There is no respite from heat in the UK as the met office has issued amber ‘Extreme Heat’ warning, second-most severe, for the country from Thursday till Sunday. The weather department warned that people vulnerable to extreme heat could face adverse health effects with little escape from the hot dry conditions that have sparked fires, broken temperature records and strained the nation's infrastructure.
What’s Amber Heat Warning?
A heatwave is an extended period of hot weather relative to the expected conditions of the area at that time of year, which may be accompanied by high humidity. There are five different alert levels (from 0 – 4) in the UK. The level three warning, also known as Amber, is issued when the threshold temperatures for one of more regions have been reached for one day and the following night, and the forecast for the next day shows a high likelihood that the threshold temperature will be met again. This is also an indicator that social and healthcare services should target specific actions at those in high-risk groups.
What Are The Heat Concerns?
Temperatures are expected to touch 35 Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) on Friday and may hit 36 celcius in some places on Saturday, according to Reuters. The amber warning, which comes after the first-ever red "Extreme Heat" warning in July will impact much of the southern half of England and parts of eastern Wales.
The warning comes amid the driest July spell in England since 1935, when temperatures rose above 40C for the first time bringing the spotlight to the impacts of climate change.
Other European nations are also observing extreme heatwave conditions with temperatures often exceeding 40 degress. Britain, which is not accustomed to such high temperatures, has been struggling to cope with intense heat.
Heatwave in July triggered power outages, hampering airport runways, buckled rail tracks and caused fire in London, where the fire brigade faced its busiest week since World War Two.
In fact, Britain's largest water company, Thames Water, on Tuesday said it was considering temporary usage restrictions in the coming weeks due to the hot temperatures this week and long-term forecasts of dry weather.
The company serves around 15 million customers across London and south east England. Other water companies have already imposed restrictions and supermarkets have limited sales of disposable BBQs that firefighters warn can set light to tinder-dry grass.
Ambulance services have received hundreds of calls from patients facing breathing difficulties, dizziness and fainting.