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NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Areas of Kentucky impacted by historic flooding are once again being threatened by a weekend of wet weather. A slow-moving front across the eastern U.S. will bring heavy rain and thunderstorms to the Ohio Valley and the Northeast. According to FOX Weather, most locations can expect one to three inches of rain over the coming days, but higher amounts upwards of three to five inches are possible. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued Flood Watches for much of the Bluegrass State as well as parts of Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. KENTUCKY GOV. BESHEAR, BIDEN TO MEET AFTER DEADLY FLOODINGThe heaviest rainfall is expected on Saturday over the Appalachians from western Virginia into northern Georgia. Flash flooding is possible there and any storm will be capable or producing torrential rainfall, lightning and strong winds. next A trailer home was swept away by massive flooding on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, near Lost Creek, Ky. As residents continued cleaning up from the late July floods that several people, rain started falling on already saturated ground in eastern Kentucky late Friday morning. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) prev next Debris gathers atop playground equipment after massive flooding on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, near Haddix, Kentucky. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) prev next Debris gathers atop a slide in a children's play area after massive flooding on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, near Haddix, Kentucky. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) prev A sign stating "Caught Stealin you won't be found" is seen on a road leading to homes on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, near Lost Creek, Kentucky. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)In a media briefing on Friday, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear warned residents that the storms could lead to instances of flash flooding, with more rain forecast through next week."The ground is already really saturated, and there’s a lot of debris that could cause clogging of waterways that can lead to flooding," he said. "If we have significant wind, this could lead to some damage. So everybody be weather aware tonight and into Saturday."The state has moved past the initial search and rescue phase, but two people were still unaccounted for. KENTUCKY STORMS CAUSE FLOOD WARNING ISSUE TO EXTEND THROUGH SUNDAYThere were 37 confirmed fatalities from the extreme weather in five counties. next Piles of debris sit near a church after massive flooding on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, in Lost Creek, Kentucky. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) prev next A vehicle is abandoned and surrounded by mud caused by massive flooding on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, near Haddix, Kentucky. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) prev next A vehicle is abandoned and surrounded by mud caused by massive flooding on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, near Haddix, Kentucky. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) prev Piles of debris and a mud cover road are seen after massive flooding on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, in Lost Creek, Kentucky. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)Heat is also a concern and nine cooling stations were opened in affected counties. Nearly 400 National Guard members were supporting the flood efforts. Power outages, the number of service connections without water, the number of service connections under Boil Water Advisories and the number of limited and non-operational wastewater systems were all down.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPOn Monday President Biden and the first lady are scheduled to travel to eastern Kentucky, where they will join Beshear to visited families and survey recovery efforts. Julia Musto is a reporter for Fox News Digital. You can find her on Twitter at @JuliaElenaMusto. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
In November 2015, prolonged and heavy rainfall dumped 341mm (13.4in) of rain in Honister, Cumbria, within 24 hours. Just as in 2009 and again in 2013, when massive rainstorms inundated Cumbria and the West Country, lives were lost, thousands of homes were flooded, it took months to recover from and cost hundreds of millions of pounds.But how far have these winter storms been caused by the climate crisis? Until 2015, the stock answer of government and meteorologists was that it was impossible to attribute the climate emergency to any particular weather event and that they were most likely extreme, once-in-a-century disasters and by implication not much for politicians to worry about.In 2009, Labour environment secretary Hilary Benn could say that the huge floods in Cumbria were a “once-in-a-millennium” meteorological event against whose consequences no community could wholly protect itself. He was right – up to a point. Many studies assessed in the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report suggested that extreme weather events should be expected in a heating world – after all, the warmer the air, the more moisture it could hold – but attributing links between unusual flooding and the climate crisis could only be made with “medium” certainty.That caution was correct and understandable, but it provided fuel for the arguments of deniers and rightwing thinktanks, giving governments around the world the perfect excuse to do little or nothing. Fortunately, climate science moves fast and has a way of catching up with events. Advances in computer modelling meant that given enough long-term data it was possible to estimate the contribution made by the climate crisis to flood events. It was made easier in Britain because of the existence of detailed climate models and regional maps.Pioneered by teams from Oxford university and the Netherlands, who used the computing power of thousands of desktop machines in people’s homes to run tens of thousands of simulations of individual weather events either with or without the climate crisis, it was shown conclusively by 2016 that global heating was at least partly responsible for increased flooding in Britain.Now, with even greater computer power and insight, comes the most comprehensive compilation of global attribution studies, analysing more than 500 recent extreme weather events, including heatwaves, droughts, floods and storms. It shows beyond doubt that we are in the era of climate destruction and that the human destabilisation of the climate is global and worsening. At least 12 of the most serious events, the authors conclude, would have been all but impossible without human-caused global heating.The implications are sobering and must galvanise action. Not only does the new database show that climate breakdown is already ruining economies and costing tens of thousands of lives every year, but that the continuing refusal of governments to act decisively will inevitably prove ecologically disastrous without immediate action.It shows that a future of spiralling human disasters is all but certain. This year’s record-breaking heatwaves, the wildfires hitting the northern hemisphere, and the floods sweeping Australia, Bangladesh, Uganda and elsewhere will almost certainly be attributed to global heating. Astonishingly, it suggests that one in three deaths caused by summer heat over the last 30 years were the direct result of human-caused global heating, implying a death toll of millions – potentially more than Covid and HIV/Aids. Without rapid action to slash carbon emissions – by 50% by 2030 – far worse extreme weather will ensue.With these new studies, the most important argument of deniers, oil companies and reluctant governments not to act has been removed. With an immediate and growing global energy crisis gathering pace, and extreme weather affecting most people on Earth, governments must surely come together at the next UN climate summit in November to pledge immediate action.That means the UK government must urgently invest billions of pounds to insulate buildings, oil companies must drop all plans to extract more oil, and renewable energy must be prioritised over all fossil fuel burning.For 30 or more years we have had glimpses of what a hotter world would look like but have had only limited ways to understand what was happening. Now we begin to see the full picture of global heating. We are clearly all in it together. John Vidal is a former Guardian environment editor | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
The Liberal Democrats have called for urgent action to 'fix leaking pipes' and avert the worst drought in England since 1976.The relentless heat and lack of rainfall have emptied reservoirs and pushed most of the country into ‘prolonged dry weather’ status – the first of four drought categories.Thames Water, which serves 15million customers, warned last night it could be forced to bring in restrictions.An emergency meeting of the National Drought Group will discuss a plan of action tomorrow – with the spectre of a nationwide hosepipe ban looming ever larger. What the water suppliers advise Anglian Water: Cut showers to five minutes, collect rainwater in a butt and less watering of lawns.South West Water: Put a bucket in the shower to collect water for plants and use bath water in the garden.Thames Water: Swap garden hoses for watering cans and take shorter showers.WESSEX Water: Take four-minute showers, collect water from taps as they run to hot to use on your plants. Let your lawn go brown.Northumbrian Water: Water plants, fruit and vegetables before the sun gets too high. Put leftover ice cubes from drinks on to plant pots. Have showers rather than a bath. One firm has warned that if the situation deteriorates it might be forced to seek an emergency order that could result in the closure of schools.Coningsby in Lincolnshire last week recorded the UK’s record temperature of 40.3C while 33 other locations went past the previous high of 38.7C set in 2019. In 1976, the highest temperature was 35.9C.A Met Office official speaking on condition of anonymity said yesterday: ‘In terms of climate and rainfall, you can definitely compare it to 1976.’The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology said rivers including the Taw in Devon and the Ouse in Yorkshire were lower than ‘the drought of 1976, which is often held up as a yardstick’.It added: ‘Exceptionally low flows are widespread across the country, and in many rivers are either approaching, or below, the flows at the equivalent time of year during past droughts.’Thames Water said last night it had experienced its highest demand in 25 years and might have to resort to restrictions.‘We know the water we have stored in our reservoirs will continue to reduce,’ a spokesman said. ‘So if we do not receive around or above average rainfall in the coming months this will increase pressure on our resources and may indeed result in the need for more water-saving measures including restrictions.’Around 660million gallons of water are lost to leaks every day prompting critics to call for firms to patch up their pipes.Tim Farron, Liberal Democrat environment spokesman, said: ‘Britain is facing the worst drought since 1976 and ministers are nowhere to be found.‘The Government should haul the water companies into Downing Street and demand they fix all leaking pipes as soon as possible. There isn’t a second to waste.’A spokesman for the industry group Water UK said firms were seeing extremely high demand. The luscious lawns of the historic Cambridge Backs are looking dry and brown after last week's exceptional heatwave in Britain which saw temperatures soar over 40C Picture dated July 2020 shows the Grantchester cricket club pitch as how it normally looks when there is normal rainfall A person walks in the parched and arid Wayoh Reservoir near Bolton, as large cracks appear on its bed due to it drying out Grass turned brown in Greenwich Park, South East London People enjoy the sunshine in Greenwich Park, southeast London on March 30, 2021 Aerial view of Wayoh Reservoir, with Entwistle Reservoir in the background, at Edgworth near Bolton in LancashireParts of England could face a hosepipe ban and the declaration of an official drought next month if the hot weather continues with little rain, it emerged yesterday as the spell of prolonged dry weather carries on.The UK's National Drought Group - a collection of government departments, water firms and environmental groups - will meet to discuss a whether there could be an official drought in some areas in August.The crunch meeting will aim to co-ordinate action to maintain water supplies and protect the environment during the dry weather, with the decision on calling a drought being dependent on rainfall over the coming weeks.A drought would be jointly declared by the Environment Agency and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) - and it would the first one in the UK since 2018 when some hosepipe bans were brought in, The Mail+ reported.It comes after months of below average rainfall for much of the country, particularly southern and eastern areas, and the unprecedented extreme 40C (104F) heat last week putting heightened pressure on water supplies. The bed of the Woodhead reservoir in Derbyshire is photographed last Thursday as concerns mount over a possible drought A dry bank of a tributary to the Dowry Reservoir near Oldham in Greater Manchester last Tuesday during the very hot weather A view of the dried bed of Llwyn-on Reservoir during a heatwave in the Taf Fawr valley in South Wales last MondayPeople in parts of Kent including Canterbury, Ashford and Sevenoaks have already been told by South East Water to use water only for essential purposes as stocks dwindled following months of below-average rainfall. Record price paid to keep the lights on Britain was forced to pay the highest price on record for electricity last week to keep the lights on in the capital.The National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) paid £9,724.54 per megawatt hour to Belgium – more than 5,000 per cent higher than the typical price – on Wednesday to prevent a blackout in south-east London.It came amid extreme constraints in the power system and increased demand related to the hottest days on record in Britain.London Fire Brigade had its busiest day since the Second World War last Tuesday as temperatures soared above 40C, with hundreds of fires across the city.Increased demand for energy across Europe and a bottleneck in the grid forced the ESO to buy electricity from Belgium at the record price. Planned maintenance and a storm in Belgium also put the system under strain.National Grid ESO said: ‘We were bidding in a tight market and market prices were high because Europe also wanted the energy.’ The company - which supplies water to 2.3million people in the region – has seen its reservoirs drop from around 80 per cent full to as low as 60 per cent in a month, while demand soars by a fifth on normal levels.Water companies have been reporting unprecedented peak demand, with people encouraged to 'carefully consider' their water usage amid warnings of a drought following months of below-average rainfall.A spokesman for industry association Water UK told MailOnline today: 'Water companies are continuing to see extremely high demand and are urging everyone to carefully consider the amount of water they are using at this time. 'The ongoing dry, warm weather in much of the country follows the driest winter and spring since the 1970s, leading to reduced river flows that need to be protected.'Water companies have plans in place to manage water resources and safeguard the environment and are doing everything they can, including working closely with government and regulators, to minimise the need for any restrictions.'While the weather will remain dry this week, Britons will enjoy a far more pleasant run of warm conditions with temperatures of 25C (77F) - but people were urged to help prevent fires in the scorching weather after a major incident in Surrey due to a large blaze.The Met Office said the mercury will rise towards the end of this week but will likely remain below the thresholds for any official heatwave - a figure which is 28C (82F) in London and slightly lower elsewhere.And temperatures are not expected to get anywhere near the levels seen during the extreme heat only six days ago when the hottest day on record for Britain was recorded in Lincolnshire at 40.3C (104.5F) last Tuesday.Temperatures this week will likely peak in southern and eastern England with forecasts of 25C (77F) today, 22C (72F) tomorrow and Wednesday, 23C (73F) on Thursday and 24C (75F) on Friday.Met Office meteorologist Stephen Dixon told MailOnline today: 'Much of this week will feel markedly cooler than the recent extreme temperatures the UK experienced, with continued chances of interludes of light showers for much of the UK through the week.'However, between the short spells of showers, the southeast will see the highest temperatures, generally around the mid-20s Celsius.'As we head into the weekend, it'll get gradually warmer – barring the far northwest, although temperatures will likely remain below the thresholds for any official heatwave to be declared, and there will be a continued risk of some showers, especially on Saturday. How Britain has been left parched by a lack of rain Some parts of the UK have seen barely a drop of rain since the start of July, spelling problems for farmers after the first half of 2022 was one of the driest on record - and raising the prospect of higher food prices.Reservoirs have been particularly low in Yorkshire, where five million customers have been warned of a possible hosepipe ban - while others in the Peak District have appeared to be down to little more than a trickle.Some rivers are also running dry, with water levels on the Waveney in Suffolk 'exceptionally low' at around 30 per cent of normal for the time of year, according to the Environment Agency.East Anglia as a whole has seen two-thirds of its average rainfall over the first half of the year - the driest January to June period since 1996, and the 11th driest since records began in 1836.Meanwhile Wales - normally the wettest part of Britain - also saw far less rainfall than normal between March and June, with the River Teifi in Ceredigion at record low levels.Fishing has been banned in the rivers Wye and Usk, with exceptionally warm water already killing fish.West Sussex, the Isle of Wight and the City of London all recorded just 0.1mm (0.003ins) of rain between July 1 and July 12, according to the Met Office.Across England, average rainfall in the first 12 days of the month was 5.1mm (0.2ins), less than a tenth of the average for the whole of July, 66.48mm (2.62ins).Wales was also far drier than normal, with 8.8mm (0.35ins) of rain compared to an average across July of 98.56mm (3.88ins). Salmon facing extinction in our rivers Stocks of wild Atlantic salmon have fallen to their lowest level on record and could be lost for ever from rivers, the Environment Agency warned yesterday.Some 37 of the 42 salmon rivers in England and all 22 in Wales are now categorised as ‘at risk’ – meaning stocks have fallen below sustainable levels – or ‘probably at risk’.Salmon travel between the sea and rivers to breed, but climate change and overfishing is hitting stocks globally.Only one river in England, the Tyne in the North East, is classified as not at risk, due to better water quality in the estuary and action against barriers to migration.Kevin Austin, from the Environment Agency, said: ‘Without urgent action wild Atlantic salmon could be lost from our rivers in our lifetimes. We need co-ordinated action between governments, partners and industry to enable stocks to recover.’The agency has a ‘five-point plan’ to improve marine survival, and is also calling for tougher fines and prison sentences for those responsible for serious and deliberate pollution that damages water quality and river life. 'Early next week is obviously open to some uncertainty this far away, but there are some signals for some above average temperatures in the south in particular, although more details on this will be determined nearer the time.'It comes after major blaze in Surrey yesterday where at least eight hectares of land were affected at Hankley Common, which has previously been used to film part of the James Bond blockbuster Skyfall.Flames and large plumes of white and grey smoke were billowing across the common and spreading over West London, with a major incident declared before being stood down at about 6.40pm yesterday.People were asked to avoid the area as the wildfire continued to burn. The cause of the blaze is unknown, but firefighters urged people to 'pack a picnic instead of a BBQ' and dispose of cigarettes and litter correctly.Forecasters said this week would see a mixed start of conditions with low pressure continuing to give changeable weather today amid a mixture of bright spells, scattered showers and north-westerly winds.There will then be an improvement from tomorrow, with low pressure gradually pulling away to the east and a ridge of high pressure edging closer from the west with sunshine, showers and winds gradually easing.High pressure will then begin to dominate from Wednesday, with sunny spells after a cool start and any showers isolated. There will then be plenty of fine weather around from Thursday with some sunshine.There could still be a few showers cropping up by the afternoon, but most areas will then be dry on Friday with some warm spells of sunshine – although it will turn cloudier in the far North West with some rain arriving.Think it's hot now? How Britain roasted in TEN-WEEK heatwave during summer of '76: Temperatures hit 36C, criminal trials came to a halt, towns were plagued by swarms of insects and water was rationed as country faced worst drought in 250 yearsIn the summer of 1976, there were 15 consecutive days that saw temperatures of 89.6F (32C) in the UKOverall, there were ten weeks of blazing heat that saw widespread drought and mass standpipe use The murder trial of the notorious 'Black Panther' had to be paused after woman in public gallery collapsedThe heat also caused ladybird invasion with numbers so high they were often unavoidably crushed underfoot PUBLISHED: 17:00, 14 JulyBy HARRY HOWARD, HISTORY CORRESPONDENT and MARK DUELL FOR MAILONLINEThe current non-stop sunshine has evoked memories of the summer of 1976, when there were 15 consecutive days that saw temperatures of 89.6F (32C) somewhere in the UK. Overall, there were ten weeks of blazing heat that saw widespread drought, mass standpipe use, and even the pausing of the murder trial of the notorious 'Black Panther', after a woman suffering from 'heat exhaustion' collapsed.During a First Division football match between Manchester City and Aston Villa, City player collectively lost four stone in weight, prompting the team's captain to call for an end to 'summer soccer'.At that year's Wimbledon tennis championships, umpires were allowed to remove their jackets for the first time in living memory, whilst major roads were littered with broken-down cars that had overheated. The extreme weather also caused an increase in the number of 999 callouts to domestic disturbances, as tempers buckled due to the heat. The current non-stop sunshine has evoked memories of the summer of 1976, when there were 15 consecutive days that saw temperatures of 89.6F (32C) somewhere in the UK. Above: Bikini-clad women are seen enjoying the hot weather in 1976 Overall, there were ten weeks of blazing heat that saw widespread drought and mass standpipe use. Above: Residents collect water from a standpipe in Northam, Devon A public information notice warning about the drought, erected by the road in the Bridport area of Dorset. The drought was worsened by the fact that there had been a lack of rainfall the previous summerThe summer of 1976 was caused in part by very hot air that had originated in the Mediterranean. The warm weather and lack of rain began on June 23 and did not abate for more than a month. The highest temperature recorded in the summer was on July 3, when the mercury hit 96.6F (35.9C) in Cheltenham. The average maximum daily temperature was 67.8F (19.9C). Photographs from the period show the impact that the heat had. In one, residents were seen queuing with buckets to get water from stand pipes in Devon.In another a model was photographed sunning herself on the dried-up basin of Pitsford reservoir.Another showed some of the thousands of people who flocked to Brighton beach in East Sussex to sunbathe. Like with this year's heat, the weather caused wildfires around the country, including in Epping Forest in Essex and Bellerby Moor in North Yorkshire. Back then, knowledge about the dangers posed by the sun's rays to people's skin was not as extensive as it is now. It meant Britons took fewer precautions to protect themselves. The Daily Mail's coverage of the extreme heat in 1976 mentioned how cars were overheating and there was little sign of an abating of temperaturesAt the Wimbledon championships, where