Yellow heat health alert in place for Watford from today
The UK Health Security Agency has announced a yellow heat health alert for the East of England which is due to start at 12pm (August 11) and last until 6pm on August 13.
It comes as the Met Office expects temperatures in Watford to reach 30C this afternoon and 33C on Tuesday.
The warning also covers London, Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands, the South East and South West.
It means there could be a significant impact across health and social care services, including the potential for a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions.Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said: '[There is] definitely a north-south split in the weather [on Monday].
'Quite cloudy across Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of northern England, the rain tending to come and go, but most persistent in western Scotland.
'Otherwise, England and Wales seeing mostly sunny skies, although there will be more in the way of high level cloud out there compared to on Sunday, so the sunshine [will be] hazy at times.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Drug that slows onset of type 1 diabetes licensed for use in UK-first
A groundbreaking drug that slows down the development of type 1 diabetes has been licensed for use in the UK. Teplizumab can allow patients to live 'normal lives' without the need for insulin injections. Experts hailed the decision by the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as a 'breakthrough moment' that represents a 'turning point' in how the condition is treated. About 400,000 people in the UK have type 1 diabetes, a lifelong condition which causes the immune system to attack insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Insulin helps the body use sugar for energy, and without this hormone, blood sugar levels can become dangerously high. Type 1 diabetes needs constant management to keep blood sugar within range, with patients required to take insulin through injections or pumps. Teplizumab trains the immune system to stop attacking pancreatic cells. It is taken by an IV drip for a minimum of 30 minutes over 14 consecutive days. The drug, which is already approved in the US, has been authorised for use by the MHRA to delay the onset of stage three type 1 diabetes in adults and children aged eight or over by an average of three years. Ahmed Moussa, general manager of general medicines UK and Ireland at Sanofi, which makes teplizumab, said: 'One hundred years ago the discovery of insulin revolutionised diabetes care. Today's news marks a big step forward.' The UK is the first country in Europe to be granted a licence. Type 1 diabetes develops gradually in three stages over months or years. Stage three is usually when people start to experience blood sugar problems and are diagnosed with the condition. According to the MHRA, teplizumab is used in people with stage two type 1 diabetes, which is an earlier stage of the disease during which patients are at a high risk of progressing to stage three. Parth Narendran, a professor of diabetes medicine at the University of Birmingham and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, said: 'Teplizumab essentially trains the immune system to stop attacking the beta cells in the pancreas, allowing the pancreas to produce insulin without interference. 'This can allow eligible patients to live normal lives, delaying the need for insulin injections and the full weight of the disease's daily management by up to three years. It allows people to prepare for disease progression rather than facing an abrupt emergency presentation.' Following the decision by the MHRA, the cost-effectiveness of teplizumab will be assessed by NHS spending watchdog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) to determine if it can be rolled out on the health service. Karen Addington, chief executive of the charity Breakthrough T1D, said: 'I am personally delighted and welcome the MHRA's approval of teplizumab. 'After years of research, clinical trials and drug development, we have an incredible breakthrough.' Reacting to the announcement, Dr Elizabeth Robertson, director of research and clinical at Diabetes UK, said: 'Today's landmark licensing of teplizumab in the UK marks a turning point in the treatment of type 1 diabetes. 'For the first time, we have a medicine that targets the root cause of the condition, offering three precious extra years free from the relentless demands of managing type 1 diabetes.' Dr Robertson added that the 'next steps are critical'. 'To ensure teplizumab reaches everyone who could benefit, we need it to be made available on the NHS, and the rollout of a screening programme to identify those with early-stage type 1 diabetes,' she said.
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Inquiry into rogue surgeon to hold preliminary hearing next month
A public inquiry set up to investigate disgraced surgeon Sam Eljamel will hold a preliminary hearing next month. The Eljamel Inquiry will investigate the activities and oversight of Mr Eljamel, who was appointed by NHS Tayside as a consultant neurosurgeon at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee in 1995 and went on to become head of neurosurgery at the site. In 2013, Mr Eljamel was placed under supervision and later suspended following concerns about the standard of clinical care he was providing to patients. He resigned from NHS Tayside in 2014. Patients of the former neurosurgeon have claimed he harmed as many as 200 people, with some suffering life-changing injuries. The Eljamel Inquiry will determine, among other things, whether patients were let down by failures in clinical governance, risk management, and complaints procedures, and the adequacy of previous reviews. It will also examine to what extent Mr Eljamel's private practice, research, and workload impacted on care received by his patients, and whether, and if so to what extent, Mr Eljamel and NHS Tayside tried to conceal evidence of sub-standard care. The independent public inquiry, chaired by Lord Weir, will hold a preliminary hearing in Edinburgh on September 10 to set out its progress and intentions. Scotland's Health Secretary Neil Gray formally set up the inquiry on April 3, empowering it to begin the process of gathering evidence. To date, Lord Weir has designated applicants including NHS Tayside, 133 former patients of Mr Eljamel and 19 personal representatives of former patients. This group is represented by the legal firm Levy & McRae. The Scottish Government and the University of Dundee are also designated as core participants, as are the Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh), Healthcare Improvement Scotland, and NHS Education for Scotland. Members of the public, including former patients, can apply to attend the preliminary hearing in person. Proceedings will also be broadcast live on the inquiry's YouTube channel, and will be available to view later on its website. The preliminary hearing will take place at Waverley Gate in central Edinburgh.
