A load of hot air! Health officials are branded 'nanny state' after issuing two-day 'danger to life' alert for UK heatwave
An amber alert has been issued across the Midlands, East Anglia, London and South East for tomorrow and Wednesday. Yellow warnings apply elsewhere in England.
Britain is set to be hotter than Barbados, with temperatures in the low 30s Celsius (high 80s Fahrenheit) across England and Wales – potentially reaching 34C (93F) in parts of the West Midlands.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said there could be a 'rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions', and care providers have been warned of 'likely increased demand'.
Health officials have recommended closing windows and curtains in rooms facing the sun to keep them cool, wearing a hat and sunglasses and covering up to protect from sunburn, and exercising in the morning or evening 'when it is cooler'.
Professor Karol Sikora, the former director of a World Health Organisation programme, said the warnings were 'complete nanny state'.
Of the UKHSA, he added: 'They are trying to justify their existence. Torremolinos [on the Spanish Costa del Sol] is full of oldies like me basking in the sun.'
Meanwhile, former Conservative minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg said: 'I suggest people put on a Panama hat and drink a glass of refreshing Pimm's while ignoring those wastrels at the UKHSA who would be more use if they joined the junior doctors on strike.'
The alert applies from 9am tomorrow until 6pm Wednesday, after which temperatures are due to drop into the high 20s Celsius (low 80s Farenheit), but they could still hit 30C (86F) in southern England on Friday.
It is the fourth heatwave the UK has experienced this summer and it comes after the warmest June and fifth warmest July since records began.
Tory MP Sir John Hayes, chairman of the backbench Common Sense group, said: 'Everyone knows about putting on a sun hat, making sure elderly people don't stay in the sun too long.
'They don't need some official issuing a diktat about how hot it has to be before they need to go indoors. It's a crazy manifestation of a very strange age.'
His comments came as other parts of Europe have sweltered in temperatures higher than 40C over the past week.
More than 1,400 people were forced to flee their homes in north-west Spain yesterday as wildfires spread fast, driven by scorching temperatures and fierce winds.
The alert applies from 9am tomorrow until 6pm Wednesday, after which temperatures are due to drop into the high 20s Celsius (low 80s Farenheit), but they could still hit 30C (86F) in southern England on Friday. It is the fourth heatwave the UK has experienced this summer
Meanwhile, in Portugal, firefighters were struggling to contain a huge blaze they had initially declared contained. Eleven people were confirmed injured while many others were treated for smoke inhalation.
Hot air is being drawn towards the UK by the remains of Storm Dexter in the Atlantic and a southerly air flow bringing temperatures north from France and Spain.
Officials also warned last night that England is suffering from 'nationally significant' water shortfalls, despite rain last month. The National Drought Group met as five areas of the country remain in drought and six more in prolonged dry weather status.
The lack of water is hitting crop yields, reducing feed for livestock, damaging wildlife and increasing wildfires, the group said.
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The Independent
26 minutes ago
- The Independent
An expert guide to looking after your lawn and garden during a heatwave
The UK is set for another heatwave. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned of possible deadly effects as it issued heat health warnings for all of England. Amber warnings are in place for the East Midlands, West Midlands, east of England, London and the South East until Wednesday, with yellow warnings in place for the remainder of the country. Southern areas including Berkshire, Oxfordshire and the outskirts of London such as Heathrow may reach 34C. But how do you look after your garden in the heat? 'It's about risk management,' says Nick Turrell, RHS horticultural advisor. 'No-one's going to suddenly change all their plants, getting plants with silver leaves etc. 'Some plants are more susceptible than others, and I would say the top five are hydrangea, which likes slightly cooler temperatures and plenty of water, Japanese maples, which have thin leaves and lose moisture, fuchsia, astilbes and roses, which are hungry and thirsty. They catch gardeners out.' Plants likely to cope better include lavender, rosemary, sedum and other succulents, he says. But what else can we do? 1. Water wisely 'Water in the morning because that's when the plants are going to be needing it during the day,' Turrell advises. 'Don't spray the leaves or water on the top of the leaves, get it underneath to the roots and use a watering can, not a hose, because if you've a hose, you're more likely to liberally spray it around, which means you get a sprinkling on the surface which just evaporates. Get the nozzle of the watering can right in at the roots.' Melissa Quinney at Cabin Master, advises: 'During hosepipe bans or dry spells, greywater (from baths or washing up, provided it's free from harsh chemicals) can be reused to water ornamental plants.' 