Parts of England and Wales are facing a second heatwave later this week, amid growing fears of water shortages from this summer’s drought.
Temperatures last month exceeded 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees F) for the first time on record. The weather isn’t all that hot, but the Bureau of Meteorology issued a yellow warning for extreme heat from midnight Thursday through Sunday.
Temperatures could reach 35 degrees (95F) or 36 degrees (97F) in parts of southern England and Wales, according to the Met Office.
The UK Health and Security Agency advises people to beware of elderly neighbors and relatives, or those with pre-existing health conditions.
Advice to the elderly to ‘keep hydrated’
UKHSA’s Dr Agostinho Sousa told the BBC:
Parts of England and Wales are facing drought after months of low rainfall, and a ban on horsepipes was introduced in Sussex, Kent and Wales last week.
Oxfordshire’s North End villages were the first in the country to run out of water. Thames Water has provided residents with bottled water after ‘technical problems’ at nearby Stokechurch Reservoir.
The company later said it “continues to pump water into the local supply network using tankers and is working on other ways to increase supply to the area.”
Thames Water, which supplies water to 15 million customers in London, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, said it would consider banning hoses if hot, dry weather persists.
Several grass fires started in the heat after a 14-year-old boy drowned in a lake near Cheshant, Hertfordshire, prompting people to resist the temptation to cool off in lakes and ponds. it was done.
A man in his 20s who went swimming in a lake in Hounslow, west London, is also being searched, police said.
Scientists say climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels and other industrial activities is causing heat waves to become more intense and frequent.
PA Media contributed to this report.
follow
Chris Summers is a UK-based journalist with a wide range of national coverage, with a particular interest in crime, police and law.