Bjorn Borg would go on to win the first of his five titles and a young Sue Barker made it to the quarter-finals, 400 people were treated for 'exposure to the sun' in a single day. The conditions were what prompted officials to relax the strict dress code for umpires for the first time since the tournament began nearly 100 years earlier. The trial of kidnapper Donald Nielson, who was nicknamed the Black Panther and was accused of murdering a 17-year-old woman, had to be suspended at Oxford Crown Court when a woman in the public gallery faintedIn the House of Commons, bar staff walked out in protest when officials refused to allow a similar relaxation in costume rules that would have allowed them to remove their traditional green jackets. Above them, the Big Ben clock on what is now named the Elizabeth Tower suffered what was its only major breakdown due to metal fatigue caused by the heat. It took three weeks for the clock to be fixed.Elsewhere, dozens of people desperately dived into the water of Trafalgar Square's fountains in an attempt to cool off. As well as the weight loss seen in the football match between Manchester City and Aston Villa, the Metropolitan Police dealt with 600 more daily calls to domestic disturbances than normal.As the drought worsened, a strict hosepipe ban was imposed in most places and residents were encouraged to alert the authorities if their neighbours used any water unnecessarily. Showers instead of baths were encouraged, with the latter only allowed if there was no more than 5inches of water in the tub. The drought was worsened by the fact that there had been a lack of rainfall the previous summer, meaning reservoirs and rivers were already low. The lack of water prompted fires to break out. As well as blazes in Essex and Yorkshire, 300 residents in an old people's home in the New Forest had to be evacuated when a wild fire took hold nearby.Farmers struggled too as thousands of acres of crops failed, prompting concerns that there would be huge increases in the price of food. Street traders in London's Hyde Park were slammed for charging the grossly inflated price of 40p for a bottle of Coca-Cola, even though they were costing 22p in the Dorchester Hotel across the road. A model is photographed sunning herself on the dried-up basin of Pitsford reservoir in Northamptonshire during the 1976 heatwave In similar scenes, sunseekers stripped down to their swimwear in 1976 to make the most of the blazing heatFirefighters putting out a forest fire in Epping Forest, near London, on July 6, 1976. Britain's worst drought for 250 years led to frequent outbreaks of fire around the country At the Wimbledon championships, where Bjorn Borg (above) would go on to win the first of his five titles and a young Sue Barker made it to the quarter-finals, 400 people were treated for 'exposure to the sun' in a single day Employees back in 1976 took their work outdoors and swapped the office desk for a fountain in a bid to avoid overheating The searingly hot weather, from mid-June to the end of August was more prolonged than any within living memory Sunbathers packed Brighton beach in East Sussex in 1976 as they desperately tried to cool off in scorching temperatures which lasted for weeks Children are seen playing in the Trafalgar Square fountain to try to cool down during the 1976 heatwave Two young women are seen cooling off with the help of an outdoor shower as temperatures soared during the ten-week heatwave C Pillbeam, of the Metropolitan Water Board, turns down the water pressure at a turncock outside St Paul's Cathedral, London on August 18, 1976. The mains water pressure was reduced by a quarter to conserve water suppliesThe weather also caused problems for couples, prompting a newspaper to give them advice on how to keep cool in the bedroom.The drought became so severe that the then Labour government, led by James Callaghan, considered getting water by tanker from Norway. Legislation - the Drought Act of 1976 - was passed in rapid time to both impose a nationwide hosepipe ban and to grant the government emergency powers that allowed them to reduce or turn off water supplies to industry. The then sports minister, Dennis Howell, was made the new minister for drought. In Wales, the mains water supply was switched off for up to 17 hours a day. Each standpipe - an outdoor tap installed on streets - that people had to use was shared between 20 homes. By late August, there were only 90 days' of water supply left in London. In Leeds, the figure was 80. It prompted t-shirt manufacturers to start selling clothes bearing the slogan: 'Save Water - Bath With A Friend'. Thanks to the dry reservoirs and sections of rivers, fish died in their thousands, whilst birds died of botulism - a disease caused by stagnant, de-oxygenated water. The heat also caused an invasion of ladybirds, with their numbers so high that they were often unavoidably crushed underfoot. The heat on stricken trains on the London Underground became so severe that people took to smashing train windows. The trial of kidnapper Donald Nielson, who was nicknamed the Black Panther and was accused of murdering a 17-year-old woman, had to be suspended at Oxford Crown Court when a woman in the public gallery feinted. However, a week after Mr Howell's appointment in late August as minister for drought, the rain finally arrived and the hottest and driest days of Britain's most famous summer were finally at an end. It had been the worst drought in England in 250 years. The hot weather of the past few weeks has prompted many Britons to draw on their memories of the summer of 1976. On Twitter, one wrote: 'I'm a survivor of the summer of 1976. What a time to be alive. It was amazing. I was 15 and the No government as I remember instructed me in how to behave.' Another said: 'I have no idea how so many of us got through summer of 1976, unscathed. We didn’t have social media to try to frighten the life out of us.'A third wrote: 'A few hot days in July and they're trying to pretend this weather is somehow unusual. Anyone else remember the summer of 1976, when we had comparable temperatures to now, except it went on for more than two months rather than the usual week or two? This is *not* an emergency!' Their comments came as Downing Street called the week's second Cobra meeting on the heatwave, with temperatures set to rise up to 39C (102F) from Monday. Cabinet Office Minister Kit Malthouse chaired the meeting of the Cobra (Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms) civil contingencies committee, just three days after the first crisis meeting was held on Monday.Rivers are at 30 per cent of normal levels, farmers are using a third more water and Britons have been told to take shorter showers after the lowest rainfall in more than a quarter of a century in parts of the UK.Farmers warned today of a 'significant challenge' posed by the extremely dry weather as they try to keep crops fully watered in the face of rising fuel, electricity and fertiliser costs during the heatwave gripping Britain.East Anglia is particularly parched this summer after it saw just two thirds of its normal rainfall in the first half of 2022, making it the region's driest six-month period since 1996 and the 11th driest since records began in 1836.Some rivers in the area are drying out – such as the River Waveney which is at only 30 per cent of its normal flow - while millions of households in Yorkshire have been urged to cut water use or face the prospect of a hosepipe ban.The Environment Agency has classified the Waveney's flow rate as 'exceptionally low', while the River Great Ouse in Ely, Cambridgeshire; the River Yare in Norfolk; and the Little Ouse in Thetford are all now labelled 'notably low'.Yorkshire Water has said it cannot rule out a hosepipe ban and is urging residents to spend at least one minute less having a shower - suggesting singing Bon Jovi's Livin' On A Prayer to reduce their time to four minutes.One farmer on the Norfolk/Suffolk border said he would normally budget £80,000 for electricity to pump water around his crop fields, and this had already gone up to £250,000 this season. But this is now set to increase to £300,000 because of an extra 25 to 30 per cent of water that he is having to pump due to the very dry weather. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Floodwaters have swept away homes, whole bridges and chunks of road, and 100 million Americans have been placed under heatwave warnings to stay at home, as the United States is hit with a surge of extreme weather events over just two days.Torrential rain and a melting snowpack triggered the deluge that forced the evacuation of some parts of Yellowstone National Park, cutting off electricity and forcing the rare closure of all five entrances indefinitely, just as the summer tourist season kicked off.
There were no immediate reports of injuries, though dozens of stranded campers had to be rescued by raft in south-central Montana."This is flooding that we've just never seen in our lifetimes before," said Cory Mottice, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Billings, Montana. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player US road destroyed by flooding Images and video footage showed a landslide, a bridge washed out over a creek, and roads badly undercut by churning floodwaters of the Gardner and Lamar rivers. As the flooding surged in Montana other extreme weather events raged elsewhere in the country. Image: Major flooding washed away roads and bridges in Montana. Pic: Larry Mayer/The Billings Gazette via AP Image: A destroyed bridge at Rescue Creek in Yellowstone National Park, Montana. Pic: National Park Service via AP More than 100 million Americans are being warned to stay indoors as a heatwave settles over states stretching through parts of the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes and east to the Carolinas. More on Arizona Arizona execution: Man convicted of murdering eight-year-old girl in 1984 dies by lethal injection Arizona police officers placed on leave after watching man beg for help and drown Arizona wildfires: Residents flee as 50mph winds drive 100ft 'wall of fire' The heatwave had already set several high temperature records in the West before it moved east.Meanwhile, parts of the usually lush regions around Flagstaff, northern Arizona, which should offer respite from desert heat, blazed again this year, fuelled by winds that grounded air services on Monday.Parts of a mountainside burned so intensely its image was likened to an erupting volcano. Image: A wildfire burns on the outskirts of Flagstaff, Arizona. Pic: Jacob Hyden via AP Image: The Arizona fire cast a glow above neighbourhoods around Flagstaff Fire crews were anticipating more moderate winds on Tuesday and beyond, hoping it would help them bring the blaze under control.The fire has largely spared homes so far, but has spread into a wilderness area and towards a lava dome volcano.Roughly 2,500 homes have been evacuated because of two wildfires burning on the outskirts of the city.Hundreds of other people in California and New Mexico have also been forced to flee homes threatened by wildfires.Elsewhere in California, mudslides and debris flows forced the closure of nearly 50 miles of Highway 70 in Butte and Plumas counties. Twitter Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this. Open Privacy Options Image: Almost 50 miles of Highway 70 was closed indefinitely in California. Pic: Caltrans via AP Mud, boulders and dead trees inundated lanes during flash floods in the footprint of last summer's Dixie megafire.Several drivers were rescued on Sunday evening from debris flowing on the highway when hillsides burned bare by last year's enormous 963,000-acre blaze came loose.Fires burn up and remove vegetation and roots, which destabilises the ground and hinders soil from absorbing water.Scientists say climate change is responsible for more intense and more frequent extreme events such as storms, droughts, floods and wildfires, though single weather events usually cannot be directly linked to climate change without extensive study.Watch the Daily Climate Show at 3.30pm Monday to Friday on Sky News, the Sky News website and app, on YouTube and Twitter.The show investigates how global warming is changing our landscape and highlights solutions to the crisis. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSummaryCompaniesChina announces 11th consecutive heat 'red alert'Sichuan extends industrial power use curbs until Aug. 25Chongqing cuts working hours of commercial venuesShortages could affect TeslaSHANGHAI, Aug 22 (Reuters) - China's scorched southwestern regions extended curbs on power consumption on Monday as they deal with dwindling hydropower output and surging household electricity demand during a long drought and heatwave.State weather forecasters issued a heat "red alert" for the 11th consecutive day on Monday, as extreme weather continues to play havoc with power supplies and damage crops. They also raised the national drought alert to "orange" - the second-highest level.The drought has already "severely affected" mid-season rice and summer corn in some southern regions, the ministry of agriculture said on Sunday.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comThe National Meteorological Center said as many as 62 weather stations, from Sichuan in the southwest to Fujian on the southeastern coast, saw record temperatures on Sunday. The situation could improve starting Wednesday as a cold front moves into China via Xinjiang.The region of Chongqing, which hit temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) late last week, announced that opening hours at more than 500 malls and other commercial venues would be shortened starting Monday to ease power demand.Malls on the list contacted by Reuters on Monday confirmed they had received the government notice and would abide by the rules. Two hotels on the list said they were still operating normally but would restrict air conditioner use.In neighbouring Sichuan province, a major hydropower generator, authorities also extended existing curbs on industrial power consumers until Thursday, financial news service Caixin said on Sunday. Power generation in Sichuan is at just half the normal level after a massive decline in water levels.Caixin cited battery industry firms as saying that industrial power users in the cities of Yibin and Suining had been told to remain closed until Thursday.Sichuan - a major power supplier to the rest of the country - has recently put a new coal storage base into operation to make sure its thermal plants can operate without disruption.However, around 80% of its installed capacity is hydropower, making it especially vulnerable to fluctuations in water supplies.People walk on a dried-up bed of a reservoir, amid hot temperatures, while many regions from southwest to east of the country along the Yangtze river have been experiencing weeks of record-breaking heatwave in Changxing, Zhejiang province, China, August 20, 2022. REUTERS/Aly SongSeveral companies confirmed on Monday that they were restricting output because of extended power supply curbs. Pesticide producer Lier Chemical Co Ltd (002258.SZ) confirmed in on Monday that restrictions would continue until Thursday.JinkoSolar (JKS.N), a major solar power equipment manufacturer, said its Sichuan manufacturing facilities have been halted as a result of power shortages, adding that it was "uncertain" how long the measures would last.Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) gradually resumed operations at its Sichuan plant in China on Monday using a power generator after suspending operations last week, the company's spokesperson said.Several plants in Sichuan and Chongqing, including those of top battery maker CATL (300750.SZ) and the electric vehicle giant BYD (002594.SZ), have only been able to partially operate in recent weeks because of power shortages.Sources familiar with the matter said CATL's Yibin plant makes battery cells for Tesla (TSLA.O), and there were concerns that disruptions could eventually affect the U.S. automaker, though production at its Shanghai plant remains unchanged.Shanghai, criticised on China's Twitter-like Weibo for its use of electricity generated in Sichuan, imposed its own consumption restrictions on Monday, turning off decorative lighting on the riverside Bund area and parts of the financial centre of Lujiazui for two days.Firms will be encouraged to "stagger" power consumption to reduce peak loads, and some construction projects will be suspended, the official Shanghai Daily said.Important agricultural regions have been warning of the impact on crops, with Henan province saying more than a million hectares of land have been affected by drought so far.About 2.2 million hectares across the Yangtze basin have been affected, according to the Ministry of Water Resources.Poyang Lake, located in one of the Yangtze river's flood plains and described as China's "kidney" because of the role it plays in regulating water supplies, is now 67% smaller than the average over the last 10 years, state broadcaster CCTV said.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by David Stanway and Zhang Yan in Shanghai, Martin Quin Pollard in Beijing; Additional reporting by the Beijing newsroom; Editing by Kim Coghill, Gerry Doyle and Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
A 28-year-old reveller has been killed and another 20 are injured after heavy 40mph winds brought down part of the stage at a Spanish music festival - as wildfires and droughts sweep Europe in the Continent's worst climate crisis in 500 years.Organisers have suspended the Medusa Festival, a huge five-day electronic music festival held over six days in the east coast town of Cullera south of Valencia whose headline acts this year included French DJ David Guetta, in the aftermath of the horrific 4am sandstorm.The gusts brought down several heavy metallic structures, including the entrance billboard, and killed one man and several revellers.Of the injured, at least three suffered serious trauma injuries and the rest had more minor injuries, regional emergency services tweeted.It comes as the worst drought to hit Europe in half a millennium wreaks havoc across the mainland, leaving rivers and lakes dusty and dry and causing huge wildfires. Europe's western, central and southern regions have experienced no significant rainfall in two months and it's showing. Major arteries like the Danube, the Rhine and the Po rivers have seen falling water levels and reservoirs in Spain, once filled with water, are now dry and cracked. In France, which is enduring its worst drought on record, flames raged through pine forests overnight, illuminating the sky with an intense orange light in the Gironde region, which was already ravaged by flames last month, and in neighboring Landes. More than 26 square miles have burned since Tuesday. CULLERA: A horrific sandstorm swept through the Medusa Festival, killing one reveller and injuring several others CULLERA: The main stage of the Medusa Music Festival after part of it collapsed today due to strong winds CULLERA: The back of the main stage of the Medusa Music Festival after gusts blew part of it down FRANCE: Firefighters battling a wildfire near Hostens yesterday, as wildfires continue to spread in the Gironde region FRANCE: Firefighter trucks drive by burning pine trees near Saint-Magne on Thursday FRANCE: A view shows trees and vegetation burnt by a major fire in Hostens yesterday FRANCE: Firefighters working to contain a fire in Hostens yesterday FRANCE: A firefighting truck works to contain a fire in Saint-Magne on Thursday FRANCE: German firefighters working to contain a fire in Hostens yesterday GERMANY: The river Rhine is pictured with low water in Cologne UK: Members of the public stand on what was an ancient packhorse bridge exposed by low water levels at Baitings Reservoir UK: Dry grass covers a parched Primrose Hill as a drought is declared in parts of England Europe's weather crisis, country by country FranceWildfires burning in at least four locations - the worst of which is in Gironde, where 10,000 people have been evacuated from their homes.Country is also going through the worst drought in its history, with 100 villages now without drinking water.Germany Widespread drought has dropped the level of the Rhine river so far that it will soon become impassable to barges carrying coal, oil and goods.Should the river become blocked it will cause huge economic damage. The last time that happened - in 2018 - the country narrowly avoided falling into recession.Italy The River Po, which runs across the affluent north, is dangerously low - threatening farms that rely on it to water their crops.Stretches are so low that sunken ships are reemerging, and an old WW2 bomb was even uncovered and had to be defused.SpainHaving suffered through a record heatwave in July, crucial reservoirs in Spain are now running close to empty - with weeks of summer left to go.The Cijara reservoir, near Madrid, is around 84 per cent empty while the Vinuela reservoir in the arid south - near Malaga - is 87 per cent empty Portugal A large wildfire is burning out of control in central Portugal, just weeks after dozens of blazes tore through the country during a 40C heatwave.Switzerland A glacial mountain pass, covered in ice for the last 2,000 years, will become ice-free in the next few days - the first time since the Romans were conquering Europe that it will have been fully exposed. Along the Oder River, which flows from Czechia north into the Baltic Sea, volunteers have been collecting dead fish that have washed ashore in Poland and Germany. Piotr Nieznanski, the conservation policy director at WWF Poland, said it appears that a toxic chemical was released into the water by an industry and the low water levels caused by the drought has made conditions far more dangerous for the fish.'A tragic event is happening along the Oder River, an international river, and there is no transparent information about what is going on,' he said, calling on government authorities to investigate.People living along the river have been warned not to swim in the water or even touch it.Poland's state water management body said the drought and high temperatures can cause even small amounts of pollution to lead to an ecological disaster but it has not identified the source of the pollution.In northern Serbia, the dry bed of the Conopljankso reservoir is now littered with dead fish that were unable to survive the drought.The water level along Germany's Rhine River was at risk of falling so low that it could become difficult to transport goods - including critical energy items like coal and gasoline.In Italy, which is experiencing its worst drought in seven decades, the parched Po River has already caused billions of euros in losses to farmers who normally rely on Italy's longest river to irrigate their fields and rice paddies.'I am young and I do not remember anything like this, but even the elderly in my village or the other villages around here have never seen anything like this, never ever,' said Antonio Cestari, a 35-year-old farmer in Ficarolo who says he expects to produce only half his usual crops of corn, wheat and soy because his river-fed wells have such low water levels.The Po runs 405 miles from the northwestern city of Turin to Venice. It has dozens of tributary rivers but northern Italy hasn't seen rainfall for months and this year's snowfall was down by 70%. The drying up of the Po is also jeopardizing drinking water in Italy's densely populated and highly industrialized districts.Elsewhere, in Scilla, footage was taken by locals of water cascading through the streets and engulfing cars on the road. Writing on Twitter, one person said the water was the result of 'climate change and untreated streams' while another person said they hoped everyone was ok. In France's Burgundy region, in what was once the Tille River in the village of Lux, thousands of dead fish can be seen covering a wide trench of white dust. Yesterday the UK officially declared a drought across southern and central England amid one of the hottest and driest summers on record. Experts say the dry period will continue in what they describe as the worst drought in 500 years. Similar drought conditions are being reported in east Africa, the western US and northern Mexico amid climate change. This week, the European Commission's Joint Research Centre warned that drought conditions will worsen and potentially impact 47 per cent of the continent. FRANCE: A fire tornado is seen barrelling towards French firemen FRANCE: A firefighting aircraft sprays fire retardant over trees during a wildfire near Saint-Magne on Thursday FRANCE: Burning pine trees near Saint-Magne, southwestern France on Thursday FRANCE: The ruins of a house destroyed by the fire which erupted in Belin-Beliet FRANCE: The ruins of a house destroyed by the fire which erupted in Belin-Beliet, near Hostens Europe is in the grips of sweltering heat, severe drought and raging wildfires that are tearing through Spain, France and Portugal, while key waterways such as the Rhine and the Po are running dry How does a drought being declared affect Britons? What does an official drought mean for the public?A drought might not mean much in practical terms for people's day-to-day lives