Amber Alerts as 35C Heat Returns to England
Amber heat-health alerts were issued across most of England on Monday as temperatures were forecast to climb back towards 35C, renewing the strain of a relentless summer. The warnings, covering London and much of the country for 48 hours, came with a drought already gripping half of England after the driest July on record. Health officials urged people to take care in the heat.
The return of extreme heat piles further pressure on hospitals, transport and water supplies already stretched by weeks of hot, dry weather. Amber alerts signal a likely rise in illness and deaths among the elderly and vulnerable, and warn of disruption to services. With reservoirs low and hosepipe bans affecting tens of millions, the lack of rain leaves little respite in sight. Forecasters expect the heat to ease later in the week, though the drought will not. Watch whether the alerts are raised and how services cope with another spike.