UK weather: Urgent health warning in five regions as heatwave hits

Daily Mirror

4 days ago

High-levels warnings have come into force for five areas as the UK melts amid a 36c heatwave with Brits warned of the "significant impact" from the searing temperatures.
London, West Midlands, East Midlands, the South East and East of England are now under a heat health alert as of 9am this morning. It will remain in place until 6pm on Wednesday 13, with a yellow alert now issued for the North West and North East for the same period.
The new warning from the UK Health Security Agency says impacts are "likely" across health and social care services as a result, including a potential "rise in deaths". Temperatures are expected to soar into the mid-30s in parts of the UK over the next 24 hours. It comes after a woman, 20, was found dead on bus with 26 iPhones glued to her body.
The Met Office warn that the heat will impact the ability of the health sector to deliver services, indoor environments "overheating" in community and care settings, issues managing medicines, staffing issues due to "external factors" such as transport delays and increased demand for power exceeding capacity.
Temperatures approached 30C in many parts of the country on Monday, before reaching heatwave criteria in central and southern England by midweek. As deadly heat tears across Europe, Britain are expected to be baked by the summer's fourth heatwave this week.
"Temperatures are forecast to rise above 30°C across central and southern parts of the country over the next few days, and generally hot weather is expected across most regions of England," said Dr Paul Coleman, Consultant in Public Health at the UK Health Security Agency.
"These kind of temperatures can result in serious health outcomes across the population – particularly in those who are vulnerable, such as the elderly or those with serious health conditions - so it is important that everyone takes sensible precautions while enjoying the sun.
"If you have friends, family or neighbours who are vulnerable, it is important to ensure they are aware of the forecasts and are following the necessary advice. Check in on them if you can to make sure they know that hot weather is on the way and how to keep themselves safe."
UKHSA clarified: "Under the Weather-Health Alert system, an amber alert means that weather impacts are likely to be felt across the whole health service. At this level, we may begin to see some health impacts across the wider population.
"We may also see an increase in risk to health for individuals aged over 65 years or those with pre-existing health conditions, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.."
Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Tom Crabtree said: 'Warmth is the focus in the forecast in the first half of this week, with temperatures likely to peak on Tuesday around the mid-30s, but remaining above average in the second half of the week, particularly further to the southeast.
'The exception to the widely warm conditions will be northwest Scotland on Monday, where showers will be more frequent. Warmth will develop there from Tuesday with temperatures peaking in the mid to high 20s.'
It comes after firefighters issued an urgent new warning ahead of the upcoming heatwave following a string of outdoor fires caused by "human behaviour".
This morning, Scottish Fire and Rescue service group commander Neil MacLennan said a huge blaze on Arthur's Seat in the centre of Edinburgh was "almost certainly sparked by human activity", though the exact cause is yet to be established.
And on Friday, London Fire Brigade said they had attended 80 wildfires believed to have been started deliberately so far this summer, while other incidents are thought to resulted from accidental triggers, such as disposable BBQs and discarded cigarettes.
Parents are being urged to educate their children on the risks of starting outdoor fires, while park users hoping to enjoy a spot of sunshine have been asked to behave responsibly and take their litter home with them.
London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Tom Goodall said: 'While some wildfires can occur naturally, particularly during spells of extreme dryness and heat, the majority of these fires can be easily avoided by the public behaving responsibly.