immediately, but it gives water companies the freedom to implement certain stages of their emergency plans.Level one of most drought plans might be as simple as asking the public to voluntarily cut down on their water use, followed by restricting non-essential usage via a hosepipe ban.As the dry weather drags on, this can be extended to a non-essential use ban on activities such as filing a pond, cleaning non-domestic premises and vehicles such as boats, aircraft or trains.In extreme scenarios, water firms can ask permission from the Environment Agency to abstract water from lakes and rivers, and disused boreholes.How does climate change cause both drought and flooding in summer?In 2021, bursts of heavy rain saw localised flooding, particularly in London, where some tube stations had to be evacuated.Scientists warn that while climate change is likely to increase the intensity of summer rainfall, it won't save us from future water shortages.Prof Arnell sad: 'As the atmosphere warms, it can hold more water, so if the conditions are triggered to generate a storm, that storm will have more water in it.'So the chance of having the intense sort of rainfall that we saw in London last year increases with climate change, but that's sort of short duration one-off events which can happen during the dry period.'He continued: 'So the total rainfall will be less but it might be concentrated in short duration intense bursts, which will be problematic for all sorts of reasons – for short-term flooding risks and also for water resources as well.'Will the taps run dry this year?While rivers and reservoirs in some areas have plunged to some of the lowest levels on record, relatively high levels of ground water have so far prevented the need for tighter water restrictions.Mr Hannaford said there had been a 'pulse of replenishment' of groundwater late last year, but warned in places, particularly the chalky ground of the South East, levels were declining sharply.'The important point is groundwater makes a very large part of the drinking water supply across south-east England,' he said.Professor Arnell said that in England and Wales, communities are unlikely to see the same levels of water restrictions seen during the heatwave of 1976.He added: '(The water industry) is in a much better position than it was in 1976 because it has prepared drought plans there are measures that are organised and thought about in advance.'What does the drought mean for the natural world?The drought can have a devastating impact on wildlife, not just those trying to survive on tinder-dry land, but also those in freshwater and marine ecosystems as well.Mr Hannaford said lower river flows and stagnant water leads to higher concentrations of pollutants, while dried up waterways means animals can lose access to their usual range of habitat.'You can get a lack of connection between those areas and that can have an impact on the life cycles of lots of aquatic organisms,' he said.Stagnant water also increases the likelihood of algal blooms that suck oxygen from the water, leaving fish and other fauna struggling to survive.What will it take to get back to normal?'Thundery breakdown and showers' are forecast for the early part of next week, but it is not yet clear how much rain we can expect, or where it will fall.But scientists agree that it will take a lot more than average rainfall to rehydrate the nation.A burst of heavy rain will often run straight off very dry ground, potentially causing flash flooding and not necessarily replenishing soil moisture in a meaningful way.Mr Hannaford said it would require 'exceptional' rainfall over the next one to three months to bring river, reservoir and groundwater levels back up to normal.Andrea Toreti, a senior research at the European Drought Observatory said this year's drought is 'really worse' than that of 2018. 'We see still a very high risk of dry conditions over Western and Central Europe, as well as the UK,' Toreti added, saying that this will continue for the next three months. Back in France, Jean-Philippe Couasne, chief technician at the local Federation for Fishing and Protection of the Aquatic Environment said the Tille River, which sees 8,000 litres (2,100 gallons) of water per second flow, is now bone dry. 'It's heartbreaking,' he said. 'All fish will die. They are trapped upstream and downstream, there's no water coming in, so the oxygen level will keep decreasing as the [water] volume goes down. These are species that will gradually disappear.' Jean-Pierre Sonvico, regional head of the federation, said diverting the fish to other rivers is not an option because those waterways are also affected by the ongoing drought.'Yes, it's dramatic because what can we do? Nothing,' he said. 'We're waiting, hoping for storms with rain, but storms are very local so we can't count on it.'Elsewhere, shipping on Germany's biggest waterway, the Rhine, is endangered as it is forecast to reach critically low levels in just days. Authorities say it could become difficult for large ships to navigate the river at the city of Kaub. The picture is similar on the Danube river, with authorities have started dredging in a bid to keep boats moving. In Switzerland, a drought and high temperatures have endangered fish populations and authorities have begun moving fish out of some creeks that were running dry.In Hausen, in the canton of Zurich, officials caught hundreds of fish, many of them brown trout, in the almost dried-up Heischerbach, Juchbach and Muehlebach creeks this week by anesthetizing them with electric shocks and then immediately placing them in a water tank enriched with oxygen, local media reported. Later, the fish were taken to creeks that still carry enough water.Despite all the harm caused by the extreme weather, Swiss authorities see one morbid upside: they believe there's hope of finding some people who went missing in the mountains in the last few years because their bodies are being released as glaciers melt.In the Swiss canton of Valais, melting glaciers have recently revealed parts of a crashed airplane and, at separate locations, at least two skeletons. The bodies have not yet been identified, news website 20Minuten reported Thursday.In Hungary, parts of Lake Velence near Budapest have become unrecognisable patches of dried mud, leaving some small boats stranded.Aeration and water circulation equipment was installed in a bid to protect the wildlife, but the water quality has deteriorated. And on one beach in the region, a weekend swimming ban has been put in place. Meanwhile on the Po, Italy's longest river, barges and boats that sank decades ago are beginning to resurface. Lake Garda, a hotspot for tourism in the country, has fallen to its lowest levels ever. Authorities recently released more water from the lake to help with irrigation, but soon stopped to protect the tourist season. In England, the country experienced its driest July since 1935 last month, according to the Met Office. The lack of rain has depleted reservoirs, rivers and groundwater and left grasslands brown across the UK. Millions across the country were already forced to stop watering their lawns, and 15 million more around the capital in London will face a similar ban soon. The situation is most dire for farmers in the UK, who face running out of irrigation water and having to use winter feed for their animals because of a lack of grass. The Rivers Trust charity has said that England's chalk streams, which allow underground springs to bubble up through a spongy layer of rock, are drying up, endangering the likes of kingfishers and trout. Even countries such as Spain and Portugal, which are prepared for long periods without rain, have seen major consequences as a result of the drought. In Andalucia, Spain, some avocado farmers have been forced to sacrifice hundreds of trees to save others from wilting as the Vinuela reservoir in Malaga dropped to 13 per cent capacity. Some European farmers have had to resort to using water from the tap for their livestock, using up to 100 litres (26 gallons) a day per cow. In Burgundy, images show yellow-brown grass while tractors churn up clouds of dust as the source of water for the region, the Seine River, has depleted. Baptiste Colson, who owns dairy cows and grows feed crops in the village of Moloy, eastern France, said the quality and quantity of his cows milk is decreasing. He said he expects at least a 30 per cent drop in corn yields, as experts predict that EU corn production will be 12.5 million tonnes below last year. PORTUGAL: View of a burning area during a wildfire in Videmonte, Celorico da Beira on Thursday PORTUGAL: View inside a burned house during a wildfire in Videmonte, Celorico da Beira PORTUGAL: A firefighter looks at the aftermath of a wildfire in Videmonte, Celorico da Beira PORTUGAL: A resident watches the progression of a wildfire in Linhares, Celorico da Beira PORTUGAL: A tree burning on the inside is seen in front of a wildfire in Videmonte, Celorico da Beira SWITZERLAND: The thick layer of ice that has covered a Swiss mountain pass between Scex Rouge glacier and Tsanfleuron glacier since at least the Roman era will have melted away completely within a few weeks, Glacier 3000 officials SERBIA: A view of a dry lake bed near the village of Conoplja, 150 kilometers north-west of Belgrade, Serbia SERBIA: A dead fish skeleton laying on the cracking earth of a dry lake bed near the village of Conoplja POLAND: Dead fish float on the surface of the Oder river, as water has been contaminated and is causing the mass extinction of fish in the river, in BielinekSunflower production is projected to be 1.6 million tonnes lower, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights. 'We know we'll have to buy food so the cows can continue producing milk,' Baptise Colson said. 'From an economic point of view, the cost will be high.' The dry conditions are a result of long periods of dry weather caused by changes in world weather systems, according to meteorologist Peter Hoffmann of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. He said drought builds up across the year, but is felt the most during the summer months. Climate change has lessened the temperature differences between regions, sapping the forces that drive the jet stream, which usually brings wet Atlantic weather to Europe. A weaker or unstable jet stream can bring unusually hot air to Europe from north Africa, which leads to prolonged periods of heat. The same can be said for freezing conditions, when a vortex of cold air from the Artic can cause unusually cold weather far south of where it would normally reach. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Britain is bracing for the hottest day on record with temperatures predicted to reach highs of 43C (109F) - forcing hospitals to cancel operations, threatening power cuts and bringing even more travel chaos.Today will likely see the previous temperature record of 38.7C (101.6F) broken after forecasters issued an amber weather warning of 'extreme heat' in eastern, southern and central parts of Scotland which is in force until midnight on Tuesday. However, the sweltering heat is putting extra pressure on the NHS, with planned operations now having to be 'scaled back' as operating theatres are 'getting too hot' - a measure that was last implemented at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. A&E departments across the country are overwhelmed and reaching full capacity due to ambulance trusts experiencing a surge in the number of emergency calls amid the soaring temperatures. Health bosses are now urging Britons to 'regularly put on suncream' to ease the pressure on the NHS and decrease heat-related illness admissions unless it is an emergency. Miriam Deakin, interim deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents trusts, said: 'Hot weather spells intensify pressure on the NHS, increasing demand for urgent and emergency care and causing disruption to some planned care.'People with underlying conditions, older people and children tend to be most at risk. And while there have been additional steps put in place to increase ambulance capacity, ambulance trusts will be under significant pressure as the number of 999 calls can be expected to rise.'The NHS estate is not built to cope with extreme weather. Over the past 48 hours we've heard that some trusts are having to scale back the number of planned surgeries as operating theatres are getting too hot.'All of this adds up to a real challenge for trusts, in the context of rising COVID-19 infection and a need to reduce the care backlogs that built up over the pandemic.'Following a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee, health secretary Steve Barclay said emergency services are experiencing a rise in 999 calls - as London Ambulance said it was anticipating up to 8,000 calls by the end of today - with the worst yet to come. He added 'We're seeing an increase in calls and the extra resource we have put in place is to manage that. But there's also a time lag in the data because the highest point of the expected heatwave is actually going to be tomorrow afternoon. So that's the point of maximum concern, but we're seeing an increase in calls.'The mercury is expected to reach highs of 40C (104F) in Peterborough, Grantham and Doncaster on Tuesday - with a 95 per cent probability the 38.7C record will be broken. Meanwhile, travel chaos is expected to continue on the railway network today with Britons facing more delays and cancellations.The RAC has also warned motorists who may be driving to work that the number of vehicle breakdowns both Monday and Tuesday could be a fifth higher than usual.It comes as Britons experienced the 'warmest night on record' with London reaching 29C (84F) by midnight, while the mercury in Southampton hit 24C (75F). Meanwhile, in Dover in Kent, the mercury stayed a few degrees cooler and reached 21C (70F) in the early hours of the morning while Aboyne in Aberdeenshire hit 19C (66F). A car was seen engulfed in flames after overheating on Monday on the M56 motorway in-between Altrincham and Manchester Forecasters have also issued an amber weather warning of 'extreme heat' in eastern, southern and central parts of Scotland which is in force until midnight on Tuesday. Pictured: Bridge jumpers on Port Meadow, Oxford Pictured: Farmers and firefighters race to contain a fire in a hay field at Llanfairynghornwy, Anglesey A sunseeker shares a swim with the Red deer in the Longford river at Bushy Park in south west London on Monday afternoon Travel chaos is expected to continue on the railway network today with Britons facing more delays and cancellations. Pictured: Broadstone Road in Reddish had 'melted' due to sweltering temperatures on Monday A police officer givers water to a British soldier wearing a traditional bearskin hat on guard duty outside Buckingham Palace during the hot weather in London on Monday The sizzling heat, which has already killed more than 1,000 people on the continent and led to devastating wildfires in several countries, is set to cause havoc with some schools closing and commuters left struggling to get to work. Pictured: Farmers and firefighters race to contain a fire in a hay field at Llanfairynghornwy, Anglesey Wales has already recorded its hottest day on record on Monday, with the temperature reaching 37.1C Hawarden in Flintshire - beating the previous record for the country which has been in place since 1990 by almost 2C. Pictured: Bridge jumpers on Port Meadow, Oxford Pictured: Britons watch the glorious sunset from Greenwich Park viewpoint during the UK heatwave on Monday Forecasters have warned of a 'very warm and uncomfortable' night ahead as Britons struggle to drift off in the 'extreme' Spanish heatwave that has upset millions of sleep cycles across the country. Pictured: The sunset from Greenwich Park viewpoint on Monday night A glowing red sunset is pictured in Sheerness, Kent at the end of another intensely hot day - as the mercury is set to reach a sweltering 43C (109F) on Tuesday, which is likely to see the previous temperature record of 38.7C (101.6F) broken Firefighters respond to a large wildfire that has broken out in woodland at Lickey Hills Country Park on the edge of Birmingham on Monday Britons enjoy a barbecue in a river near the village of Luss in Argyll and Bute, Scotland on Monday Britain is bracing for its hottest night ever on record with temperatures set to remain at 86F (30C) across London and the South East. Pictured: Sunseekers jump from a pier into the water of Loch Lomond, in the village of Luss in Argyll and Bute, Scotland yesterday Lee Hudson decided to take the day off in Kidderminster and jump into his homemade plunge pool while enjoying a drink and keeping a bottle of sunscreen nearby A vehicle dramatically set on fire in a car park near the beauty spot of Durdle Door in Dorset yesterday Fire crews fight grass and field fires near Chesterfield in Derbyshire on Monday as temperatures soar across BritainThousands of people pack onto Brighton beach in East Sussex yesterday as the very hot weather continue People jump into the tidal pool and swim during hot weather at Perranporth Beach in Cornwall on Monday Sunbathers on the sand at Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall, on Monday as the very hot weather continuesWales recorded its hottest day on record on Monday, with the temperature reaching 37.1C Hawarden in Flintshire - beating the previous record for the country which has been in place since 1990 by almost 2C. The sizzling heat, which has already killed more than 1,000 people on the continent and led to devastating wildfires in several countries, is set to cause havoc with some schools closing and commuters left struggling to get to work.Experts also have warned major wildfires will tear through the countryside on Tuesday. While the National Grid has issued an alert calling for more power plants tonight and predicted very high demand as the country has turned on their fans and aircon on to try and stay cool.A notice to power stations was briefly issued on Monday afternoon to remind them they must ensure they have enough megawatts available for an expected surge in electricity demand this evening as Britons using fans overnight placed a strain on the national grid.Some schools in Nottinghamshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire shut on Mondaywhile others will close early - and water providers have also warned of shortages, while a burst water main caused chaos in Kingston upon Thames.Meawhile, surface temperatures reached more than 54C (129F) in some areas of the UK on Monday, causing 'surface defects' on roads and airport runways.The Luton Airport runway was closed for two hours because of a 'surface defect' in the heat as Wales recorded its hottest day on record with England having its hottest day of the year after fires broke out, trains were cancelled and schools closed.The Met Office said temperatures could hit 43C tomorrow, the hottest ever recorded, and bring 'thousands' of deaths amid the country's first ever Red Extreme Heat warning.In Santon Downham, Suffolk the mercury hit 38.1C on Monday making it the hottest day of the year and the third hottest day on record. London was at 37.5C (99.5F) and the mercury rose to 31.3C in Aboyne in Aberdeenshire, and Leuchars in Fife.Meanwhile, flying activity was also halted at RAF Brize Norton, with Sky News reporting that part of the runway had melted.Wildfires continued to burn yesterday after weeks of very dry conditions - including across fields near Chesterfield in Derbyshire and Lickey Hills Country Park, Birmingham - while a vehicle dramatically set on fire in a car park near the beauty spot of Durdle Door in Dorset and an oil tanker went on fire on the M25. The Luton Airport runway was closed because of a 'surface defect' in the heat on Monday as Wales recorded its hottest day on record with England set to follow later after fires broke out, trains were cancelled and schools closed Emergency services rushed to a fuel tanker carrying 40,000 litres of fuel after it went up in flames on the hard shoulder of the M25 near Sevenoaks An easyJet plan sits on the tarmac as it waits to take off after Luton was shut due to the tarmac on the runway melting and maintenance crews were seen with water trucks cooling down the surface of the airport A Luton Airport staff member radios a colleague as passengers are seen crouched down and pack out the terminal as the flights are now beginning to operate again but face a lengthy delay due to the closure effecting flights Wizz Air and easyJet passengers are seen queuing as flights start to resume while the Terminal looks packed out this evening A man carries his suitcase with his shirt off as the sweltering heat prevented flights from flying at Luton Airport for two hours on MondayPower stations issued notice to have enough megawatts for the surge in electricity demand this evening A notice to power stations was briefly issued on Monday afternoon to remind them they must ensure they have enough megawatts available for an expected surge in electricity demand this evening.National Grid ESO, which covers England, Scotland and Wales, said: 'Earlier today a capacity market notice (CMN) was triggered by the automated system and cancelled shortly afterwards.'This was due to a combination of factors including high exports, low wind, planned plant maintenance outages, higher than usual demand and a small reduction in gas generation.'CMNs are automated and do not take into account all the factors which our engineers are working on.'Based on current assessments and submitted data the ESO is confident that electricity margins are sufficient.'Both the BBC and the Mirror reported that flights at Luton resumed at 5.40pm with arrivals following 15 minutes later while it was said the last plane was thought to have taken off at around 3pm.Passengers packed out the Terminal as flights resumed but also face lengthy delays due to the earlier closure affecting some planes taking off. One passenger said her flight had been diverted to Stansted because the 'runway has apparently melted in Luton', adding that her car was still at Luton and she 'can't wait to schlep with the kids across counties on the hottest day of the year.' Another added: 'Diverted to Stansted, sat waiting to see will they fly us or bus us back to Luton.' A Luton spokesman apologised to passengers, telling MailOnline: 'Following Monday's high temperatures, a surface defect was identified on the runway. Engineers were called immediately to site and repair works are currently in progress to resume operations as soon as possible. We would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused.' An RAF spokesman said on RAF Brize Norton: 'During this period of extreme temperature flight safety remains our top priority, so aircraft are using alternative airfields in line with a long established plan. This means there is no impact on RAF operations.'The current UK temperature record looks almost certain be exceed when temperatures could reach a 'crazy' 41C in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, and hit 40C in London on Tuesday. On Monday afternoon, the mercury rose to 31.3C in Aboyne in Aberdeenshire, and Leuchars in Fife, the Met Office said. Meanwhile the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh recorded 30.8C, and the mercury peaked at 29.9C in Aviemore. Temperatures have not broken Scotland's 9 August 2003 record of 32.9C at Greyrcrook in the Scottish Borders, but forecasters said that may happen on Tuesday.South of the border, the Met Office has issued the UK's first red extreme heat warning for a large part of England, covering Monday and Tuesday. Tonight will be warm and uncomfortable, the Met Office has said, and higher than the average July afternoon.Northern Ireland recorded its hottest day of the year, with temperatures soaring above 30C in some areas like in Derrylin in Co Fermanagh with 31.1C and in Armagh with 30.6C. The highest temperature ever recorded in Northern Ireland was 31.3C (88.3F) in Castlederg in County Tyrone last July. In the Republic of Ireland, a yellow weather warning is in place after the Phoenix Park temperature on Monday marks the highest recorded in the 21st century, overtaking 32.3C in Elphin, Co Roscommon on July 19, 2006.Met Eireann said: 'This is only 0.3C below the all-time 135-year-old record set at Kilkenny Castle in 1887. Temperatures may still rise further.' Crowds are seen swelling into departures at Luton Airport this evening as flights began to take off once again People on the beach in the village of Luss on Loch Lomond, in Argyll and Bute, Scotland on Monday A man looks at his phone as passengers face waits to take off after the Luton Airport runway closure People out enjoying the hot weather at Cullercoats Bay in North Tyneside as temperatures rose all over the UK yesterday A jetty almost buckled under the weight of scores of teenagers looking to escape the record-breaking heat at a popular Snowdonia beauty spot. Footage taken by an eyewitness showed the jetty near Llanberis, partially dip beneath the waters, before scores of youths fall into the Gwynedd lake People are seen during the hot weather on the Embankment in London on Monday Members of the public cool off by jumping from the pier into Loch Lomond on Monday, July 18 A sparse looking concourse at Waterloo Station in London as people look at the departures board A man rides a sea scooter at Loch Lomond yesterday as temperatures soar in Scotland which could see its hottest ever recorded temperature tomorrow Elsewhere, rail tracks buckled in London's Vauxhall in the heat - resulting in a safety inspection on the line that caused disruption between Waterloo and Clapham Junction. And operator Great Northern said a buckled rail at Watlington in Norfolk meant services could not run between Cambridge and Kings Lynn. And all flights in and out of RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire were halted because the 'runway has melted', according to a military source.Some 53 schools in Buckinghamshire have closed and reverted to remote learning. Elsewhere, Northwood Community Primary School in Kirkby, Merseyside, said that sports day had been axed today; while King Charles I School, a secondary school in Worcestershire, has cancelled all on-site detentions both Monday and Tuesday. The Met Office is also warning that temperatures overnight into Tuesday are holding up in the low 20s and possible mid-20s in isolated places, and it looks likely to be the warmest night on record in the UK.Met Office meteorologist Luke Miall said: 'I've been a qualified meteorologist for 10 years, and telling people about 41C in the UK doesn't seem real.'It's crazy how we are talking about these sorts of values, I've never seen the models coming up with these values.'It's been quite an eye-opener to climate change with all these temperatures in the UK.'Professor Endersby told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Monday: 'We think today we may well see the hottest day in the UK in history, with the hottest temperatures in the South East, but actually the highest temperatures we expect tomorrow, and those temperatures will be further north as that warm air pushes north. 