Parents were advised to keep their children out of the sun this week, while a water company revealed it was already looking at ways to avoid introducing water restrictions for the first time since the relentless heatwave of 1976. Meanwhile, the UK’s Health Safety Agency has issued a ‘heat-health’ warning from Monday to Friday, particularly for the south and east of England. Temperatures are expected to reach 33C on Tuesday, eclipsing this year’s record high of 32.7C set at Heathrow Airport last month. By comparison, temperatures on the Greek island of Santorini will peak at 29 degrees Celsius. Already, South West Water has urged customers to try to save five liters of water a day to maintain tank levels, admitting pressure on supplies is increasing. Lisa Gahan, the acting director of water resources, said there had been no restrictions in the area since 1976 and “if we’re careful we could have another year without restrictions.” More immediate is the health risk, with at least one children’s hospital advising to wear sunscreen and light-colored clothing and stay in the shade. Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust added that carers should ensure children stay hydrated by drinking water “little and often”. The British Red Cross also urged people to have bottled water “ready in case of problems with the water supply”. The health safety agency has advised people in the hottest areas to shade or cover their windows, check that refrigerators are working properly and that medicine is stored properly. He also advised people to drink plenty of fluids and avoid excessive alcohol during this week. Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at the agency, said: “If you have vulnerable family, friends and neighbors, make sure they know how they can protect themselves from the hot weather.” Council leaders have also warned that casual swimmers should be aware of the risk of drowning during extreme weather. Last year 277 people drowned, 23 more than last year. Temperatures are forecast to remain above average throughout this week, prompting the Met Office to issue a level 3 heat warning for south-east England. A level 2 warning is in place for the rest of England. Today, Britain is expected to be sunny with people in London and south-east England expecting high temperatures of 29C and clear skies. Met Office meteorologist Dan Stroud said: “We should see almost wall-to-wall sunshine across most of England and Wales and a good part of Scotland.”