'It's best to water less frequently but more thoroughly, soaking the rootball properly,' suggests Charles Carr, head of wholesale nurseries at Hillier Nurseries and Garden Centres. Water plants in the area where the roots are, suggests Nick Hamilton, son of the late Gardeners' World icon Geoff Hamilton and owner of Barnsdale Gardens in Rutland. 'Some plants will require more than others, so when considering whether a plant needs water then my view is that if you're not sure, don't water. Don't worry if a plant begins to wilt from under-watering, because if you then apply water, within an hour or so you would never know it was wilting.' Give watering priority to anything which has been planted within the last 12 months, and particularly newly planted trees, Turrell adds. 2. Mulch the surface 'To lock in moisture and protect plants during a hot spell, cover the top of container plants with a mulch such as gravel, bark or a good quality compost. You should also mulch garden beds to help bedding plants retain moisture and give them a nutrient boost,' suggests Dobbies ' plant buyer, Nigel Lawton. 'Add organic mulch such as wood chippings, garden compost or leaf mould to beds to save water and improve moisture retention. A thick layer of mulch will block sunlight, insulating the soil and reducing the amount of water evaporating from the garden,' Carr adds. 'I think a good shredder is a very worthwhile investment as old flower stems, twigs and vegetable material, such as brassica stems, can be shredded down, composted and used as an excellent mulch,' suggests Hamilton. 3. Don't buy new plants If the hot weather is forecast for a few weeks, there's no point planting new plants because you'll just be putting stress on them and on the watering system, Turrell advises. 'Anything that has been established for more than two years should be OK because it already has its roots down deep enough to cope with unusual circumstances. 'But the plants will tell you if they need a drink, when they start wilting or the leaves start to curl up around the edges,' he explains. 4. Take hanging baskets down The compost in hanging baskets can evaporate so quickly that it's best to take them down during a heatwave and put them in the shade where they won't lose water so rapidly, says Turrell. 5. Pick vegetables which are likely to bolt Lettuces are prone to running to seed in hot weather, so pick them young and keep them in the fridge, or shade them with netting to keep the heat of the sun at bay, says Turrell. 6. Find shade 'For those especially vulnerable during extreme heat, temporary shade structures using old bedsheets, garden furniture, or shade cloths can make all the difference,' says Quinney. 7. Huddle patio pots Put patio pots in the shade together to create a microclimate and reduce evaporation, says Turrell. 8. Look after wildlife Make sure birdbaths are topped up because they will need it for drinking and bathing, and put some pebbles in water-filled pot saucers to allow insects to land and drink as well. 9. Leave your grass The grass may look like a mass of straw but it will recover when the autumn rain comes, so if you can stand it looking brown, just leave it, says Turrell. However, if it has been newly laid and hasn't yet been through a winter, you'll need to water it. 'In hot spells, it's best to hold off on applying weedkillers or fertilisers. These can be too harsh when the lawn is already under stress and may cause more harm than good,' says Peter Chaloner, managing director of garden machinery specialists Cobra. 'When grass turns yellow and brittle, it's a sign it's conserving energy due to lack of water. At this point, try to keep foot traffic to a minimum and clear away furniture or toys so the lawn has the best chance to recover undisturbed.' 10. Plant drought-tolerant species If you have spaces you feel you must fill, plug the gap with drought-tolerant species such as lavender, rosemary, salvia and sedum – but remember they will also need watering until they become established. 'Generally, succulents and silver foliage plants like lavender are the best at adapting to warmer conditions, so these are fine to be left as they are, but you should make a point to check up on your other plants throughout the summer months and adjust watering as needed,' says Lawton. 11. Improve your soil 'An excellent way to improve a light soil and increase its moisture retention capabilities is to add organic matter, which could be your own garden compost, green composts or well-rotted farmyard manure. Any one of these can be lightly forked into the surface and then added to the surface as a thickish layer to act as a mulch,' Hamilton advises. 'If you look after your soil, pretty much everything else falls into place,' says Turrell. 'If every year you mulch that soil with as much organic matter as you can, you are helping to prepare for any eventuality.' 12. Use a water butt This is another vital investment, says Hamilton, and can be fitted to trap and hold much needed rainwater – when it does finally come – from all your downpipes. 'I would also consider using the low-pressure leaking pipe that will work from a water butt. When buried just under the soil surface and laid out around the plants that require a bit more moisture, water will just gradually leak out and because it is under the soil, evaporation will be minimal.'