CNET
29 minutes ago
- CNET
Want Your Lawn to Thrive This Summer? Use These Tips for Emerald Green Grass
Keeping your lawn green and healthy during a heat wave isn't always easy, but mowing it can do wonders. By properly taking care of your lawn, you can ensure that it isn't dying from the scorching heat. It isn't just about water either. By knowing when, and how, to mow your yard you can keep it from thinning out, or dying entirely. Cutting your grass too short, mowing in the middle of the day, and using dull blades can all put unnecessary stress on your lawn. Instead, try raising your mower height so your grass has a better chance of holding onto moisture. Mowing early in the morning or later in the evening helps avoid the most intense heat, and leaving the clippings behind can create a protective layer that keeps the soil cooler and more hydrated. These simple tweaks add up fast, and you don't need to overhaul your routine to see results. With just a few smart changes, you can keep your yard vibrant while the rest of the block turns dry and brittle. Want to learn more? These five gardening tips helped transform my lawn into the best-looking one on the street. Don't miss any of CNET's unbiased tech content and labs-based reviews. Add us as a preferred Google source on Chrome. 1. Keep it long A short trim can cause damage to your lawn, especially during hotter months. Chris Wedel/CNET For some, a perfect lawn is always well-trimmed and consistently kept short. Unfortunately, while this may look nice, it can be a detriment to the overall life of your grass. During the hottest days of summer when your yard is competing with sweltering heat, blazing sun and less rain, it's best to keep the grass about 4 inches high after a cut. That may seem long but taller grass retains more water and has longer, healthier roots. 2. Wait until the grass is dry Mowing when there is still dew on the ground can damage your lawn. Russell Holly/CNET It may seem obvious during the summer when it reaches unbearable temps during the day to try and get started mowing early in the cool morning hours. But if there's still dew on the ground, you can lose time and damage your lawn. This is caused by the high likelihood that wet grass will clump up in the discharge chute (that flappy thing on the side), requiring you to stop and remove the clog. Plus, your mower tires won't get great traction either and could put tracks in your yard. Instead, wait until later in the morning when the dew dries, or mow the lawn late in the day before the evening dew. Also, time your sprinklers to start up in the late evening or at night so there isn't extra moisture on the grass when you mow. Here are some more watering tips for your lawn. 3. Go slower Keep your speeds low to make mowing go fast. Alina Bradford/CNET Short on time or just want to get the chore over faster? Then going fast makes the most sense, right? But while it's tempting to go fast while mowing, it can actually create more work for you. By not taking your time and letting the mower do its job properly, there's a good chance it will leave some areas uncut and give the lawn an uneven, sloppy look. This means you'll have to take more time to re-mow it to make the lawn look correct. Instead, take the path of the turtle -- slow and steady. A slower, mid-speed mowing session is faster and better for your lawn than zooming around the grass and ultimately needing to re-mow it later. Also, remember that the choke needs to be lower for slower speeds to run properly. 4. Be consistent My yard has never had such a professional look. Chris Wedel/CNET Mowing randomly across your lawn can take up more time and lead to an uneven cut. Follow a pattern instead, using this technique: Start on the edge of your lawn with the discharge chute pointing toward your lawn Mow around the perimeter of your lawn When you get to your starting point, make a U-turn so the discharge chute is facing the strip you just cut Keep mowing around the perimeter, making sure the discharge chute is pointed toward where you just mowed. In the end, your lawn will end up with a nice pattern and the discharge chute won't clog. How to Prep Your Lawn Mower for the Season How to Prep Your Lawn Mower for the Season Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 2:58 Loaded : 3.40% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 2:58 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. How to Prep Your Lawn Mower for the Season 5. Prep your mower for the next round Regular maintenance on your mower is important to ensure it is reliable and does a great job each and every time you take it out. Spending a little time after you finish mowing will keep your mower in tip-top shape and lasting longer. Start by turning the mower over and rinsing the blades and discharge chute with a garden hose before putting it away. This will prevent grass from building up, drying out and being much harder to remove. If the air filter on your push mower looks dirty, give it a good wash with some mild dish soap and rinse it with the garden hose. Set the filter aside to dry so you can put it on right before mowing next time. One of the best time savers is keeping your lawn mower blade sharp. A dull blade will require you to go over the same patch of lawn more than once to cut any raggedy bits left behind. A sharp blade allows you to zip around your lawn just once and still get great results. Most mower repair shops will sharpen the blades for a small fee, or you can do it yourself with these tips. FAQs to help you get the best-looking lawn What order should I mow my lawn? It's best to start mowing around the edges of your lawn, with the grass clippings going into your uncut grass. After cutting around the entire perimeter of your yard, turn back around and mow in the opposite direction, with the grass chute pointing toward the perimeter grass you already cut. Continue this mowing direction until complete. Want to make watering your lawn easier? Here's CNET's guide to making your own automated lawn watering system.