'It's tomorrow that we're really seeing the higher chance of 40C and temperatures above that. Even possibly above that... 41C isn't off the cards. We've even got some 43Cs in the model but we're hoping it won't be as high as that.'Penny Endersby, chief executive of the Met Office said: 'The extreme heat we are forecasting right now is absolutely unprecedented. Please treat the warnings we are putting out as seriously as you would a red or amber warning from us for wind or snow, and follow the advice.'One GP surgery in Hertfordshire had to close a site yesterday because it has no air conditioning; others in London have texted patients to warn them of reduced services with limited clinic rooms in operation; and Milton Keynes University Hospital said it was 'standing down routine outpatient appointments and surgery' Monday and Tuesday. Maintenance workers are seen working to repair the runway after surface damage left passengers delayed by two hours People are seen jumping off the pier in Scotland as temperatures reached this year's highs yesterday in the country Water trucks can be seen cooling down the surface of the airport at Luton on Monday A large fire that has broken out on grassland at Lickey Hills Country Park in Birmingham yesterday causing smoke to envelope the city Luton airport passengers saw the tarmac melting yesterday before it was shut as it's pictured looking empty This map from Netweather shows how 41C highs are expected in parts of central England tomorrow - and 40C in the South A very busy Brighton beach in East Sussex at lunchtime Monday as visitors flock to the seaside A man leaps into the River Cam, as the temperatures continue to rise to 38C in Cambridge yesterday Concern wildfires could tear through the countryside at 40C Experts are worried about the possibility of major wildfires tearing through the countryside as temperatures threaten to soar as high as 40C.Wildlife would be 'devastated' by such a blaze, with one expert suggesting Britain could face conditions similar to those taking hold in southern Europe.Patches of England were at 'exceptional risk' of wildfires on Monday, the Met Office said, with an alert spreading to most of the country for Tuesday.'I haven't even seen the exceptional category being used in the times I've looked at the Wildfire Index before,' Kathryn Brown, the Wildlife Trust's director for climate action, said.'In southern Europe, we're seeing these stories of these horrendous wildfires taking hold all over the place and these are the conditions that we're going to be more prone to.'We need to be much more aware, and the public needs to be much more aware, of the wildfire risk.'Blazes across France, Spain, Portugal and Greece have levelled thousands of acres of land and forced the evacuation of locals and holidaymakers.The National Trust has warned against lighting barbecues or campfires in open countryside and dropping litter such as glass bottles.'We're on tenterhooks that someone is careless with a cigarette butt or thoughtless by lighting barbecues and us having to deal with a wildfire,' the charity's conservation head Ben McCarthy said.'They destroy the habitat they rip through and also all the animals and plants that occur there and make up those habitats.'At the Marsden Moor (in West Yorkshire) fire back in 2019, when we surveyed the site after the flames had been extinguished, we saw lots of burnt-out reptiles and amphibians, burnt-out nests.'Rainfall has been scarce recently, with less than 1mm recorded in the north east and north west between July 6 and 12, with none across the rest of England. In London, a judge at Wood Green Crown Court was forced to halt a murder trial after an air conditioning unit broke down – saying he had 'no choice' but to adjourn proceedings and move the case to the Old Bailey. In Cardiff, a children's hospital's cancer ward at Noah's Ark Children's Hospital was left without air conditioning after the unit failed in hot weather. Engineers were working to fix the fault affecting the chemotherapy area - and health chiefs said that if the problem cannot be solved, patients will be moved to a different ward to keep cool. Meanwhile Royal Mail warned of disruption to deliveries, saying today: 'In areas where temperatures rise to potentially dangerous levels during the day, our staff have been advised to return to the office with any mail they have been unable to deliver and not put themselves under any risk of falling ill due to the extreme heat.' At Buckingham Palace, the Changing of the Guard was scaled down to protect the soldiers. The marching and ceremonial parade was made shorter to prevent the Queen's Guard from being too long in the midday sun.But Guardsman were still required to stand to attention and march outside the Palace in their Canadian bearskins and full uniform. And one standing guard was seen being given water to drink as he stood in the direct sunshine.As health officials declared a 'national emergency', rail chaos was already affecting parts of London this morning - with the Overground suspended between Willesden Junction and Richmond, and Romford and Upminster.On the Underground, the District, Central, Bakerloo and Jubilee lines all had severe delays while the Hammersmith & City Line was completely axed due to 'heat related restrictions' and there was no Metropolitan line between Baker Street and Aldgate. Transport for London told all passengers in the capital to avoid non-essential travel.Transport for London (TfL), which advised people to 'only travel if essential', said around 1.06 million entries and exits were made by London Underground passengers up to 10am on Monday, down 18% compared with the same period last week. The scorching heat means the UK will be warmer than Nassau in the Bahamas (32C), Kingston in Jamaica (33C), Malaga in Spain (28C), Athens in Greece (35C), Albufeira in Portugal (28C) and Dakhla in the Western Sahara (24C).Temperatures had already hit 34C (93F) in London by midday today. As Britons camped overnight at Bournemouth beach for the best spot on Monday amid what forecasters called an 'exceptional hot spell':The hot weather also caused a significant drop in footfall in London, with a drop of 10 per cent across high streets, retail parks and shopping centres yesterday compared to last week.The figure across all UK shopping destinations was down 3 per cent overall - but footfall on high streets in coastal towns was up 9 per cent. A 4,000 square metre fire has broken out on grassland at Lickey Hills Country Park in Birmingham. The fire service has asked people to stay away from the area and told residents to keep their doors and windows closed A major grass fire in Newgale, Pembrokeshire, on Monday with multiple crews at the scene trying to keep it under control Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters were called to tackle a grass fire on Woolwich Common during the heatwave Two women play in the sea off Bournemouth beach yesterday on the hottest day of the year so far A deserted play area at Grendel Park in Maidenhead as temperatures have topped 38C in the heatwave Members of the public cool off by jet skiing at Loch Lomond in Luss, Scotland on Monday as the Met Office has warned that temperatures could reach 30c in Scotland as a heatwave engulfs the UKA woman walks past Galata Restaurant on Green Lanes in Haringey, north London (left) which is closed due to extreme hot weather. Wellbeing (right) on Green Lanes in Haringey, north London was also shut yesterday A woman jumps into the water in Loch Lomond yesterday as temperatures continue to soar dramatically Firefighters continue to tackle a huge blaze at a recycling centre near Braintree in Essex yesterday amid fears it may spread to a nearby forest The fire seen as it was originally raging in Braintree on Monday as the heatwave creates massive temperatures in the UK Network Rail engineers have found a kink in the rail at Vauxhall in London yesterday due to the extreme heat The kink in the tracks was spotted near Vauxhall in London on Monday, with trains re-routed to avoid the affected section A man uses a newspaper as a fan whilst travelling on the Bakerloo line in central London during the heatwave on Monday Lara Cahill, Olivia Murtagh and Caoimhe Clynch sunbathe on Portobello beach in Edinburgh on MondayPeople flock to Bournemouth beach in Dorset on Monday as they make the most of the extreme temperaturesTanisha Randell, 19, takes a stroll along Bournemouth beach on Monday during a day trip from Southampton People swim at Hampstead Heath in North West London yesterday as they enjoy the very hot weather Commuters cross London Bridge yesterday as the Shard reflects the sun in the early morning heat People relax on Bournemouth beach in Dorset this morning as the heatwave continues People are seen enjoying the heatwave on Monday at Ruislip Lido in west London People flock to Bournemouth beach in Dorset on Monday as they make the most of the extreme temperatures People preparing to enter the water in Penzance, Cornwall, on Monday Scorching temperatures in Battersea Park in South West London on Monday as people cool off inside the fountainCommuters on London Bridge feel the heat at 8.30am on Monday amid the extreme weather conditions A young girl rides her inflatable pelican in the sea at Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall, on Monday A woman uses a fan to cool herself down as commuters cross London Bridge on Monday in extreme temperaturesA woman keeping cool in the River Thames near Chertsey in Surrey on Monday (left) and another on Bournemouth beach (right)People took to Twitter after the London Luton Airport runway was closed because of a 'surface defect' in the heat on MondayThe Met Office's Professor Endersby said today that such extreme temperatures are not expected beyond tomorrow, but that meteorologists will then be monitoring the possibility of drought in the coming months. 'Well, we certainly don't see these very hot temperatures persisting past Tuesday, so we're expecting a big drop in temperature, mercifully, overnight into Wednesday - down 10 or 12 degrees on what it has been the days before. Millions more people work from home to avoid severe travel disruptionMillions more people are working from home to avoid severe disruption to transport networks caused by soaring temperatures.Road traffic and public transport usage dropped on Monday after people were urged to avoid unnecessary travel.Network Rail said the number of passengers using major stations across Britain on Monday was around 20% down on a week ago.Location technology firm TomTom said road congestion at 9am was lower in most UK cities than at the same time last week. In London, congestion levels fell from 53% on July 11 to 42% on Monday.In Birmingham they were down from 46% to 43%, in Manchester they decreased from 45% to 37%, and in Glasgow they dropped from 17% to 12%. The figures reflect the proportion of additional time required for journeys compared with free-flow conditions.Transport for London (TfL), which advised people to 'only travel if essential', said around 1.06 million entries and exits were made by London Underground passengers up to 10am on Monday. This is down 18% compared with the same period last Monday.Some 1.07 million bus journeys were made up to 10am, a 10% decrease week on week.TfL said: 'Ridership on Monday is typically lower than other days of the week on public transport and is therefore likely to be a good indication of where people are working from home. Typically, TfL also sees a small reduction in ridership at this time of year as schools enter their last week of term and people begin to go on holiday.'However, the recent high temperatures have led to more of a reduction than would have been expected before our travel advice was issued to only make essential journeys during this extreme hot weather.'Temperatures were expected to soar into the high 30s on Monday. Train speed restrictions imposed by Network Rail to reduce the chances of tracks buckling in the heatwave caused delays and cancellations.Many operators are running a heavily reduced timetable on Monday and Tuesday, including Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Great Northern and Thameslink. LNER will run no trains from south of York and south of Leeds to London King's Cross on Tuesday.Kevin Groves, chief spokesman for Network Rail, said journeys which typically take two hours could take 'more than four hours' as emergency measures have been brought in to prevent trains derailing.He told Sky News: 'Certainly later on today that (buckling) is a strong possibility, which is why, from about midday today through till 8pm tonight, there will be large swathes of England and Wales that will have emergency heat-related speed restrictions placed on the rail network.'Jake Kelly, also from Network Rail, warned of travel disruption across the country. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the return of normal services on Wednesday 'will depend on the damage that the weather does to the infrastructure'.Council gritters were on stand-by to spread light dustings of sand on melting roads.The RAC anticipated that the number of vehicle breakdowns on Monday and Tuesday could be up to a fifth higher than normal. Spokesman Rod Dennis said the increase in callouts will 'put pressure on all breakdown services' as he advised drivers to carry an 'emergency kit' such as water, non-perishable food, sun protection and any medication required.'We are still seeing hotter than average in our three-month outlook and also very dry, and our attention is turning, once we're past these two days, to drought and when we might see any rain, and we're not seeing any significant rain coming up.'She also said that the public should take Met Office heat warnings as seriously as those about other significant weather events such as snow or wind, as the extreme heat could cause thousands of excess deaths.Professor Endersby added: 'Our warnings are always impact-based, so, when we put out warnings, if they're red, that means there's a danger to life and we're expecting major infrastructure impacts, and that's true, whether it's snow, wind, rain, and it's true of this heat warning. 'We're certainly seeing people reacting a little bit differently to the heat warnings as though they think that maybe we shouldn't be telling them to worry about heat the way we tell them to worry about storm or wind.'These temperatures are unprecedented in the UK and we're not used to dealing with them. And heat undoubtedly causes many hundreds, thousands of excess deaths in heatwaves, so people do need to take care and follow the advice we've been putting out about keeping in the shade, keeping cool, keeping hydrated, and so on.'She also said that, while extreme temperatures remain 'rare', by 2100 temperatures like those expected this week could be seen in the UK as frequently as once in every three years as a result of climate change.'These temperatures are unattainable in the UK without climate change, they just don't appear in the ensembles at all. They're still rare in today's 1.1 - 1.2-degree warmed climate, but by 2100, we're expecting them to be anywhere between one in 15 and one in three years, depending on the emissions pathways we take between now and then.'She added: 'We will certainly need to make changes to our infrastructure, transport, hospitals, care, homes, all those sorts of things, as well as to our domestic building designs. So yes, we need to make short-term changes for things like cooling centres and then longer-term changes, as well as assuming the very good progress we've already made as a nation towards net zero.'Health secretary Mr Barclay said: 'We're seeing an increase in calls and the extra resource we have put in place is to manage that.'But there's also a time lag in the data because the highest point of the expected heatwave is actually going to be tomorrow afternoon.'So that's the point of maximum concern, but we're seeing an increase in calls.'That's why we put more call handlers in place. It's why we put additional funding in - an extra £150 million for the ambulance ser | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
01:15 - Source: CNN See the severe flooding that shut down Yellowstone National Park CNN — Yellowstone National Park will remain closed to visitors through at least Wednesday due to dangerous flooding conditions, which have prompted park evacuations and left some in surrounding communities trapped without safe drinking water, officials say. The park announced Monday afternoon that all park entrances were closed to visitors, citing “record flooding events” and a forecast of more rain to come. “Our first priority has been to evacuate the northern section of the park where we have multiple road and bridge failures, mudslides and other issues,” Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly said in a statement Monday. Immediately north of the Yellowstone, several cities in Montana’s Park County are also experiencing extensive flooding, which has washed out bridges and roads, making it unsafe to travel or impossible to evacuate, Park County officials said on Facebook Monday. Officials have also issued warnings in many areas for residents to avoid drinking local water due to a broken water main and submerged wells. “The river has never been this high before by my house,” said Elizabeth Aluck, who lives in Gardiner in Park County. Aluck told CNN Monday afternoon that she cannot evacuate because the roads and bridges around her home are washed out. An Indiana family staying at a short-term rental cabin in Gardiner told CNN they were supposed to leave Monday morning, but the flooding left them stranded. “The water levels were high on Saturday but within the past 10-12 hours things have gotten rougher,” Parker Manning said. “Our way out of town would be north on 89, but those roads are currently all underwater.” The Yellowstone River, which runs through the park and several Park County cities, swelled to a record high Monday due to recent heavy rainfall and significant runoff from melting snow in higher elevations, according to CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller. The Yellowstone River gauge at Corwin Springs, Montana, reached 13.88 feet Monday afternoon, surpassing the historical high crest of 11.5 feet from 1918, NOAA river gauge data shows. “The river is still rising near Livingston, and it is expected to crest between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Monday,” Park County officials said on Facebook. Across the nation in recent days, extreme weather events have battered communities, including thunderstorms that left nearly 300,000 customers without power in the Midwest, a tornado threat in Chicago, and a severe heat dome which has left more than a third of the US population under heat alerts. As several roads and bridges are rendered impassable by floodwaters, park and county officials are working to evacuate whoever they can and provide support to those who are unable to leave. The Park County Sheriff’s Department issued a shelter in place order until 7 a.m. Monday for those south of mile marker 52.5 on US Highway 89 South, the Facebook post said. The National Guard and local search and rescue teams were assisting with evacuations and rescues throughout the county, including two air lifts and one swift water rescue, the county said. Multiple communities in Park County are isolated and surrounded by water, including Gardiner, Cooke City and Silver Gate, an update on the county Facebook page said. Quickly rushing floodwaters have also damaged homes, as images show houses either partially or fully collapsing. In neighboring Carbon County, Montana, flooding compromised utility service lines, leaving many customers in Red Lodge without power, officials said. Meanwhile, several roads and bridges in Yellowstone have also been compromised by flooding, park officials say. Videos released by the park show portions of paved road washed out or severely eroded. Due to predictions of higher flood levels and concerns about water and wastewater systems, the park also began moving visitors out of the southern loop of the park Monday, Sholly said. “We will not know timing of the park’s reopening until flood waters subside and we’re able to assess the damage throughout the park,” Sholly said. “It is likely that the northern loop will be closed for a substantial amount of time.” In June, precipitation across northwestern Wyoming and southern Montana has been more that 400% of the region’s average, according to Miller. The dramatic increase in rain has been coupled with near-record temperatures in the region that have caused snowmelt in areas of high elevation, the NWS in Riverton, Wyoming, said. Overnight Sunday, the snowmelt made its way into streams and rivers, further adding to the floodwaters, the NWS said. In addition to the record set at Corwin Springs, the Yellowstone River reached 10.9 feet in Livingston, Montana, Monday exceeding the area’s 1997 record of 10.7 feet, the NWS in Billings, Montana, said. CNN’s Sara Smart, Claudia Dominguez, Raja Razek, Brandon Miller and Amanda Jackson contributed to this report. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Two children are among the six people who died in a Montana pileup after a Friday evening dust storm caused blackout conditions on Interstate 90, a major route in both Montana and the Western U.S.Montana Highway Patrol Sgt. Jay Nelson said investigators so far have found no other factors that contributed to the pileup that also sent eight other injured people to hospitals.“Everything is indicative of an isolated extreme weather event,” Nelson said of the investigation, calling the crash among the worst he’d seen in 24 years with the state. “What could people do? It really was just panic.”The pileup was just west of Hardin, with additional ambulances called in from Billings to help. The identities of the dead and conditions of the survivors are not yet being released.The crash was reported around 4:30 p.m., as 21 vehicles, including six commercial semi-trucks, lost control in the dust storm that was fueled by gusts topping 60 mph (97 kph), authorities said.Nelson said there was zero visibility for a mile-long stretch during a peak summer traffic hour for those commuting home from work or traveling for outdoor recreation.It took more than six hours to fully reopen the road.“We had a lot of debris and complete chaos,” Nelson said.Gov. Greg Gianforte said on Twitter: “I’m deeply saddened by the news of a mass casualty crash near Hardin. Please join me in prayer to lift up the victims and their loved ones. We’re grateful to our first responders for their service.”Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, who oversees the highway patrol, said in a statement that the Montana Highway Patrol, which he oversees, was investigating. “We will release more information as it becomes available and is appropriate out of respect of the lives lost and their loved ones.A video from The Billings Gazette showed hundreds of tractor-trailers, campers and cars backed up for miles along the two eastbound lanes of the interstate.Before the pileup, storms popped up in central southern Montana between 1 and 2 p.m. and slowly began moving east, said Nick Vertz, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Billings. Those storms prompted a severe thunderstorm watch that covered Hardin and other parts of Montana from mid-afternoon until 9 p.m. Friday. Meteorologists forecasted the potential for isolated hail the size of a quarter, scattered gusts up to 75 mph (121 kph) and frequent lightning.A so-called outflow — or a surge of wind that’s produced by storms — flew about 30 miles (48 kilometers) ahead of the storms, Vertz said. Winds picked up quickly around the time of the crash, according to readings at nearby Big Horn County Airport. A 40 mph gust (64 kph) was recorded about 15 minutes before the crash was reported and in less than an hour another burst of wind hit 64 (103 kph).The wind easily picked up dust — a product of recent temperatures into the 90s and triple digits over the last week — and reduced visibility to less than 1/4 mile (0.4 kilometers). “If they looked up in the sky while they’re in Hardin, they probably didn’t see much of what you’d think of for a thunderstorm cloud, maybe not even much at all,” Vertz said. “It was just a surge of wind that kind of appeared out of nowhere.” | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Driven by the climate crisis, exceedingly rare megafloods will become more common – and more catastrophic – according to a new study that found their likelihood has already doubled in California.The unexpected threat lingers even as browning hillsides, fallowed fields and bathtub ring-laden reservoirs serve as a constant reminder of the drought disaster in the state, which may be woefully unprepared when the coin inevitably flips.“Societally, from a public policy and climate adaptation infrastructure building perspective we are falling behind,” said Dr Daniel Swain, an author on the study, ARkStorm 2.0: Climate change is increasing the risk of a California megaflood, and a climate scientist at the Institute of the Environment & Sustainability at the University of California, Los Angeles.“Our goal in doing this work is to get ahead of the curve as much as we can when it comes to the risk of megaflood,” he said. “We know that eventually it will happen and that climate change is upping the odds.”Combining climate and high-resolution weather models, the scientists were able to analyze two separate scenarios – the present danger, and a future where risks are amplified by the climate crisis. The approach provides an accurate picture of what’s to come. The researchers found with a high-emissions trajectory, the annual likelihood of a 200-year-event would increase by 683% by 2060.They built on the findings from a 2010 analysis called “ARkStorm,” led by the US Geological Survey with an interdisciplinary team, that concluded a series of severe storms had the potential to pelt the state with enough rainfall to displace millions, impair critical infrastructure and transportation corridors, and cause close to $1tn in economic losses.The Klamath River runs brown with mud after flash floods hit the McKinney fire. Photograph: David McNew/AFP/Getty ImagesThe hypothetical event has been referred to as California’s “other Big One”, in reference to a large-magnitude earthquake expected to strike sometime in the future. But this megaflood would rival even the shaking of the earth, exceeding damages “by a considerable margin”, according to the study. Floods are being made worse by wildfires and drought, which change the landscapes and make debris flows more likely when water rises.California’s floods differ from other parts of the world, and are typically caused by atmospheric rivers – strong storms that dump large amounts of water at once. A long sequence of them, where severe storms hit in quick succession, could quickly overwhelm landscapes and infrastructure. And, while wetting storms were once welcome in the parched state, “atmospheric river storms in a warming climate are likely going to shift from being primarily beneficial to primarily hazardous – that’s a big shift,” Swain said.Already, the state has had to grapple with whiplash when it comes to extreme weather and it’s not alone.In just the past two weeks, there have been at least four extreme floods in the US, events once cast as 1,000-year storms with a 0.1% likelihood of happening in a given year. Extreme precipitation events have increased by 55% in the north-east since the 1950s, according to the federal government’s national climate assessment, 42% in the midwest, and 27% in the south-east.But in the west, where the predominant focus is drought, states like California may be even less prepared for rising waters.“[Warming] is both juicing out the winter storms, making them more extreme and amplifying flood risk, but also supercharging the capacity of the atmosphere to suck that water right back out of the landscape and make droughts worse as well,” Swain said, calling the issues two sides of the same thermodynamic coin.Testing the country’s resiliencyCalifornia typically has a wet season during its winter months, and the state depends on the snowpack generated during that time as a water savings account of sorts, that slowly trickles into rivers and streams. But warming has resulted in less snow and more rain, an issue that both increases flood risks and leaves less water for use during dry times. Water also doesn’t go as far as it once did. Thirsty landscapes require more to survive the heat all while the atmosphere is more apt to quickly suck moisture from the soil.Compounding catastrophes, or the layering of disasters like drought, floods and fires that overlap, are already testing the capacity of the country’s resiliency and straining resources. As they become more likely, agencies are struggling to keep pace, both in California and beyond.“The field of emergency management is at a pivotal moment in its history,” the Fema administrator, Deanne Criswell, said during a hearing of the House homeland security subcommittee on emergency preparedness, response and recovery. The agency is managing more than triple the amount of disasters this year as it did a decade ago.Flames make an upslope run in the Klamath national forest. Photograph: David McNew/AFP/Getty ImagesLast year, the US spent an alarming $145bn on natural disasters – the third highest amount on record – and grappled with 20 extreme events that cost more than $1bn each, close to triple the average since 1980. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) is already bracing for an escalation in need this year and for the ones that follow, requesting $19.7bn for its 2023 disaster relief fund.“The changing climate is the biggest crisis facing our nation and makes natural disasters more frequent and more destructive,” Criswell said. “While our mission itself has not changed, our operating environment has.”Swain said he hopes officials will heed the call cast by the findings from his work and other climate scientists who have outlined the threats.“This has major public policy and disaster preparedness implications,” he said. While this approach was tailored specifically to California and its unique weather patterns, he hopes the work can help frame research into risks of megaflood in other areas as well.“Nobody could possibly argue we didn’t see this coming if and when it hits,” Swain said. “There’s still potentially time to do something about it before things go haywire.” | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
The Met Office boss today released a dramatic video warning Britons are 'not adapted to what is coming' as the country was plunged into a 'national emergency' ahead of the hottest day on record next week.In an extraordinary clip posted today after the Met Office issued a first-ever red warning for extreme heat, a sombre chief executive Penny Endersby warned of 'absolutely unprecedented' conditions for the UK - with 41C (106F) highs expected next Monday and Tuesday - and urged everyone to 'think about adjusting your plans'.The UK Health Security Agency issued a Level Four heat-health alert today covering the whole of England for both days, which warns: 'Illness and death may occur among the fit and healthy, and not just in high-risk groups.'Health officials told Britons to 'look out for others, especially older people, young children and babies and those with underlying health conditions' – and transport bosses warned of major rail disruption. Network Rail has warned people to 'only travel if absolutely necessary' next Monday and Tuesday, with speed restrictions and delays likely.A blanket speed limit is expected to be imposed on all trains across South East England including London, with main line and high-speed services expected be allowed to run at only 60mph on Monday and Tuesday. Meteorologists said there is now an 80 per cent chance of breaking the all-time UK record of 38.7C (101.6F) set in Cambridge on July 15, 2019 - a probability that is up from 60 per cent earlier today, and 30 per cent on Monday.Parts of London are now set to hit 41C (106F) both next Monday and Tuesday, according to BBC Weather – and either would break the record, which itself overtook a previous high of 38.5C (101.3F) in Kent on August 10, 2003.Ms Endersby said: 'The extreme heat we're forecasting right now is absolutely unprecedented. We've seen when climate change has driven such unprecedented severe weather events all around the world it can be difficult for people to make the best decisions in these situations because nothing in their life experience has led them to know what to expect. Here in the UK we're used to treating a hot spell as a chance to go and play in the sun. 'This is not that sort of weather. Our lifestyles and our infrastructure are not adapted to what is coming. Please treat the warnings we are putting out as seriously as you would a red or amber warning from us for wind or snow and follow the advice. Stay out of the sun, keep your home cool, think about adjusting your plans.'Forecasters had already this week issued an 'amber' heat warning - for only the third time ever - from Sunday to Tuesday for most of England and Wales. But today this was extended to all of England and Wales and southern Scotland - and upgraded to an unprecedented 'red' for parts of central and southern England, including London.It comes as schools are preparing to send pupils home early or close altogether, scrapping PE lessons and banning children from playing outside in a series of measures being considered as the UK braces for the heat. Confirming the new alert this morning, Met Office meteorologist Grahame Madge said: 'We've just issued a red warning for extreme heat for Monday and Tuesday which is the first such warning ever issued. The warning covers an area from London up to Manchester and then up to the Vale of York. This is potentially a very serious situation.'And England's chief medical officer Professor Sir Chris Whitty said: 'The Met Office has issued an extreme heat warning for next week. Please remember the signs of heat exhaustion and heatstroke especially for older and medically vulnerable people. Early intervention to cool people down and rehydrate them can be lifesaving.' The Met Office said the hot weather is being caused by high pressure over the UK, with a southerly air flow from the continent developing over the weekend to allow very high temperatures to start spreading northwards. The warmth is coming up from Spain and Portugal which have also had a record heatwave with 47C (117F) highs. TUESDAY: The Met Office expects temperatures to hit 40C (104F) in London next Tuesday, which would be unprecedented NEXT WEEK: The Met Office has issued this forecast map to accompany the extreme heat warning next Monday and Tuesday The Met Office had already this week issued an 'amber' heat warning - for only the third time ever - from Sunday to Tuesday for most of England and Wales. But today this was extended to all of England and Wales and southern Scotland - and upgraded to an unprecedented 'red' for parts of central and southern England, including London, on Monday and Tuesday 'National emergency': The UK Health Security Agency issued a Level Four heat-health alert today covering the whole of England for both days, which warns: 'Illness and death may occur among the fit and healthy, and not just in high-risk groups'The red alert issued this morning warns of 'an exceptional hot spell on Monday and Tuesday leading to widespread impacts on people and infrastructure', adding that 'population-wide adverse health effects' will be 'not limited to those most vulnerable to extreme heat, leading to serious illness or danger to life'. The warning also says 'government advice is that 999 services should be used in emergencies only; seek advice from 111 if you need non-emergency health advice' and 'substantial changes in working practices and daily routines will be required'. How Met Office chief was previously part of MoD's secretive research unitBY JAMES ROBINSON FOR MAILONLINEProfessor Penny Endersby, who issued the sombre video about the heatwave shared online today, is the Met Office's first female chief.She took up the role in December 2018, taking over from Rob Varley who dramatically quit the agency following reports of a row with government chiefs.Professor Endersby, who studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge, joined the Met Office from the Ministry of Defence's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL).DSTL is the executive agency which runs the highly secretive Porton Down research facility in Wiltshire. There, Professor Endersby led the cyber and information systems division.She was also acting chief technical officer, as well as a non-executive director of Ploughshare Innovations, the Ministry of Defence's technology transfer organisation.At the time of her appointment, the Met Office said Professor Endersby had wide-ranging experience with high performance computing, complex modelling and simulation, space systems and weather, geospatial intelligence and analytics, and - ultimately - delivering life-saving science for defence and security users.Met Office chair Rob Woodward said at the time he was 'delighted' she would be at the helm of the organisation.He said: 'I and the rest of the board are very much looking forward to working with her as we build on the outstanding reputation of the Met Office and continue the important transformation which will enable the Met Office to remain a world class organisation'.Speaking about her appointment in 2018, she said: 'Throughout my career my leadership ethos centres on creating the conditions wherein scientists and scientific excellence can thrive, while maintaining a keen focus on business delivery to customers. I look forward immensely to working with such a talented workforce.'At the time of her appointment, the Met Office chief executive job was advertised with a salary range of £88,000 to £162,500. Mr Varley's salary band was £120,000 to £125,000 according to the agency's annual report at the time he stepped down.Outside of her work, Professor Endersby is a mother-of-two and an expert choir singer. She is said to have an interest in wildlife and is a trustee of Wiltshire Wildlife Trust.There will also be a 'high risk of failure of heat-sensitive systems and equipment, potentially leading to localised loss of power and other essential services, such as water or mobile phone services'. The alert adds: 'Significantly more people visiting coastal areas, lakes and rivers, leading to an increased risk of water safety incidents.'Bookmaker Ladbrokes is now making it odds on at 1/2 that the UK's hottest day on record will come next week. The Met Office has also warned of travel chaos, saying: 'Delays on roads and road closures, along with delays and cancellations to rail and air travel, with significant welfare issues for those who experience even moderate delays.'A meeting of London's Strategic Communication Group was called today, and Transport for London warned commuters of a 'reduced service' on three Overground lines – Richmond to Stratford; Watford to Euston; and Romford to Upminster - 'due to the hot weather', with London Mayor Sadiq Khan warning of an 'impact on travel'.Mr Khan said: 'The Met Office has now issued a red warning for extreme heat on Monday and Tuesday. This is potentially dangerous and a very serious consequence of climate change. This warning is not limited to the most vulnerable and means that substantial changes in all our daily routines will be required, and there is likely to be an impact on travel. 'All of the capital's key agencies and emergency services are working closely together to ensure London is prepared for the extreme heat that is forecast and will continue to provide advice for Londoners ahead of Monday. I urge Londoners to be very careful and to look after each other in the comings days.'Employment lawyer Liam Entwistle, of Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie LLP in Scotland, said workers could be legally entitled to leave the office next week if temperatures become too hot to work. He said: 'Bosses should be sensible and ensure their staff members aren't carrying out highly strenuous work when temperatures soar, in order to avoid complaints from disgruntled employees. If it gets too hot to work, employees could have the right to take the day off work, especially if employers don't put effective cooling measures in place.'Mr Madge added that computer modelling had been 'firming up around just how intense the heat will be for Monday and Tuesday, with the emphasis on Tuesday'. He added: 'It's now considered 80 per cent chance we will see the all-time UK record broken. There's stronger indications now of 50 per cent chance of seeing 40C (104F) being observed somewhere in the UK, and most likely that would be within the red warning area for extreme heat.'Probably the most likely areas to look at would be north of London and up to Lincolnshire, inland. Somewhere like Peterborough, Grantham, Sandy, Stevenage... A1 corridor. If we get to 40C, that's a very iconic threshold and shows that climate change is with us now. This is made much more likely because of climate change.'Mr Madge warned that if people have vulnerable relatives or neighbours, 'now is the time to make sure they're putting suitable measures in place to be able to cope with the heat'. He added: 'Because if the forecast is as we think it will be in the red warning area, then people's lives are at risk. This is a very serious situation.'Meanwhile, the heat has led to Hammersmith Bridge being wrapped in silver insulation foil to reflect the sun. A group of young people enjoy the hot weather at Bournemouth this morning as they go for a dip in the sea Sunbathers on Bournemouth beach in Dorset this morning as they enjoy the continuing hot weather for England Two women sunbathe on Bournemouth beach in Dorset today on what is another hot day at the seaside Sunbathers on Bournemouth beach in Dorset this morning as they enjoy the continuing hot weather for England Sunbathers make the most of the hot weather on Bournemouth beach in Dorset this morning Sunbathers on Bournemouth beach in Dorset this morning as they enjoy the continuing hot weather for England A group of women walk along the sand at Bournemouth beach in Dorset today as they enjoy the hot weather Sunbathers on Bournemouth beach in Dorset this morning as they enjoy the continuing hot weather for England Two women in the water off Bournemouth beach in Dorset today as they enjoy the hot weather Sunbathers on Bournemouth beach in Dorset this morning as they enjoy the continuing hot weather for England A group of women set up a tent on Bournemouth beach in Dorset today as they enjoy the hot weather Two men enjoy a drink on Bournemouth beach in Dorset today as they make the most of the hot weather Sunbathers on Bournemouth beach in Dorset this morning as they enjoy the continuing hot weather for England A zip wire across Bournemouth beach is used today as sunseekers flock to the Dorset coast Sunbathers on Bournemouth beach in Dorset this morning as they enjoy the continuing hot weather for England Two people enjoy an ice cream on Bournemouth beach in Dorset today as they make the most of the hot weather Sunbathers on Bournemouth beach in Dorset this morning as they enjoy the continuing hot weather for England A group of people walk along the sand at Bournemouth beach in Dorset today as they enjoy the hot weather Sunbathers on Bournemouth beach in Dorset this morning as they enjoy the continuing hot weather for England Visitors enjoy the hot weather on Brighton beach in East Sussex today as the heatwave continues across England A woman sunbathes on Brighton beach in East Sussex this morning as England continues to experience very hot weather People enjoy the sunshine on the beach in Brighton today as the Met Office issued a red extreme heat warning for next weekMet Office chief executive Penny Endersby said in a sombre video online that the forecast is 'absolutely unprecedented', while Network Rail warned people to 'only travel in England and Wales if absolutely necessary' next Monday and TuesdayThe Grade II*-listed bridge in West London has had a £420,000 'temperature control system' fitted to reduce stress on its cast-iron pedestals, on which fractures widened in an August 2020 heatwave and forced it to be shut. What are the potential impacts of extreme heat in amber & red warning?The Met Office has issued an unprecedented red weather warning for 'extreme heat' for Monday and Tuesday for parts of central and southern England. This comes on top of an amber warning for some of England on Sunday - and for all of England and Wales and southern Scotland on Monday and Tuesday. The extreme heat warning system ranges from yellow to red and indicates how likely and how much of an impact the weather will have on public life. The alerts warn of 'widespread impacts on people and infrastructure'.Forecasters say the heatwave could impact the health of everyone – not only the vulnerable – while it could also impact electricity, gas and water supplies. Here is how it could impact different parts of daily life:RAIL TRAVELThe Met Office says that delays and cancellations to rail travel are possible with 'potential for significant welfare issues for those who experience even moderate delays'. And Network Rail has warned people to travel only if absolutely necessary amid the high temperatures, with speed restrictions and disruption likely.Jake Kelly, Network Rail's System Operator group director, said: 'Rail passengers in England and Wales should only travel if necessary on Monday and Tuesday as there will be delays and cancellations to train services due to the unprecedented heat we're expecting.'The wellbeing of our passengers is our first priority so we're asking all passengers who decide to travel to take time to prepare before leaving the house.'Network Rail has warned that services across the UK may be subject to the speed restrictions to avoid tracks buckling, with Avanti West Coast, South Western Railway and Heathrow Express among the operators warning of potential disruption. West Midlands Trains and London Northwestern Railway have already imposed limits on sections of their network this week.ROADS The Met Office says that delays on roads and road closures are possible during the heat alert period. The RAC has urged motorists to 'think carefully before they drive, and do everything they can to avoid a breakdown'. It says motorists should check the coolant and oil levels under the bonnet when the engine is cold. It added: 'If temperatures were to go as high as around 40C as some are predicting, then people should question their decision to drive in the first place.'Hampshire County Council is preparing to deploy gritters in response to melting roads, saying that the machines will be spreading light dustings of sand which 'acts like a sponge to soak up excess bitumen'.Motorists who find tar stuck to their tyres are advised to wash it off with warm soapy water.AIRPORTSThe Met Office has warned that air travel could also be disruption during the heat. This is because planes can become too heavy to take off in very hot weather due to reduced air density resulting in a lack of lift.This happened during a heatwave in summer 2018 at London City Airport when some passengers had to be removed so the services become light enough to take off on the relatively short runway.UTILITIESThe Met Office has warned that a failure of 'heat-sensitive systems and equipment' is possible. This could result in a loss of power and other essential services, such as water, electricity and gas. Hot weather can lead to high demand on the power network because people are turning on fans and air conditioning - and the heat can also lead to a drop in the efficiency of overhead power cables and transformers.WORKPLACESThe Met Office says that 'changes in working practices and daily routines will be required' in the extreme heat. There is no specific law for a maximum working temperature, or when it is too hot to work.But employers are expected to ensure that in offices or similar environments, the temperature in workplaces must be 'reasonable'. Companies must follow follow health and safety laws which include keeping the temperature at a comfortable level, known as 'thermal comfort'; and providing clean and fresh air.The Trades Union Congress says that during heatwaves staff should be allowed to start work earlier, or stay later, leave jackets and ties in the wardrobe and have regular breaks. It is also calling for an absolute maximum indoor temperature of 30C (86F) - or 27C (81F) for strenuous