As Europe endures its fifth heat wave of the summer, Britain is moving quickly to blunt its effects. Essential services are being tested as forecasters put London and much of England on notice for some disruptive heat on Thursday. That could mean more for the drought, more fuel for wildfires and hospitals and emergency crews pushed to the limit.
The Met Office has put a flag on a summer that is edging into historic territory. It takes only average weather for the rest of August for this year to surpass last as the hottest on record, they say. Scientists point to repeated heat domes as the cause of the extremes across Europe, which is warming faster than any other continent.
Heat set to peak, records in sight
Thursday could bring 37C (98.6F) to southern England and London, the UK Met Office says, enough to test the highs of the month and the year. An amber alert is in place from London to Sheffield to flag the risks to productivity, transport and health.
Other forecasts have central and south-east England heading for 38 degrees Celsius, not far off the 38.5 degree mark set in 2003. Over in France, they are once again preparing for the worst of the continental heat; Meteo-France expects 40C in some regions and 37C in Paris.
Pressure on services and industry
‘We could see disruption to industry across this area,’ said Annie Shuttleworth of the Met Office with regard to the alert zone on Thursday. Workplaces and energy networks have been under pressure for weeks now given the conditions.
London’s ambulance service has fielded more calls than during the height of the pandemic. The Mayor’s Office says the fire brigade had its most active July on the books, with over 200 reports of grass fires in a single day last week alone.
Hospitals report heat exhaustion
You can see the toll on frontline staff. ‘When nursing staff are collapsing or even being admitted to the very hospitals they work in because the workplace cannot cope with the heat, it shows just how badly they are being failed,’ according to Professor Nicola Ranger, chief executive of the RCN.
Drought deepens and wildfire risk rises
Officially, most of the country is in drought and the squeeze on farms, rivers and households is tightening. Citing an ‘exceptional’ absence of rain in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Southern Water has put in for a rare order to prevent businesses from using water for non-essentials like car washing or filling non-domestic pools.
It will be up to Environment Secretary Angela Eagle to rule on the application, the first of its kind since May 2006. Wildfire teams are stretched thin after days to contain the New Forest blaze. The National Fire Chiefs Council puts the number of wildfires in England and Wales at 1,017 so far this year, equal to last year’s record.
Sadiq Khan says the emergency is no longer an abstraction. ‘The climate crisis is on our doorstep right now and is having a devastating impact on our lives and the environment,’ the London mayor said. ‘All over London you will find once-green grasslands burnt to a brittle crisp by these record-breaking temperatures, and we are left with dangerous wildfires and the risk of flash floods.’
In light of the surge in urban-edge and grass fires around the capital this summer, Khan is putting 8.9 million ($12 million) towards specialised vehicles, drones and the like to improve their response.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has intimated there may be a need for more action to stop human-caused ignitions. ‘I do believe we need to get the message out loud and clear. People should not be using those barbecues outside at this moment in time.’ A ban on the disposable kind is being thought about.
What authorities advise now
With temperatures building once more on Thursday, officials have set out the following:
– Amber heat alert from London to Sheffield
– Southern Water has an application for a drought order in progress
– London is putting 8.9 million into firefighting tech
– PM is mulling a ban on disposable barbecues
– Met Office cautions of possible industry disruption
The numbers tell a stark story. High-pressure heat domes have made for the UK’s hottest ever summer while Europe’s firefighters, energy systems and hospitals take the brunt of it. With Paris at 37C and parts of Britain close to 38C, the region is on alert once more.
While the heat wave is due to peak on Thursday, the aftermath will be felt for some time. Authorities caution that this exceptional summer is not done yet and there will be no quick respite from the fire danger, health risks or drought.