Telegraph
27 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Students fast tracked for autism diagnosis while children wait years
University students will be fast-tracked for autism diagnosis while children continue to wait years, The Telegraph can reveal. Students will be taken out of the regular local services amid surging referrals for young people, according to a trial at University College London starting in the upcoming academic year. Those still on the current waiting lists will still have to wait several years while students use the dedicated service. The NHS is providing £80,000 in funding to UCL, which is setting up a first-of-its-kind autism clinic to focus solely on students. The university-specific NHS clinic will investigate if the approach improves wait list times for both the general population as well as students during the course of the project from October 2025 until November 2026. Officials have said university students pose a 'specific challenge to the dynamics of adult waiting lists' because students can spend longer waiting for an appointment than the length of a degree. This serves to inflate waiting times for the general public in the neighbouring area as well as failing the student, officials say. There has been a 15-fold increase in the number of 18-24 year-olds seeking an appointment for an autism diagnosis since 2019, official data show. Demand for specialist clinics has soared since the Covid-19 pandemic as a result of increased awareness of autism symptoms, often driven by social media. The huge waiting lists mean people often wait several years to be seen by a clinician and get a diagnosis. This overburdening of autism services is forcing individuals with profound autism who require 24/7 care, including non verbal people, to suffer serious delays to their treatment with lifelong ramifications. In the contract between the NHS England and UCL, officials wrote: 'Removing student populations from local specialist autism teams could positively impact the waiting list.' A recent report found that almost a third of self-harm and suicide cases among university students involve neurodiverse individuals, including those with ADHD and autism Autism waiting lists have ballooned in recent years for all ages but most noticeably in under-25s. Telegraph analysis reveals that there were more than a quarter of a million people awaiting an appointment for a diagnosis in March 2025, the most recent available data, up from 17,400 in April 2019. Almost 75,000 children under 10 are on the waiting list, up more than 12-fold in six years from less than 6,000. There are almost 91,000 people between 10 and 25 currently awaiting a referral, up 12-fold from 7,700 pre-pandemic. In contrast, there are just 735 over-65s on the waiting list. However, this is up more than 11-fold itself from just 65 in 2019. An NHS England spokesman told The Telegraph: 'Backed by NHS funding, University College London is trialling a first-of-its-kind dedicated autism clinic and assessment referral pathway for university students. 'The aim is to test whether separating students from the mainstream waiting list leads to faster diagnosis and better support during the often-challenging transition to higher education. 'The project will also identify ways to improve how autistic and neurodivergent students are supported during university, as well as looking for ways to improve NHS services for autistic people more generally.' The system will only be open to UCL students as part of the pilot programme. A UCL spokesman said: 'The project has a number of aims including to pilot and evaluate a referral pathway for UCL students, so that if they suspect they are autistic, they can get a timely assessment at UCL. 'Given current waiting lists in NHS adult services, some people needing autism assessment at university cannot get their assessment until after they graduate.' Other goals of the project are to improve support that can be offered to autistic students and also improve training to clinicians. The UCL spokesman added: 'It is intended that this research will generate a range of new ideas for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of autism services, that can be adopted in settings across the country, such as NHS autism assessment clinics and general mental health services. 'This has the potential to contribute to improvements in the quality of services and waiting times nationally.' 'Diagnosis can be lifesaving' Mel Merritt, the head of policy and campaigns at the National Autistic Society, said: 'This trial is an opportunity to provide faster diagnosis and better support for autistic university students. 'An autism diagnosis is often life changing and can be lifesaving. University is an important transitional time for many young autistic people and it's important they receive a timely diagnosis so they can get the right support. 'Nine in 10 people wait longer than the recommended 13 weeks and the average wait time is more than 14 months, with many waiting years. 'Without a diagnosis, avoidable crises can develop and, while it shouldn't be the case, often support isn't provided until someone has a diagnosis. At school, this means children and young people miss out on years of their education. 'The Government must provide urgent funding for diagnosis services across the country to end this worsening crisis, and make sure autistic people and their families get the support they need.'