jobs - to legally indicate when work should stop.HEALTH The Met Office has said that adverse health effects could be 'experienced by all, not just limited to those most vulnerable to extreme heat, leading to serious illness or danger to life' during the warning period. In addition, charity Asthma and Lung UK has warned up to three million asthma sufferers could be affected by high pollen levels, so should use their inhalers. SCHOOLS Plans to cope with the heat, created by the NHS and UKHSA, say children should not do 'vigorous physical activity' when temperatures rise above 30C (86F).Some sports days have been cancelled this week, while official advice suggests moving school start, end and break times to avoid the hottest points in the day.The bridge - which was reopened to pedestrians, cyclists and river traffic in July 2021 - now has what the council labelled as a 'giant air conditioning unit on each of the four pedestal chains', which are anchored to the river bed and regulated to be kept under 13C (55F) in the summer. If any of them reach 18C (64F), the bridge will be shut.The cooling system is now being run through the night and parts of the chains that are above the water level on the 135-year-old bridge over the River Thames are being wrapped in silver insulation foil which reflects the sun.Meanwhile students at three primary schools in Herefordshire have already been told they will not be allowed to play outside. Schools are also encouraging pupils to wear a T-shirt and shorts instead of normal clothes.The Hereford Academy announced an earlier start and finish to the school day, while parents at Marlbrook, Little Dewchurch and St Martin's primary schools were told PE lessons will be scrapped and pupils will not be allowed outside to play. A letter added: 'We are also giving parents the option to keep children at home on Monday.'Meanwhile Crestwood Community School in Eastleigh, Hampshire, is among the schools to cancel sports day, saying that 'we do not feel that it is safe for students to be out in the heat all day, taking part in physical activity.'In East London, the headteacher of Clapton Girls' Academy warned of an early finish amid fears school facilities will be unable to cope with the heat. Anna Feltham told parents: 'Already, many classrooms are very hot, even with fans, and students are struggling to keep cool, drink enough water and maintain concentration in lessons.'Next week's heatwave will make many teaching rooms unbearably hot by lesson two and five. We have reviewed a number of options but do not have sufficient 'cool' rooms to re-room lessons into.'And Red Hall Primary School in Darlington has banned children from playing outside in the scorching heat unless they wear a hat, saying it was a 'real concern' that many pupils were attending school without one this week.Health chiefs fear the NHS will be overwhelmed by a number of heat-related casualties if the mercury does indeed rise to levels only usually seen at Death Valley in California, which is the world's hottest place.North Wales Police said today that a paddleboarder had died after getting into difficulty in water off Conwy Morfa. The force said it was called to reports of three people in trouble at 10.14pm yesterday.In a statement, the police said: 'Officers attended alongside colleagues from HM Coastguard, RNLI and Welsh Ambulance, who attended to three casualties.'Two of the casualties were taken by ambulance to Ysbyty Gwynedd but, sadly, despite the best efforts of all involved, one person passed away in hospital.'The local coroner has been informed and specialist officers will be supporting the family of the deceased.'The Met Office warning from Sunday to Tuesday - which was issued earlier this week - said the weather could cause health problems across the population, not just among people vulnerable to extreme heat, leading to potentially serious illness or danger to life.Rail firm Avanti West Coast has warned passengers who wish to use services between London Euston and Scotland to plan ahead due to the impact of the heat on rail lines. The company said that weekend services may be cancelled at short notice while journeys on Monday and Tuesday will be subject to amended timetables.Jake Kelly, Network Rail's System Operator group director, said: 'Rail passengers in England and Wales should only travel if necessary on Monday and Tuesday as there will be delays and cancellations to train services due to the unprecedented heat we're expecting. The wellbeing of our passengers is our first priority so we're asking all passengers who decide to travel to take time to prepare before leaving the house.'Remember to bring a water bottle with you, along with whatever else you need to keep yourself well in the heat. Water bottles can be refilled for free at most Network Rail's managed stations. 'Journeys will take significantly longer and delays are likely as speed restrictions are introduced to keep passengers and railway staff safe, so make sure to allow considerably more time to complete your journey and be prepared for very hot conditions.'Network Rail said response teams will be deployed to mitigate the impact of the extreme heat where possible, but passengers are likely to experience disruption if current forecasts are realised.Steel rails absorb heat easily and tend to be around 20 degrees above the surrounding air temperature.When steel becomes very hot it expands and rails can bend, flex and, in serious cases, buckle.The overhead electric lines which power trains in some parts of the country are also susceptible to faults in extreme temperatures when the steel wires overheat, which can cause them to hang too low and increase the risk of getting caught on passing trains and knocking out the electricity supply.In recent days, photographs of parched rivers and reservoirs have shown the reality of the bone-dry country.Some parts of the UK have seen barely a drop of rain since the start of July, spelling issues for farmers after the first half of the year was one of the driest on record - and raising the prospect of still higher food prices.With forecasters issuing doom-laden warnings of 'hundreds if not thousands of excess deaths' in a 'frightening' scorching hot spell beginning on Sunday, ministers yesterday held their second Cobra civil contingencies committee meeting of the week.Teaching unions say the weather will make it 'potentially dangerous' for children to take part in physical activity in the blazing sunshine, while the NHS is facing a 'surge' in demand from heat-related conditions. Beachgoers flock to the seaside resort of Lyme Regis to soak up the sun on another day of scorching hot sunshine today Sunbathers on the beach enjoying the scorching hot sunshine at the seaside resort of Weston-super-Mare in Somerset today People enjoy the warm weather while sat on deckchairs at the Somerset seaside resort of Weston-super-Mare today People enjoy the weather in London this morning as they make the most of the conditions in a park A woman sunbathes on parched grass in London today as people make the most of the hot weather in the capital A woman uses an umbrella to shelter from the sun near Hammersmith in West London today People walk along Whitehall in Westminster today as they take a look at Downing Street in the sunshine Partially suntanned rowers travel on the River Thames near Hammersmith in West London in the sunny weather today A woman sunbathes on parched grass in London today as people make the most of the hot weather in the capital A man enjoys the sun on his boat on the River Thames near Hammersmith in West London today People enjoy the weather in London this morning as they make the most of the conditions in a park People enjoy the sunny weather on the banks of the River Thames near Hammersmith in West London today A woman sits in a park in London today as people enjoy the warm weather across the country Rowers enjoy the sunny weather on the River Thames near Hammersmith in West London today Empty deckchairs sit in a parched Hyde Park in London today as temperatures continue to rise and visitors stay in the shade People enjoy the weather in London this morning as they make the most of the conditions in a park A woman walks her dog through a parched Hyde Park in London this afternoon as temperatures continue to rise A woman uses an umbrella to shelter from the sun near Hammersmith in West London this afternoon People make the most of the conditions in a park in London today as the warm weather continuesThe Met Office is still predicting temperatures on Monday or Tuesday could exceed the record 38.7C (102F) recorded in Cambridge in 2019. What are Britain's ten hottest days on record? 1) 38.7C - July 25, 20192) 38.5C - August 10, 20033) 37.8C - July 31, 20204) 37.1C - August 3, 1990=5) 36.7C - July 1, 2015=5) 36.7C - August 9, 19117) 36.6C - August 2, 19908) 36.5C - July 19, 2006=9) 36.4C - August 7, 2020=9) 36.4C - August 6, 2003Forecasters say there is currently a 60 per cent chance of breaking this record. BBC Weather expects highs of 39C (102F) next Monday and 40C (104F) next Tuesday.But the second heatwave in a week could end with a bang with the prospect a wave of thunderstorms.Met Office chief meteorologist Paul Gundersen said today: 'Exceptional, perhaps record-breaking temperatures are likely early next week, quite widely across the red warning area on Monday, and focussed a little more east and north on Tuesday. 'Currently there is a 50 per cent chance we could see temperatures top 40C and 80 per cent we will see a new maximum temperature reached.'Nights are also likely to be exceptionally warm, especially in urban areas. This is likely to lead to widespread impacts on people and infrastructure. 'Therefore, it is important people plan for the heat and consider changing their routines. This level of heat can have adverse health effects.'And Penny Endersby, the Met Office's chief executive, said in a sombre video shared online: 'The extreme heat that we're forecasting right now is absolutely unprecedented.'We've seen when climate change has driven such unprecedented severe weather events all around the world it can be difficult for people to make the best decisions in these situations because nothing in their life experience has led them to know what to expect.'Here in the UK we're used to treating a hot spell as a chance to go and play in the sun. This is not that sort of weather. Our lifestyles and our infrastructure are not adapted to what is coming.Twitter users have claimed some schools and nurseries are closing next Monday and Tuesday because of the hot weather People walk past Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament in London today as the warm weather continues in the capital Wheat in a field on another very hot day in Taplow, Buckinghamshire, today as the hot weather continues People walk across Westminster Bridge in London today as the warm weather continues in the capital A runner make his way through barley fields at Dunsden in Oxfordshire today in the early morning sunshine Farm workers picking coriander on a very hot morning at Taplow in Buckinghamshire today Two people taking a selfie opposite the Houses of Parliament in London today as the hot weather continues Farmers are having to water crops more than ever due to the hot weather. Taplow in Buckinghamshire is pictured today Pastel-coloured skies at dawn at Dunsden in Oxfordshire today ahead of the Met Office heat warning beginning on Sunday Farm workers in Taplow, Buckinghamshire, today as the dry weather causes problems for crops People walk alongside the River Thames this morning opposite the Houses of Parliament in London as the warmth continues A fire coloured sky above St Mary's Lighthouse in Whitley Bay on the North East coast of England just before sunrise today A beautiful sunrise this morning in the Oxfordshire countryside at Dunsden as the warm weather continues Meanwhile in Scotland... Fans shelter from the rain during day two of The Open at the Old Course at St Andrews todayFurther events due to take place over the coming days have now been cancelled as concern mounts over the heat warning'Please treat the warnings we are putting out as seriously as you would a red or amber warning from us for wind or snow and follow the advice. Stay out of the sun, keep your home cool, think about adjusting your plans for the warning period.' Schools relax uniform rules to prepare for heat Schools are undertaking measures such as closing early, allowing pupils to wear PE kit or rescheduling sports days to cope with rising temperatures next week.Schools have also relaxed uniform rules and adjusted timetables in order to cope with the heat.St John's CE Middle School Academy in Bromsgrove has said pupils 'can come to school wearing non-uniform to enable children to wear loose, light-coloured clothing that will help keep them as cool as possible'. The school said it would sell ice pops to pupils in aid of Cancer Research, and that pupils would be encouraged not to run during playtimes to prevent heat exhaustion.The Hereford Academy is allowing secondary school pupils to start early next week and finish at 2pm to allow them to be 'away for the hottest part of the day'. The academy said it would also bring its sports day forward to avoid the high temperatures next week.Clapton Girls' Academy in east London will also be sending pupils home at 12.30pm on Monday and Tuesday. Headteacher Anna Feltham wrote to parents to say: 'Already, many classrooms are very hot, even with fans, and students are struggling to keep cool, drink enough water and maintain concentration in lessons.'At the Co-op Academy Swinton in Greater Manchester, pupils are being permitted to wear their PE kit rather than uniform on Monday and Tuesday, as a 'temporary adjustment to the requirements for uniform'.Arnold Hill Spencer Academy in Nottingham said pupils will have the option to wear their PE kit instead of their normal uniform, while pupils preferring to wear uniform will not need to wear a blazer or tie on Monday or Tuesday.Great Dunham Primary in Norfolk also advised that all pupils should 'wear PE kits rather than uniform on Monday and Tuesday'. The school added: 'Please ensure they have a sunhat, lotion and water bottles. We will not be going out at lunchtime, instead the children will eat and do activities in class. Stay safe.'Abercarn Primary School in Newport also sai | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Three million residents of southern England are now preparing for a hosepipe ban in the coming days - with Britons already complaining on social media about neighbours filling up paddling pools and washing cars.South East Water today confirmed a hosepipe ban across Kent and Sussex from next Friday which will affect around 2.2million customers, as Britain's dry spell continues following a record-breaking July for lack of rain. The 'temporary usage ban' means the use of hosepipes or sprinklers will be restricted for residents of those counties.The water firm – which is the second to bring in a hosepipe ban so far this summer - lost 88.7million litres of water a day through leaking pipes last year, and said demand for water this summer has broken all previous records.Southern Water last week announced a ban for nearly a million people in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight from this Friday. It means hosepipes cannot be used to water gardens or clean cars, and ornamental ponds and private pools must not be filled. Flouting the restriction could lead to prosecution and a court fine of up to £1,000.And neighbours are already pointing out that some residents could be in for a surprise when the ban comes in. One Twitter user said: 'There's a neighbour of mine who's always washing his pride and joy outside on the driveway. He doesn't know it yet but there'll be a fine coming his way as soon as hosepipe ban is enforced.' THEN AND NOW: The water level at Bewl Water reservoir (left, in May 2021; and right, last Tuesday) near Lamberhurst in Kent, which is currently measured at 67 per cent of its capacity Around 2.2million customers across Kent and Sussex in the shaded areas will be hit by the ban South East Water has confirmed a 'temporary usage ban' in Kent and Sussex from August 12 Southern Water will bring a ban for nearly a million of its customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight from this Friday. Its service map is pictured - although its other areas are not affectedAnother said: 'Neighbours bought a huge paddling pool for the kids and filled it up to the brim.' And a third tweeted: 'Saw another person washing their car yesterday, really, that's necessary is it?'A fourth added: 'Luckily I live with amazing neighbours and after not grassing on them for not observing any lockdown rules in their back garden, I'm sure they won't mention my use of the hosepipe to water my veggies.'An internal South East Water briefing on plans for the new ban, seen by the Daily Mail yesterday, noted that other water companies could follow suit as they are 'really thinking hard on their positions'.The firm has already called on its customers to voluntarily turn off their hosepipes and sprinkler systems as the hot, dry weather continues. Very dry grass at Boughton and Eastwell Cricket Club in Ashford, Kent, pictured last Friday Firefighters dampen down dry grass that caught alight at Barton's Point Coastal Park on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent last month Southern Water - which announced a ban last week - had previously warned customers over filling up their paddling pools The Met Office said southern England had seen its driest July since records began in 1836South East Water said in an announcement today: 'The use of a hosepipe or sprinkler will be restricted from Friday, August 12 for our customers in Kent and Sussex. UK to see 'fresher' days before more heat at the weekend - but little rainThe UK can expect cooler and 'fresher' days for the rest of the week before high temperatures return into the weekend, according to forecasters. Temperatures today are expected to be in the high 20Cs across the South East of England, with other parts of England and Wales seeing low-to-mid 20Cs and high teens or low 20Cs in Scotland and Northern Ireland.Tomorrow and Friday will bring temperatures in the low 20Cs to areas of England while northern parts of the UK are likely to see 18C to 20C. But they will again climb to the mid-to-high 20Cs in the South East of England on Saturday and Sunday and low 20Cs in northern areas.Met Office meteorologist Craig Snell said: 'As we go into Thursday and then towards the weekend, high pressure - which has made itself at home across the UK this summer - is re-establishing itself as we go through to the end of the week and into the weekend.'A lot of the UK will probably see a dry weekend with the best of the sunshine in the South. After potentially a couple of fresher days, Thursday and Friday, temperatures kind of climb once again as we go into the weekend.'Yesterday's rainfall in the north Midlands and northern England is set to move to southern parts of the Midlands, into central and southern England and East Anglia today, but is expected to become lighter.Mr Snell added: 'No real major signs of anything wet coming through for the South and generally the kind of warm theme is continuing for a lot of the country after a very brief cooler spell on Thursday and Friday.' 'This has been a time of extreme weather conditions across the UK. 'Official figures show this is the driest July on record since 1935 and the period between November 2021 and July 2022 has been the driest eight-month stint since 1976.'During July in the South East, we have only seen 8 percent of average rainfall for the month, and the long term forecast for August and September is for similar weather.'The demand for water this summer has broken all previous records, including the Covid lockdown heatwave.'We have been producing an additional 120 million litres of water a day to supply our customers, which is the equivalent of supplying a further four towns the size of Maidstone or Eastbourne, daily.'We have been left with no choice but to restrict the use of hosepipes and sprinklers from 0.01am on Friday, August 12 within our Kent and Sussex supply area until further notice.'We are taking this step to ensure we have enough water for both essential use and to protect the environment. 'This will enable us to also reduce the amount of water we need to take from already stressed local water sources.'Lee Dance, South East Water's head of water resources, had also said last week: 'Clearly, we are in a very dry and warm period and the forecast is that this may continue for a number of weeks.'Mr Dance added: 'We have been looking very closely at the current situation and assessing the likelihood of restrictions and other measures.'If our assessment reveals voluntary reduction of water use will not allow us to maintain supplies of water for essential use or to protect the environment, then we may need to impose more formal bans.'The most prominent water company that has hinted it could also bring in a hosepipe ban this summer is Thames Water.The firm said in a statement last week: 'If we do not receive around or above average rainfall in the coming months, this will increase pressure on our resources and may, indeed, result in the need for more water saving measures including restrictions.'This week, the Met Office said southern England had experienced its driest July since records began in 1836. This map from Ofwat shows which water company supplies each area of England and Wales. Key - Water and wastewater companies: ANH Anglian Water / WSH Dŵr Cymru / HDD Hafren Dyfrdwy / NES Northumbrian Water / SVE Severn Trent Water / SWB South West Water / SRN Southern Water / TMS Thames Water / UUW United Utilities Water / WSX Wessex Water / YKY Yorkshire Water // Key - Water only companies: AFW Affinity Water / BRL Bristol Water / PRT Portsmouth Water / SEW South East Water / SSC South Staffs Water / SES SES WaterSouth-East and central southern England saw an average of just 5mm (0.2ins) of rain last month, while East Anglia had only a fraction more with 5.4mm (0.21ins).Most of England – with the exception of the North-West – has moved into a state of 'prolonged dry weather'.This is described by the Environment Agency as 'the first stage of a drought', raising the spectre of restrictions such as hosepipe bans.The Isle of Man also announced a hosepipe ban last week, while Welsh Water has said it may have to bring in a similar restriction in Pembrokeshire. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Rescue workers evacuate flood-affected residents with a dinghy after heavy rainfall brought by Typhoon Chaba flooded the villages, in Beihai, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China July 4, 2022. cnsphoto via REUTERS Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comBEIJING, July 8 (Reuters) - Chinese regional officials need to prepare for potential disasters and ensure relief in a timely manner as the flood season reaches a critical period, a government official warned on Friday after months of torrential rains nationwide.China routinely faces heavy flooding during its summer, but record-breaking rain in some regions this year has highlighted the challenges it faces as it tries to adapt to climate change, with temperatures also reaching fresh highs.Zhou Xuewen, vice minister at China's Ministry of Emergency Management, told a briefing that as the "critical period" starting in mid-July approaches, officials at all levels needed to "grasp the potential risks".Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comHe urged them to prepare funds and relief materials and take action to minimise casualties, adding that officials should also take heed of the risks of COVID-19 outbreaks following major disasters.Since the flood season began in March, average rainfall across the country is 10.7% higher than normal, and has doubled in some parts of the south. Rain in the Pearl River basin in the southeastern province of Guangdong is at its highest on record.The floods have submerged farmland, interrupted power and communications, affected roads and destroyed homes, with emergency response teams deployed throughout the country to administer relief.Zhou said as many as 487 rivers have exceeded their flood warning levels this year, while more than 1.2 million people have been evacuated, with direct economic losses hitting nearly 65 billion yuan ($9.70 billion) so far.China has been striving to improve its ability to cope with extreme weather, and promised in a climate adaptation plan published earlier this year to set up an advanced risk management and prevention system over the next decade.Yu Haifeng, an official from China's Ministry of Natural Resources, told the Friday briefing that the country experienced more geological disasters in the first half of 2022 than the whole of last year, and was facing more "severe challenges" in the second half.($1 = 6.7021 yuan)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Stella Qiu and David StanwayOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
