An amber extreme heat warning has come into force, with temperatures forecast to hit 37C (99F) in some parts of the UK over the next four days. The Met Office alert for southern and central England and parts of Wales runs from midnight on Thursday until Sunday. It has also issued its highest alert for fire severity over the weekend, warning there is an “exceptional” risk of blazes spreading in many places.
The heatwave will likely affect health, transport and working conditions. There is also an increased risk of water safety incidents, the Met Office warned. While the record-breaking temperatures seen in July, when the mercury topped 40C (104F) for the first time, are not expected this week, the heat in some areas could get close to local or regional records. “This heatwave, temperatures won’t be as high. But the big difference with this current heatwave is that it’s much more prolonged,” said Matt Taylor, a BBC Weather forecaster. “We’ve already seen temperatures above 30C every day this week – Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday – and that will continue until Sunday.”
He said temperatures could reach 35C and peak at 37C in some areas between the Midlands and London In Wales, Cardiff may see temperatures exceeding 30C. Scotland and Northern Ireland meanwhile are likely to be cooler with the highest temperatures in the mid-20s, the Met Office says. The Met Office’s fire severity index, which assesses how severe a blaze could become, is currently “very high” for most of England and Wales.
Analysis by the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology found low or even exceptionally low river flows and groundwater levels were likely to continue for the next three months in southern England and Wales. Water companies are being urged to protect essential supplies into dry autumn, while three firms have already implemented hosepipe bans.
David Barton’s fields on his farm in Gloucestershire should be green and full of grazing cattle. Instead, the grass has turned yellow, the land is bone-dry, and many of the crops that feed his cows have died. “Every day that it doesn’t rain, every day that it’s hot and dry, the pressure mounts,” he says. As England and Wales enter a heatwave forecast to last until Sunday, these are challenging times for farmers. South East, Southern and Welsh Water customers cannot use hosepipes to water lawns or plants, clean cars or fill paddling pools, while Thames Water “in the coming weeks”.
The company, with 15 million customers across London and the Thames Valley, to residents in the village of Northend in Oxfordshire after supplies, were disrupted due to a technical issue at a local reservoir. There have been calls from the Angling Trust for the government to declare a drought and for water companies to “stop dragging their feet” and implement hosepipe bans in all affected areas as rivers dry up, hitting fish and other species.
Martin Salter, a chief policy adviser for the charity, said “millions of gallons of scarce water are being wasted” on lawns and golf courses when they should be used to help rivers survive and protect wildlife and the economy. Water companies have faced criticism for bringing in hosepipe bans while just under 3 billion litres (660 million gallons) of water is lost to leaks every day in England and Wales – equivalent to 1,180 Olympic swimming pools.
Environment Secretary George Eustice met water company bosses on Wednesday, who he said had assured him that water supplies remained resilient across Britain. “Each company has a pre-agreed drought plan which they are following, and I have urged them to take any precautionary steps needed to protect essential supplies as we go into a likely very dry autumn,” he said. An official drought, according to water industry insiders, meaning the Environment Agency would have more control over the water supply.
Meanwhile, people are being advised to look out for those who are older or vulnerable, as well as young children, after the UK Health Security Agency issued a heat health alert until Sunday for parts of central, southern and northern England. Heatwaves are becoming more likely and more extreme because of human-induced climate change. The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began, and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.