BBC News
27 minutes ago
- BBC News
When is it too hot to walk your dog, and how to keep pets cool
As temperatures rise across much of the UK, it's not just humans who feel the heat. What can you do to make sure your pets are cool and comfortable?LIVE: UK braces for 34C temperatures When is it too hot to walk your dog? The RSPCA says that exercise is the most frequent trigger of heatstroke for dogs and advises adjusting your routine during hot weather. It says there is no "safe" temperature for walks, as it depends on your dog's breed, age, health and temperament. The charity also recommends the pavement test: if you can't comfortably hold your hand on the ground for five seconds, it's too hot for your dog's paws. If you do walk your dog, go out in the early morning or late evening, look for shaded areas and walk on grass where possible. The charity says these signs could mean your dog is suffering in the heat:limping or refusing to walklicking or chewing at their feettheir foot pads are darker in colour or damagedthey have visible blisters or rednessYou should also avoid running or cycling with your dog when it is your dog is getting less exercise than usual, the RSPCA suggests keeping them engaged at home with puzzle toys or training games. How dog walks can become deadly when the heat rises What are the signs of heatstroke in dogs? Some dogs are more at risk of heatstroke than others. This includes those with underlying health conditions or thick coats which can trap heat. Puppies or older dogs may also struggle to regulate their temperature. Dogs pant to keep themselves cool, but the shorter snouts of certain flat-faced breeds like bulldogs and pugs make this difficult. This means they are at particular risk from overheating. According to the PDSA, symptoms of heatstroke include: excessive pantingdrooling or foamingconfusionshakingweakness and collapsevomiting or diarrhoeaseizuresIf you see these signs, first try to cool your dog down as quickly as them to a shaded area and slowly pour cold water over their body. Do not cover them in damp or wet towels as this can trap faster you can bring their temperature down, the lower the risk of serious injury. Once your pet has started to cool down, contact your vet for guidance and possible further treatment. How can you keep dogs and other pets cool? The RSPCA says it is essential that animals have access to shaded spaces inside and outside. Provide plenty of clean water - you can add ice cubes to their water bowl. Pets may also enjoy frozen edible wet or damp towels underneath their body - but don't place them directly on pet cooling mats and jackets are available, but make sure you follow the instructions. Products that need to be kept constantly wet can actually make your pet hotter if they dry out. Some animals may enjoy playing with frozen toys, or cooling off in a paddling pool – although you should always supervise pets around dogs and other furry animals like cats well-groomed prevents the build-up of matted fur, which can make it harder for them to stay cool. Make sure any indoor animal cages or fish tanks are not in direct leave a pet in a locked car, caravan or other vehicle for any length of time, as temperatures can rise quickly to dangerous levels - which can be fatal. Similarly, don't leave animals shut inside conservatories, sheds or may also want to leave out extra water in your garden for birds, foxes and other wildlife creatures. Do pets need sunscreen? Dogs and cats can get sunburnt - especially if they are light-coloured or have thin patches of fur. Ears, noses, eyelids and bellies are also vulnerable. Sunburn can be painful for pets, and in extreme cases can lead to skin cancer. Some active ingredients in human sun cream are toxic to pets so vets recommend using a pet-safe waterproof sunscreen, with an SPF rating of 30 or higher. Some companies sell sunscreen with a bitter taste to stop animals licking it off. The PDSA suggests you apply sunscreen to a small area of skin first, and leave it for 24 hours to ensure the animal does not react. Once you know the sunscreen is safe, you can gently apply a thin layer of sunscreen on the exposed white and light patches of skin, plus their nose and ears. The PDSA warns pet owners to look out for the following symptoms of sunburn: blisterscrustingitchingredness How should you look after your dogs on the beach? The Dogs Trust advises owners to first check whether the beach they want to visit allows it does, the charity recommends taking plenty of fresh water and making sure your dog doesn't drink sea water. Check the temperature of the sand and, if there's no natural shade, try to create some with a beach umbrella, sun tent or windbreak. If your dog likes to go in the sea, check the tide times and make sure you understand any swimming your dog on a lead when you are near fast-flowing water or cliff edges. When you leave the beach rinse any sand and seawater off their coat and paws with tap water to stop it causing any irritation.
