Amber Heat Alert Issued as a Fourth Heatwave Nears
Health authorities have issued an amber heat-health alert as Britain braces for its fourth heatwave of the summer, with temperatures forecast to reach 33 to 35C this week. The UK Health Security Agency warned of a likely rise in deaths among the elderly and vulnerable. Drought has been declared in the driest regions, deepening the wildfire risk.
The alert, covering much of England, marks an escalation from the warnings issued at the weekend, and comes as reservoirs run low and more than 23 million people live under hosepipe bans. Health officials urged people to stay hydrated, keep homes cool and check on neighbours, cautioning that repeated heatwaves compound the danger to health. The heat will also raise the risk of fresh wildfires, from the Cairngorms to the south. For a country still unused to sustained high temperatures, the strain on health, transport and farming is mounting. Watch the peak temperatures and any upgrade of the alert.