Parts of the UK will face the fifth heatwave of the summer this week, with temperatures forecast to reach highs of 38C, prompting the Met Office to issue an amber weather warning for extreme heat.
Wildfires and drought strain the country
The record-shattering heatwave has caused wildfires and drought in many parts of the country, with this summer on course to be the UK’s hottest since records began, according to the Met Office. The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said firefighters have responded to 966 wildfires across England and Wales this year, including 185 in the first 10 days of August alone. The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) general secretary, Steve Wright, told Times Radio the country faces a national emergency “right now”, with wildfires seen “all across” the UK.
Nearly three-quarters of England and the whole of Wales are in drought, creating tinderbox conditions that have fuelled the rapid spread of wildfires. Southern Water has applied for a rare drought order that would restrict businesses in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight from using water for non-essential activities, including cleaning cars and filling swimming pools, citing exceptionally low rainfall and concerns over supplies. If approved, it would be the first such ban since May 2006, with the decision resting with the environment secretary, Angela Eagle.
Government convenes emergency Cobra meeting
The extreme heat has prompted the government to convene an emergency Cobra meeting – the second this year in response to a heatwave. “We know how challenging this summer is proving, particularly for firefighters tackling wildfires, farmers working in drought conditions, and NHS staff in busy A&E units,” a Downing Street spokesperson said ahead of the meeting this afternoon, which will be chaired by the prime minister, Andy Burnham. “We will continue to take the action needed to keep communities safe, protect water supplies, support farming communities and safeguard the environment.”
Amber warning and potential impacts
Temperatures could reach 33C today and up to 38C tomorrow, the Met Office said, as it issued an amber heat warning for large parts of England, covering areas including London, St Albans, Cambridge, Oxford, Milton Keynes, Peterborough, Leicester, Birmingham, Nottingham, Lincoln and Sheffield. It will be in place from 9am tomorrow to midnight.
The Met Office warned that the “extreme heat” warning will likely cause “adverse” health effects to people vulnerable to extreme heat, adding that there could be delays to travel and that some “heat sensitive systems and equipment may fail”, leading to potential power cuts at some homes and businesses. “While the peak heat will be more short-lived than recent heatwaves, temperatures widely into the mid-30s Celsius on Thursday brings the potential for impacts for some, which is why a Met Office warning has been issued,” said chief forecaster Chris Bulmer.
Earlier, the Met Office said another record-breaking summer was increasingly likely, after the UK recorded its second-warmest June and July on record, with temperatures reaching 38C in June and 35C in July. It said the repeated heatwaves were a stark reminder of the changes taking place in the UK’s climate. The climate crisis, caused by the pollution from fossil fuel burning, makes every heatwave more likely and intense. The heatwave at the end of June was the most severe ever recorded in Europe and would not have been possible without human-caused global heating.