A fire fighting helicopter works to contain a wildfire in Leiria, Portugal July 13, 2022. REUTERS/Rodrigo AntunesRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSummaryHomes and campsites evacuated, livelihoods threatenedFlames tear down hillside near Portugal's PombalBlaze rages near tallest sand dune in EuropeEurope is a 'heatwave hotspot', says scientistLEIRIA, Portugal/RASLINA, Croatia, July 14 (Reuters) - Wildfires raged across tinder-dry country in Portugal, Spain, France and Croatia on Thursday, burning homes and threatening livelihoods, as much of Europe baked in a heatwave that has pushed temperatures into the mid-40Cs in some countries.In Portugal's central Leiria district, tired firefighters battled to control blazes that have been fanned by strong winds. Footage from the area on Wednesday showed smoke darkening the sky and billowing across a highway, while flames licked around the roofs of houses in one small village."Yesterday was a very tough day," Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said as he attended a briefing with the national meteorological institute IPMA.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com"It is absolutely crucial we avoid new events because it leads to the exhaustion of firefighters and all others ... who are doing their best to control the situation."The most concerning blaze was near the town of Pombal, where on Thursday aircraft and helicopters dropped water on flames that were tearing down a hillside lined with highly flammable pine and eucalyptus trees."When it gets to the eucalyptus it's like an explosion," Antonio, an elderly resident of the nearby village of Gesteira, said as he anxiously watched the approaching flames.Across the border in western Spain, a fire that started in the Extremadura region on Tuesday swept into Salamanca province in the region of Castile and Leon, forcing the evacuation of 49 children from a summer camp on Thursday.Regional authorities said more than 4,000 hectares (9,900 acres) of land had been burned.Spain's meteorological agency AEMET expected the heatwave to reach its peak later on Thursday, with temperatures likely to exceed 44 Celsius (111 Fahrenheit) in large parts of southern Spain.On Croatia's Adriatic Coast, firefighting planes swooped low to dump water over burning forests, and troops were called in to help firefighters battling to contain three major wildfires around Zadar and Sibenek.Arndt Dreste, 55, had moved to the village of Raslina, near Sibenik this year, after selling his property in Germany. His house was severely damaged by the fire."I bought this house in January ... I (am) cut off from Germany and this is my life here ... it was here," Dreste told Reuters, showing the charred walls of his home.'HEATWAVE HOTSPOT'In southwestern France, about 1,000 firefighters, supported by six water-bombing planes, were battling two wildfires that started on Tuesday."The fires are still not under control," the local authority for the Gironde department said.The biggest of the two Gironde fires was around the town of Landiras, south of Bordeaux, where roads have been closed and 500 residents evacuated.The other blaze was along the Atlantic Coast, close to the "Dune du Pilat" - the tallest sand dune in Europe - in the Arcachon Bay area, above which heavy clouds of dark smoke were seen rising into the sky.Around 6,000 people were evacuated from five surrounding campsites on Wednesday, and another 60 people early on Thursday.Thousands of people were also evacuated from homes on Turkey's southwestern Datca peninsula, as a fire that started on Wednesday was fanned by strong winds overnight and threatened residential areas.The forestry minister said the fire had been brought under control on Thursday after seven firefighting aircraft and 14 helicopters were deployed to contain it. read more Scientists blame human-caused climate change for the increased frequency of extreme weather such as heatwaves, which have also hit parts of China and the United States in recent days.A study in the journal Nature last week found the number of heatwaves in Europe has increased three-to-four times faster than in the rest of the northern mid-latitudes, such as the United States and Canada, due in large part to the jet stream air current splitting into two parts for longer periods."Europe is very much affected by changes in atmospheric circulation," co-author Kai Kornhuber, a climate scientist at Columbia University, told Reuters. It's a heatwave hotspot."Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comAdditional reporting by Emma Pinedo in Madrid, Benoit Van Overstraeten in Paris, Gloria Dickie in London, Ali Kucukgocmen and Yesim Dikmen in Istanbul; Writing by Alex Richardson; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Wildfires continued to rage across Britain today amid warnings that the country could be crippled by even hotter temperatures from Sunday - as the heatwave is set to cause chaos to transport, the NHS and other key services.The Met Office today extended its amber 'extreme heat' warning to include all of next Tuesday, having previously issued it for Sunday and Monday. Forecasters said the 'emphasis on the peak of the hot spell' had now shifted from Sunday, to Monday and Tuesday - but that the risk of 'widespread impacts on people and infrastructure' remained.Smoke continued to billow from fires on Salisbury Plain today, after the Ministry of Defence confirmed that three blazes were caused by live firing in military training on Monday - with locals urged to keep their windows shut.The MoD said the largest fire near Urchfont is still 'well alight' although military personnel and firefighters have stopped it spreading further, while another near Enford is almost extinguished with damping down continuing. The fires are all within the 'impact area', which is the part of the MoD's training area which ordnance is fired at. There was also a major grass fire on the Pembrokeshire coast near the popular seaside resort of Tenby - after other blazes at a solar farm in Dorset, and in fields in Norfolk and North Yorkshire, all sparked by the blistering weather.Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said it was called to the grass fire near Monkstone Beach in Tenby at 2.35pm yesterday. Crews from two stations were deployed to the ten hectares of gorse and undergrowth on fire.They fought the blaze using two jets and beaters, and it was eventually brought under control, but some hotspots were left to smoulder overnight because of their inaccessible location. Fire crews continue to monitor it today.Meanwhile in Chorley, Lancashire fire crews in eight fire engines were fighting a huge blaze at the commercial premises of Clayton Hall landfill site – with the incident creating a large plume of smoke affecting nearby homes. Very high temperatures are also being seen in Spain, Portugal and France this week – with Seville hitting 42C (108F) amid a lack of rainfall, wildfires visible in Lisbon and temperatures of up to 39C (102F) in parts of France. Rail bosses say trains may have to be cancelled and speed restrictions imposed due to high track temperatures, doubling journey times for passengers – while the Met Office said roads could also be shut and flights cancelled.Some hospitals have already declared 'critical incidents' and every ambulance trust in England is on the highest level of alert, with patients already suffering up to 24-hour handover waits in A&E because of the heat.Councils have also warned binmen may be forced to halt collections and unions have urged firms to allow staff to work from home or leave the office early to avoid overheating at their desks or on their daily commute.But while workers have been seen walking with fans in an attempt to cool down, those Britons not at work are making the most of the balmy temperatures as they flock to beaches or splash about in fountains and streams.The Met Office and UK Health Security Agency expect the weather to be life-threatening with forecasts that the mercury could top 40C (104F) in Britain for the first time at some point between this Sunday and Tuesday.People are being encouraged to try to keep their homes cool, such as by closing blinds or curtains and keeping bedrooms well ventilated at night, drink plenty of fluids, avoid too much exercise, and stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day. In some areas, the heatwave follows months of below-average rainfall, and water companies are urging households to save water, as demand surges in the face of the high temperatures.Temperatures are set to hit 30C (86F) again today, before dipping slightly to 27C (81F) between tomorrow and Saturday – then soaring again from Sunday. Temperatures of up to 38C (100F) are currently forecast for London next Monday and Tuesday, and no respite is expected until next Wednesday when highs of 25C (77F) are due.It continues the prolonged hot spell that has seen highs of 31.7C (89.1F) in Surrey yesterday after 32C (90F) in London on Monday, 30.1C (86.2F) last Sunday, 27.5C (81.5F) last Saturday, and 29.3C (84.7F) last Friday.Last night was the second 'tropical night' in a row - a declaration made when temperatures do not fall below 20C (68F) all night. The lowest temperature in London overnight was 21.5C (70.7F) on what was the UK's warmest night of the year so far - one day after minimum overnight temperatures of 20.5C (68.9F) in Sheffield on Monday night. Despite the heat in recent days, June 17 still stands as the hottest day of 2022 so far when 32.7C (90.9F) was recorded in London. The UK's highest ever temperature was 38.7C (101.6F) in Cambridge on July 15, 2019. Smoke billows from a grass fire today above Monkstone Beach between Tenby and Saundersfoot in Pembrokeshire, Wales A grass fire has taken hold of land above Monkstone Beach between Tenby and Saundersfoot in Pembrokeshire today Smoke billows from a grass fire today above Monkstone Beach between Tenby and Saundersfoot in Pembrokeshire, Wales A grass fire has taken hold of land above Monkstone Beach between Tenby and Saundersfoot in Pembrokeshire today Smoke billows from a grass fire today above Monkstone Beach between Tenby and Saundersfoot in Pembrokeshire, Wales A grass fire has taken hold of land above Monkstone Beach between Tenby and Saundersfoot in Pembrokeshire today Smoke billows from a grass fire today above Monkstone Beach between Tenby and Saundersfoot in Pembrokeshire, Wales A grass fire has taken hold of land above Monkstone Beach between Tenby and Saundersfoot in Pembrokeshire today Smoke billows from a grass fire today above Monkstone Beach between Tenby and Saundersfoot in Pembrokeshire, Wales A grass fire has taken hold of land above Monkstone Beach between Tenby and Saundersfoot in Pembrokeshire today Smoke billows from a grass fire today above Monkstone Beach between Tenby and Saundersfoot in Pembrokeshire, Wales Residents in Chorley have been warned by firefighters to keep their doors and windows closed as they tackle a blaze today In Chorley, Lancashire, fire crews in eight fire engines were fighting a huge blaze at the Clayton Hall landfill site todayThe Government said ministers and officials are drawing up plans with the NHS and councils amid concerns the lives of vulnerable people, such as children, the elderly or those with existing health conditions, could be at risk.A spokesman for the Prime Minister said: 'There is significant work going on across government in making sure those who are most vulnerable to high temperatures are looked after and given the requisite advice.' What are the potential impacts of extreme heat during amber warning?The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for extreme heat for the whole on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, covering most of England and some of Wales. The extreme heat warning system ranges from yellow to red and indicates how likely and how much of an impact the weather will have on public life. An amber warning states that temperatures are likely to have a high impact.The warning for Sunday states: 'Some exceptionally high temperatures are possible during Sunday and could lead to widespread impacts on people and infrastructure'.Forecasters say the heatwave could impact the health of everyone – not only the vulnerable – while it could also impact electricity, gas and water supplies. Here is how it could impact different parts of daily life:RAIL TRAVELThe Met Office says that delays and cancellations to rail travel are possible with 'potential for significant welfare issues for those who experience even moderate delays'. Network Rail has warned that services across the UK may be subject to speed restrictions to avoid tracks buckling, with South Western Railway and Heathrow Express among the operators warning of potential disruption. West Midlands Trains imposed a 20mph limits yesterday on the route between Stratford-upon-Avon, Leamington Spa and Kidderminster.ROADS The Met Office says that delays on roads and road closures are possible during the heat alert period. The RAC has urged motorists to 'think carefully before they drive, and do everything they can to avoid a breakdown'. It says motorists should check the coolant and oil levels under the bonnet when the engine is cold. It added: 'If temperatures were to go as high as around 40c as some are predicting, then people should question their decision to drive in the first place.'Hampshire County Council is preparing to deploy gritters in response to melting roads, saying that the machines will be spreading light dustings of sand which 'acts like a sponge to soak up excess bitumen'.Motorists who find tar stuck to their tyres are advised to wash it off with warm soapy water.AIRPORTSThe Met Office has warned that air travel could also be disruption during the heat. This is because planes can become too heavy to take off in very hot weather due to reduced air density resulting in a lack of lift.This happened during a heatwave in summer 2018 at London City Airport when some passengers had to be removed so the services become light enough to take off on the relatively short runway.UTILITIESThe Met Office has warned that a failure of 'heat-sensitive systems and equipment' is possible. This could result in a loss of power and other essential services, such as water, electricity and gas. Hot weather can lead to high demand on the power network because people are turning on fans and air conditioning - and the heat can also lead to a drop in the efficiency of overhead power cables and transformers.WORKPLACESThe Met Office says that 'changes in working practices and daily routines will be required' in the extreme heat. There is no specific law for a maximum working temperature, or when it is too hot to work.But employers are expected to ensure that in offices or similar environments, the temperature in workplaces must be 'reasonable'. Companies must follow follow health and safety laws which include keeping the temperature at a comfortable level, known as 'thermal comfort'; and providing clean and fresh air.The Trades Union Congress says that during heatwaves staff should be allowed to start work earlier, or stay later, leave jackets and ties in the wardrobe and have regular breaks. It is also calling for an absolute maximum indoor temperature of 30C (86F) - or 27C (81F) for strenuous jobs - to legally indicate when work should stop.HEALTH The Met Office has said that adverse health effects could be 'experienced by all, not just limited to those most vulnerable to extreme heat, leading to serious illness or danger to life' during the amber warning. In addition, charity Asthma and Lung UK has warned up to three million asthma sufferers could be affected by high pollen levels, so should use their inhalers. SCHOOLS Plans to cope with the heat, created by the NHS and UKHSA, say children should not do 'vigorous physical activity' when temperatures rise above 30C (86F).Some sports days have been cancelled this week, while official advice suggests moving school start, end and break times to avoid the hottest points in the day.Official word from the Government on how schools should respond to the heat could be sent later this week - but it may be left to headteachers to decide.But critics questioned the need for a national emergency response, saying it was indicative of the 'snowflake Britain' we now live in.Sir John Hayes, chairman of the Common Sense Group of Conservative MPs, told the Daily Telegraph: 'It is not surprising that in snowflake Britain, the snowflakes are melting.'The idea that we clamour for hot weather for most of the year and then shutdown when it does heat up is indicative of the state in which we now live.'The Trades Union Congress called for a maximum indoor temperature of 30C (86F) – or 27C (81F) for those doing strenuous jobs – to indicate when work should legally stop. No official limit currently exists.It also wants companies to allow staff to come in earlier or stay later to 'avoid the stifling and unpleasant conditions of the rush-hour commute', adding: 'Bosses should consider enabling staff to work from home while it is hot.'This morning, the Met Office extended its rare 'amber' warning for extreme heat across large parts of England and Wales into the first two days of next week.The warning initially covered all day Sunday but will now run until 11.59pm on Tuesday, forecasters said. It is only the third time such a warning has been issued.The amber warning covering Sunday, Monday and Tuesday says there could be a danger to life or potential serious illness, with adverse health effects not just limited to the most vulnerable.There could also be road closures, and delays and cancellations to rail and air travel.Met Office forecaster Matthew Box said: 'As we get into Sunday it looks like we could see temperatures rise into the high 20s and into the low 30s as well but potentially a few spots getting 34C or 35C by Sunday and probably the same again on Monday.'We could see by Monday temperatures getting towards the mid or high 30s and there's about a 30 per cent chance we could see the UK record broken, most likely on Monday at the moment.'High temperatures may also last into Tuesday. 'It's looking like things are going to become hot or very hot as we go through the weekend and into next week,' Mr Box added.He explained the heatwave is a result of hot air flowing to the UK from the continent.He said: 'What happens as we get into the weekend, the high pressure becomes centred to the east of the UK and that allow a southerly flow of air to drag up, the very warm air that's over France at the moment, and drag it northwards to the UK over the weekend, perhaps more so on Sunday and into Monday.'Temperatures were hottest in London and the South of England yesterday as people flocked to beaches such as Bournemouth and Brighton.Others enjoyed city centre fountains and streams, such as in the River Darent in Eynsford, Kent. However, it was slightly cooler and cloudier in northern areas, with some light showers reported in the North West and Yorkshire.Overnight temperatures are also much warmer than normal, forecasters said.Monday night was officially 'tropical' in parts of Yorkshire and the East Midlands, with overnight temperatures not dipping below 20.5C (69F) in Sheffield.The hot weather is already causing problems across some services, with all ambulance trusts in England on the highest level of alert due to extreme pressures caused by high temperatures and Covid-19 absences among staff.One hospital reported an ambulance delayed for 24 hours outside A&E on Monday evening.Another trust, which runs the Queen Alexander Hospital, in Portsmouth, declared a 'critical incident' due to the weather and staff sickness.London Ambulance Service urged the public to support it as the heat continues by only calling 999 in the event of a life-threatening emergency, keeping hydrated and staying out of the sun during the hottest periods of the day.And South Oxfordshire District Council warned that bin collections may have to stop because of the heat - with residents advised to leave bins out for two days after their scheduled collection if they are not emptied.Warnings over delays to bin collections have also been issued for residents in Greenwich, South East London.Network Rail also said it was gearing up to implementing widespread speed restrictions to prevent tracks buckling.The firm, which is responsible for 20,000 miles of track in the UK, said that when air temperatures top 30C the temperature on the steel rails can be as much as 20C higher.A spokesman said journey times could be substantially longer due to the slower services and urged passengers to take plenty of water with them.Although water firms are not yet bringing in hosepipe bans, they admitted reservoir supplies are lower than average because of less rainfall than usual in 2022.They urged people to help conserve supplies, by turning off taps when brushing their teeth or washing dishes, running dishwashers only when full, switching the garden hose for watering cans, reusing paddling pool water for plants, letting the lawn go brown and avoiding washing cars. A group of women in the sea off Bournemouth beach in Dorset this morning as they enjoy the warm weatherTwo women enjoy the warm weather on Bournemouth beach today as the heatwave continues across England A group of young people play a ball game in the sea off Bournemouth beach this morning as they visit the Dorset coastPeople go into the sea and enjoy the warm weather on Bournemouth beach today as the heatwave continues across England Two men and a woman walk along the beach towards the sea at Bournemouth today as they enjoy the warm weather A woman poses for a photograph while enjoying the warm weather on Bournemouth beach in Dorset today Two people run along the promenade of Bournemouth beach in Dorset today as the heatwave continues across England A woman sits in the sunshine on Bournemouth beach today as she enjoys heatwave which continues across England Three people walk along the promenade at Bournemouth today as sunseekers head to the Dorset coast A man takes a photograph of a woman on Bournemouth beach in Dorset this morning as the heatwave continues Two women walk along the promenade of Bournemouth beach in Dorset today as the heatwave continues across EnglandYorkshire Water said it pumped 200 million litres more water than normal on Monday, an amount equivalent to supplying another city the size of Leeds. What are Britain's ten hottest days on record? 