Lorraine Stalford gives her four-year-old dog Barney some water during the warm weather in Belfast (PA) An office worker carries a large fan in Westminster, central London (PA) Joe, 6, and Nila, 4, Murphy play in the River Darent (Getty Images) Shweta SharmaJuly 13, 2022 05:59 1657687548
Newport schools relax rules ahead of national heatwave emergency warning
Some schools in Newport, Wales, have relaxed uniform rules for pupils and urged parents to take action as authorities are expected to declare a state of emergency due to the ongoing heat wave. Newport City Council confirmed that individual schools can issue their own uniform and other policies to keep students safe. Several schools have asked students to don blazers and ties and wear tailored shorts or poly kits while emphasizing the use of sunscreen and carrying water bottles. Lliswerry High School head teacher Neil Davies said: “Due to very hot temperatures forecast for the rest of the week and possibly next week, I have taken the decision to adjust our school uniform rules until the end of this term. “Students may wear the following to school: normal school uniform (tie and jacket optional), PE kit, knee length, plain black or navy blue shorts with a school shirt. A spokesman for Caerleon Comprehensive School said: “As you may be aware, we are expecting very hot temperatures this week and we would like to ensure that pupils are well protected from the heat whilst at school.” “Therefore, students are not required to wear school jackets or ties during this week,” he added. “Students are allowed to wear cut-off shorts as part of their uniform.” Shweta SharmaJuly 13, 2022 5:45 am 1657684800
What was Britain’s infamous heat wave like in 1976?
Britain is currently reeling from the second heatwave of the summer, with temperatures hitting 30C on Monday and expected to rise beyond 35C in south-east England on Sunday (Joe Somerland writes). The Met Office has issued an orange warning regarding the extreme heat forecast for next weekend and has warned that the phenomenon is likely to become more frequent by 2050 as a result of the climate crisis. While it’s certainly hot out there, the standard by which all British summers are judged remains June to August 1976, when the UK reportedly recorded its hottest average temperature for more than 350 years and its driest summer of 200, a record that was then surpassed by an even more barren 1995. The subject of a recent nostalgic documentary on Channel 5, the 1976 heatwave reached its peak between June 23 and July 7, a 15-day period during which at least somewhere in England recorded a temperature of more than 32.2C.
What was Britain’s infamous heat wave like in 1976?
The UK saw 15 consecutive days of temperatures above 32C as public beaches were packed and people plunged into pools, lakes and fountains to try and stay cool Liam James 13 July 2022 05:00 1657683953
Worse is expected as European heatwave fuels wildfires
Top weather experts said the worst was yet to come, despite soaring temperatures fueling fires in Spain and Portugal, with western Europe reeling from its second heatwave in weeks. “We expect it to get worse,” World Meteorological Organization spokeswoman Claire Nallys said at a briefing in Geneva on Tuesday. “This heat is accompanied by drought. We have very, very dry lands,” he said. “The glaciers in the Alps are really being punished right now. It was a very bad time for the glaciers. And we’re still relatively early in the summer.” Temperatures soared above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in large parts of the Iberian Peninsula on Sunday. High temperatures are expected to top 40C in parts of France, Germany and even the Netherlands by the weekend. Shweta SharmaJuly 13, 2022 4:45 am 1657681246
Britain is bracing for disruption as the heatwave could bring record temperatures
Britons are being warned of widespread disruption as temperatures look set to reach dangerously high levels over the next few days. Forecasters believe there is a 30% chance the mercury will surpass the current UK record of 38.7C, set in Cambridge in 2019, as temperatures continue to rise over the weekend and next week. An “amber” warning for extreme heat covering much of England and Wales on Sunday and Monday says there may be a risk to life or possible serious illness, with adverse health effects not limited to the most vulnerable. There may also be road closures and rail and air travel delays and cancellations, while ambulance services in England are on the highest alert as hot weather difficulties combine with Covid staff absences and continued delays in delivering patients to A&E. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are likely to bring some rain to the north of the UK and highs of 27C or 28C – slightly cooler than Tuesday which saw 31C in parts of SE England. Sam Rkaina 13 July 2022 04:00 1657677600
Huge fire breaks out in North Yorkshire as heatwave hits
A huge fire has broken out in a field in North Yorkshire as the UK experiences scorching temperatures (Zoe Tidman writes). Large flames could be seen shooting from an area of land near Ripon in a video captured by a passing car on Monday. The flame can be seen spreading across the field as the driver drives. Police said the fire broke out as the UK was gripped by high temperatures.
Huge fire breaks out in North Yorkshire as heatwave hits
Coming as braces to the UK for warm weather all week Liam James 13 July 2022 03:00 1657675819
Why climate change can make your fever worse
Global warming could make hay fever worse for sufferers in the UK, experts say. Hay fever affects nearly 10 million people in England, equivalent to nearly one in four adults, and the Met Office said Research shows that the number of sufferers is increasing year by year. Researchers told the Independent that there was evidence that global warming was increasing the amount or strength of different types of pollen, and that road pollution could also be making matters worse. Dr Beverley Adams-Groom, a pollen expert and meteorologist at the University of Worcester, said researchers believed people might suffer more from hay fever in recent years because grass seed pollen may be stronger with more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. More than nine in 10 hay fever sufferers are affected by grass pollen between May and August in the UK, according to Dr Adams-Groom. Sam Rkaina July 13, 2022 02:30 1657672970
What is a national heat emergency and what might it look like?
Government officials are meeting regularly to assess the impact of the heat wave that has hit Britain and have not ruled out declaring the first national heat emergency. The UK’s Health Safety Agency has already issued health warnings for the majority of the country, including guidance for schools and hospitals, and the Met Office has extended an orange heat warning for “extremely hot” temperatures until Monday. Vulnerable groups such as the elderly have been warned to take care, with reports of fires on train lines, reservoir water levels at record lows and hospitals under pressure. Forecasters said temperatures were likely to reach 40C later this week, which would break the record for the UK’s hottest day. Click here for more on what it would mean if a major national event is declared. …