1) 38.7C - July 25, 20192) 38.5C - August 10, 20033) 37.8C - July 31, 20204) 37.1C - August 3, 1990=5) 36.7C - July 1, 2015=5) 36.7C - August 9, 19117) 36.6C - August 2, 19908) 36.5C - July 19, 2006=9) 36.4C - August 7, 2020=9) 36.4C - August 6, 2003The hot weather has already claimed the lives of two 16-year-old boys, with police and charities urging teenagers to think twice about jumping into rivers, lakes and reservoirs to cool off.The body of Jamie Lewin, from Southport, Merseyside, was recovered from a quarry in Appley Bridge, near Wigan, on Saturday.And Alfie McCraw, who was out celebrating the end of his GCSE examinations with friends, drowned after getting into difficulty while swimming in the Aire and Calder Navigation, near Southern Washlands, West Yorkshire, on Monday evening.The Royal Life Saving Society UK warned people about the dangers of trying to cool off in lakes, quarries, rivers and other waterways in the extremely hot weather.Meanwhile a sun cream brand is to stop producing products with an SPF of lower than 50 for children and 15 for adults to encourage customers to lower their risk of developing skin cancer.Boots' own-brand Soltan has stopped making SPF 30 products for children and SPF 8 products for adults as part of a partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support to improve awareness of sun safety.SPF (Sun protection factor) refers to the amount of UVB protection a product provides from the damaging effects of the sun. The higher the SPF, the greater the protection from UVB rays and sunburn and the lower the risk of developing skin cancer.Today, health minister Maria Caulfield said the Government is 'making sure that all NHS trusts are prepared' for the heatwave. A very dry Tooting Common in South London is pictured today following weeks of little rain amid the heatwave Dry ground on Tooting Common in South London is seen from the air today following weeks of low rainfall A very dry Tooting Common in South London is pictured today following weeks of little rain amid the heatwave Commuters travel on the Jubilee Line this morning during stifling temperatures on the London Underground network Passengers commute to work on the Jubilee line this morning as they continue to face high temperatures on the Underground Passengers commute to work on the Jubilee line this morning as they continue to face high temperatures on the Underground Passengers wait for the doors to close on a Jubilee line train at Bermondsey station in South East London this morning Three people run into the sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach in North Tyneside early this morning as the heatwave continues People in the sea at sunrise off Tynemouth Longsands beach in North Tyneside this morning amid the hot weather A beautiful sunrise over the River Thames at Gravesend in Kent this morning as the heatwave continues The sun rises over the River Thames at Gravesend in Kent this morning with more high temperatures on the way A beautiful sunrise over the River Thames at Gravesend in Kent this morning as the heatwave continues The sun rises over the River Thames at Gravesend in Kent this morning with more high temperatures on the way She was speaking in response to an urgent question from Labour in the House of Commons about ambulance services and the declaration of a national heatwave emergency. Islanders are struck by severe water shortage for second day running after SECOND main pipe burstThousands of residents and holidaymakers on a Kent island have been struck by a severe water shortage for the second day running after a second main pipe burst as temperatures continue to soar.Homes and businesses on the Isle of Sheppey off the north Kent mainland have either been left with no water or seen tap pressure drop after a pipe burst yesterday.A number of schools were even forced to close because of the incident as well as supermarkets - but islanders are facing further misery after water bosses revealed there had been a second burst pipe.Water bottle stations have been set up around the island, which has a population of more than 40,000 people not including holidaymakers. Around 300,000 litres of water has been delivered to the emergency bottle banks which opened at the seaside resort.Southern Water said today that it had repaired the pipe which had initially bust yesterday, but added that it was then hit by a second burst overnight.In a statement, Southern said: 'We are extremely sorry that homes and businesses on the Isle of Sheppey are still without water as people wake up this morning*- and the hot weather continues.'Our teams worked tirelessly to repair the burst main last night, and while the initial burst was fixed, when the network filled unfortunately another took place. Teams onsite are working to fix this as quickly as possible.'Our priority remains providing water to all those affected. Bottled water stations are open and we are continuing to deliver to our priority services customers.'Thank you to the community for their understanding and patience during this difficult time, and to our partner agencies, including the emergency services, who are helping with this effort.'Southern Water said it had repaired two large leaks in its network and and supplies returned the Island just after 9pm last night. But it stressed that it would take time to 'recharge the network'.Swimming pools on the island also closed their doors because there was no water for toilets.Angela Harrison, a councillor for Swale Borough Council on the island said: 'It's about time they replaced all the pipes. The one thing that is essential is water, and these pipes keep on bursting, which is not good at all.'All of the main supermarkets are closed and the water delivery was late this morning. There were around 500 people waiting for water and piles of cars queuing from all directions.'She said: 'I will be meeting all 11 ambulance trusts over the coming days to make sure that they have the capacity and resilience they need not just to deal with the pressures now, not just to deal with the pressures with the warm weather, but to prepare for the winter pressures that we know will be inevitable and forthcoming.'She said she has set out a heatwave plan for England, published earlier this year, adding: 'We are making sure that all NHS trusts are prepared.'But ministers faced calls to arrange an emergency Cobra meeting as soon as possible as the impact of the heatwave on the NHS was described as what the UK 'would normally see in winter'.Liberal Democrat health spokeswoman Daisy Cooper said: 'We are now facing warnings of extreme weather this weekend. The Government needs to reinstate the funding for discharge packages into social care homes, we need primary care to be used to stabilise people in communities, and we must be using first responders from the fire service.'Will the minister agree to convene an urgent meeting of Cobra today to protect patients and paramedics who are really operating at the brink?'Ms Caulfield replied: 'We have put additional investment this year, over £150 million of extra funding, into the ambulance service to help meet demands, because they have got significant demands, and for this time of year these are the sort of rates we would normally see in winter, and we are doing exactly that.'We have got a heatwave plan which was published earlier this year, we are confident and working with all NHS trusts to make sure that they have got the support that they need and all the ambulance trusts too.'It comes as all ambulance services in England are on the highest level of alert and are under 'extreme pressure'.A combination of Covid absences among staff, difficulty caused by the hot weather and ongoing delays in handing over patients to A&E has left ambulance trusts struggling to cope.All 10 ambulance services have confirmed they were on the highest level of alert after the Health Service Journal (HSJ) first reported they were.West Midlands Ambulance Service said it had been on the highest level of alert - known as REAP 4 - for a few months, while South Central Ambulance Service said it was also at REAP 4, which means trusts are under 'extreme pressure'.South Central added that it had also declared a critical incident 'due to current pressures on our services'.It said in a statement: 'We continue to prioritise our response to those patients with life-threatening and serious emergencies but, due to the current levels of pressure we are seeing, there will be delays in responding to other patients with less urgent needs who are assessed as requiring an ambulance response.'We are experiencing an increasing number of 999 calls into our service, combined with patients calling back if there is a delay in our response to them. As a result, our capacity to take calls is being severely challenged.'This is combined with the challenges of handing patients over to busy hospitals across our region and a rise in Covid infections, as well as other respiratory illnesses, among both staff and in our communities. An 'amber' extreme heat Met Office warning covering much of England and Wales on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday says there could be a danger to life or potential serious illness, with adverse health effects not just limited to the most vulnerable Smoke billows from wildfires on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire yesterday after live firing during military training on Monday Training safety officials at the scene of the Salisbury Plain wildfires in Wiltshire yesterday - which are continuing today Dozens of ambulances are pictured queuing outside the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Treliske on Monday at about 4.30pmTwitter users posted memes saying it was 'too hot to sleep' last night as parts of England experience an official 'tropical night''This week we are also faced with high temperatures across our region which we know will lead to an increase in demand on our service. All of these issues combined are impacting on our ability to respond to patients.' How to look after your wellbeing in heatwave At what point should you be concerned that symptoms you feel in the heat might point something more worrying? Here, doctors tell you what to look out for:- Loss of appetite'In hot weather, you may notice a decrease in your appetite,' says Dr Bryony Henderson, lead GP at digital healthcare provider, Livi. 'This is because our bodies are trying to regulate our body temperature by cutting down on heat-generating functions like the digestion of food. However, if you have been experiencing a persistent loss of appetite that doesn't seem to be related to a simple explanation, such as the hot weather, consult with your GP.'- Feeling thirstyIt is important to stay hydrated during a heatwave, particularly as you might be losing more fluids than normal due to sweat. But what if your thirst feels like it just cannot be quenched? This could be 'a sign of high sugar or diabetes', said Dr Angela Rai, GP at The London General Practice, so you might want to see a doctor.- BreathlessnessBreathlessness could be a sign of heat exhaustion - along with dizziness, headaches, cramps and nausea. Dr Henderson says: 'It's important to take action to cool your body down quickly and avoid heatstroke. Move to a shady area or cool room as soon as possible, then lie down and raise your feet slightly. 'Make sure to drink plenty of water or a sports drink. Cool your skin by spraying it with tepid water or switching on a fan, and, if you can, try placing ice packs on your groin, armpits or neck. If you're still feeling unwell 30 minutes after cooling down, call emergency services.' If breathlessness persists - or you suspect it is not due to the heat - Dr Rai says it can also be a sign of heart or lung conditions. She recommended watching out for signs of wheezing, as this could potentially signal 'an underlying lung condition'.- Fingers swellingIf you regularly wear rings, you will be well acquainted with the feeling of panic when you realise your fingers have swollen up in the heat, making it difficult to slide them off. And it is not just your fingers - your shoes might feel tighter, too. Dr Henderson said this is 'because the blood vessels in our bodies expand to send more blood to the skin to cool down the body'. There is a simple fix for it though - 'Running your hands under a cool tap can help to reduce swelling and remember to keep hydrated by drinking plenty of water,' she says. While fingers and feet typically do swell in the heat, Dr Rai adds: 'It can also be linked to autoimmune and rheumatological conditions.' - Clammy skinFeeling sweaty is part and parcel of extreme temperatures. However, if your normal sweating is coupled with pale and clammy skin, Dr Rai said this can be associated with heart conditions, especially if there is also chest pain. She added: 'If there is chest pain and sweating, this could be angina or even signs of a heart attack, and urgent medical attention is required.'A North West Ambulance Service spokesman said: 'As a result of the recent warm weather and increased demand, we have decided to step up to Level 4 of Resource Escalation Action Plan (REAP).'In moving to REAP Level 4, we will be maximising all available resources, increasing staffing levels in emergency call centres and on the road.'We urge the public to reserve the 999 service for emergencies only and consider if their GP, pharmacist or 111.nhs.uk could provide them with the medical help they need.'South East Coast Ambulance Service confirmed it moved to REAP 4 this week.A London Ambulance Service spokesman said it had moved to REAP 4 'as a result of a sustained demand on both our 999 and 111 services, and with hot weather set to continue over the next few days'.He added: 'The public can support us by only calling 999 in the event of a life-threatening emergency and by taking steps to keep hydrated and stay out of the sun at the hottest periods of the day.'South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust also confirmed it was at REAP 4, as did the East Midlands Ambulance Service, the East of England Ambulance Service and the Yorkshire Ambulance Service.North East Ambulance Service said it increased its alert level on Monday.Donna Hay, strategic commander at the service, said: 'As a result of sustained pressure on our service and wider system pressures, as well as anticipated pressure continuing over the next week, including a potential increase in heat-related incidents, we made a decision to increase our operational alert level to four on 11 July.'The public can continue to support us by only calling 999 in a life-threatening emergency.'Shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting, said: 'Twelve years of Conservative mismanagement has left our ambulance service in crisis. Patients are left for far longer than is safe and lives are being lost as a result.'According to HSJ, West Midlands had more than half of its ambulance crews queued outside hospitals at o | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
LONDON (AP) — Britain shattered its record for highest temperature ever registered Tuesday amid a heat wave that has seared swaths of Europe — and the national weather forecaster predicted it would get hotter still in a country ill prepared for such extremes.
The typically temperate nation was just the latest to be walloped by unusually hot, dry weather that has triggered wildfires from Portugal to the Balkans and led to hundreds of heat-related deaths. Images of flames racing toward a French beach and Britons sweltering — even at the seaside — have driven home concerns about climate change.
WATCH: Europe struggles with major wildfires and energy uncertainty amid ‘heat apocalypse’
The U.K. Met Office registered a provisional reading of 40.2 degrees Celsius (104.4 degrees Fahrenheit) at Heathrow Airport in early afternoon — breaking the record set just an hour earlier and with hours of intense sunshine still to go. Before Tuesday, the highest temperature recorded in Britain was 38.7 C (101.7 F), set in 2019.
As the nation watched the mercury rise with a combination of horror and fascination, the forecaster warned temperatures could go higher still.
The sweltering weather has disrupted travel, health care and schools in a country not prepared for such extremes. Many homes, small businesses and even public buildings, including hospitals, don’t even have air conditioning, a reflection of how unusual such heat is in the country better known for rain and mild temperatures.
The intense heat since Monday has damaged the runway at London’s Luton airport, forcing it to shut for several hours, and warped a main road in eastern England, leaving it looking like a “skatepark,” police said. Major train stations were shut or near-empty on Tuesday, as trains were canceled or ran at low speeds out of concern rails could buckle.
Electric fans cooled the traditional mounted troops of the Household Cavalry as they stood guard in central London in heavy ceremonial uniforms. Other guards reduced their duties. The capital’s Hyde Park, normally busy with walkers, was eerily quiet — except for the long lines to take a dip in the Serpentine lake.
“I’m going to my office because it is nice and cool,” said geologist Tom Elliott, 31, after taking a swim. “I’m cycling around instead of taking the Tube.”
Queen Elizabeth II carried on working. The 96-year-old monarch held a virtual audience with new U.S. ambassador Jane Hartley from the safety of inside Windsor Castle.
A huge chunk of England, from London in the south to Manchester and Leeds in the north, remained under the country’s first “red” warning for extreme heat Tuesday, meaning there is danger of death even for healthy people.
Such dangers could be seen in Britain and around Europe. At least six people were reported to have drowned across the U.K. in rivers, lakes and reservoirs while trying to cool off. Meanwhile, nearly 750 heat-related deaths have been reported in Spain and neighboring Portugal in the heat wave there.
The highest temperature previously recorded in Britain was 38.7 C (101.7 F), a record set in 2019. Tuesday’s reading was provisional, which means they are produced as near to real time as possible with final readings issued after data quality-control, the Met Office said.
Climate experts warn that global warming has increased the frequency of extreme weather events, with studies showing that the likelihood of temperatures in the U.K. reaching 40 C (104 F) is now 10 times higher than in the pre-industrial era.
The head of the U.N. weather agency expressed hope that the heat gripping Europe would serve as a “wake-up call” for governments to do more on climate change.
“I hope that also in democratic countries, these kind of events will have an impact on voting behavior,” World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Petteri Taalas told reporters Tuesday in Geneva.
Combatting climate change head on is the only solution for Britain, said Professor Myles Allen, a climate scientist at the University of Oxford, because continually refurbishing the country’s infrastructure to cope will be “extremely expensive.”
“We cannot afford to live in an ever-changing climate,” he told the BBC. “We have to stop this, turn this around.”
Drought and heat waves tied to climate change have also made wildfires harder to fight.
WATCH: The underlying reasons for Europe’s extreme heat
In the Gironde region of southwestern France, ferocious wildfires continued to spread through tinder-dry pines forests, frustrating firefighting efforts by more than 2,000 firefighters and water-bombing planes.
Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from homes and summer vacation spots since the fires broke out July 12, Gironde authorities said.
A smaller third fire broke out late Monday in the Medoc wine region north of Bordeaux, further taxing firefighting resources. Five camping sites went up in flames in the Atlantic coast beach zone where blazes raged around the Arcachon maritime basin famous for its oysters and resorts.
But weather forecasts offered some consolation, with temperatures expected to ease along the Atlantic seaboard Tuesday and the possibility of rains rolling in late in the day.
Britain was not the only northern European country experiencing unusual heat. As Amsterdam baked Tuesday, municipal workers sprayed water on some mechanical bridges over the Dutch city’s canals to prevent metal in them from expanding, which can jam them shut blocking boat traffic. Temperatures in the city are expected to approach 39 C (102 F) on Tuesday.
Associated Press writers John Leicester in Le Pecq, France, Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, and Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed to this story. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Deaths from widespread flooding in Pakistan topped 1,000 since mid-June, officials said Sunday, as the country’s climate minister called the deadly monsoon season “a serious climate catastrophe.”Flash flooding from the heavy rains has washed away villages and crops as soldiers and rescue workers evacuated stranded residents to the safety of relief camps and provided food to thousands of displaced Pakistanis.Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority reported the death toll since the monsoon season began earlier than normal this year — in mid- June — reached 1,033 people after new fatalities were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southern Sindh provinces.Sherry Rehman, a Pakistani senator and the country's top climate official, said in a video posted on Twitter that Pakistan is experiencing a “serious climate catastrophe, one of the hardest in the decade.”“We are at the moment at the ground zero of the front line of extreme weather events, in an unrelenting cascade of heatwaves, forest fires, flash floods, multiple glacial lake outbursts, flood events and now the monster monsoon of the decade is wreaking non-stop havoc throughout the country," she said. The on-camera statement was retweeted by the country’s ambassador to the European Union.Flooding from the Swat River overnight affected northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where tens of thousands of people — especially in the Charsadda and Nowshehra districts — have been evacuated from their homes to relief camps set up in government buildings. Many have also taken shelter on roadsides, said Kamran Bangash, a spokesperson for the provincial government. Bangash said some 180,000 people have been evacuated from Charsadda and 150,000 from Nowshehra district villages. Khaista Rehman, 55, no relation to the climate minister, took shelter with his wife and three children on the side of the Islamabad-Peshawar highway after his home in Charsadda was submerged overnight.“Thank God we are safe now on this road quite high from the flooded area," he said. "Our crops are gone and our home is destroyed but I am grateful to Allah that we are alive and I will restart life with my sons.”The unprecedented monsoon season has affected all four of the country's provinces. Nearly 300,000 homes have been destroyed, numerous roads rendered impassable and electricity outages have been widespread, affecting millions of people. Pope Francis on Sunday said he wanted to assure his “closeness to the populations of Pakistan struck by flooding of disastrous proportions.’’ Speaking during a pilgrimage to the Italian town of L’Aquila, which was hit by a deadly earthquake in 2009, Francis said he was praying “for the many victims, for the injured and the evacuated, and so that international solidarity will be prompt and generous.”Rehman told Turkish news outlet TRT World that by the time the rains recede, "we could well have one fourth or one third of Pakistan under water.”“This is something that is a global crisis and of course we will need better planning and sustainable development on the ground. ... We’ll need to have climate resilient crops as well as structures,” she said.In May, Rehman told BBC Newshour that both the country’s north and south were witnessing extreme weather events because of rising temperatures. “So in north actually just now we are ... experiencing what is known as glacial lake outburst floods which we have many of because Pakistan is home to the highest number of glaciers outside the polar region."The government has deployed soldiers to help civilian authorities in rescue and relief operations across the country. The Pakistani army also said in a statement it airlifted a 22 tourists trapped in a valley in the country's north to safety.Prime Minister Shabaz Sharif visited flooding victims in city of Jafferabad in Baluchistan. He vowed the government would provide housing to all those who lost their homes.___Associated Press writers Riaz Khan in Peshawar, Asim Tanveer in Multan, Pakistan, and Frances D’Emilio in Rome contributed. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
New satellite images show the extent of the devastation caused by catastrophic flooding and rains in Pakistan.The images, from Planet Labs and Maxar, show swaths of green fields, villages and buildings before monsoonal rains and flooding began lashing the country in June.Satellite images reveal the same areas months or weeks later covered in brown water. In some parts roads have disappeared and flood waters have created their own rivers.The pictures depict severe flooding across the country, from Sindh province in the south, to the Kabul river in the north.Before-and-after images of the Kabul river in northern Pakistan. Before-and-after images of the Kabul river in northern Pakistan.The floods, described by prime minister Shebaz Sharif as the worst in Pakistan’s history, have so far killed more than 1,100 people and displaced millions. Sharif said it would cost at least $10bn to repair damaged infrastructure spread across the country.Flooding in Nowshera, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Flooding in Nowshera, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, east of Peshawar.More than 33 million people, or one in seven Pakistanis, have been affected by the flooding.Around a half million of those displaced are living in organised camps, while others have had to find their own shelter.A satellite image shows before and after flooding in Gudpur, Pakistan. A wide satellite image of before and after the floods in Gudpur, PakistanThe rains that began in June have washed away vital crops and damaged or destroyed more than a million homes.Authorities and charities are struggling to accelerate aid delivery to those affected, a challenging task in areas cut off because many roads and bridges have been critically damaged.Displaced people have been wandering what dry land remains, seeking shelter, food and drinking water.Flooding in Gudpur, PakistanA close up satellite image from before and after the floods in Gudpur, PakistanSharif said the floods badly destroyed crops, and his government was considering importing wheat to avoid any shortage of food. Pakistan receives heavy, and often destructive, rains during its annual monsoon season, which are crucial for agriculture and water supplies. But such intense downpours have not been seen for three decades.Gudpur, PakistanA close up satellite image from before and after the floods in Gudpur, PakistanPakistani officials and others have blamed climate change, which is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather around the world.UN secretary-general António Guterres said Pakistan’s flooding were a signal to the world to step up action against climate change.Hala, Sindh province. Flooding in Hala, Sindh province, the worst affected area in Pakistan“Let’s stop sleepwalking toward the destruction of our planet by climate change,” he said in a video message to an Islamabad ceremony launching the funding appeal. “Today, it’s Pakistan. Tomorrow, it could be your country.”The disaster comes at a difficult time for Pakistan, where the economy is in freefall. Appealing for international help, the government has declared an emergency. The UN launched a formal $160m appeal on Tuesday to fund emergency aid.Before and after, Mianwali.Before and after the floods in Mianwali, Punjab“Pakistan is awash in suffering. The Pakistani people are facing a monsoon on steroids – the relentless impact of epochal levels of rain and flooding,” Guterres said.Agence France-Presse and Associated Press contributed to this report. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
A residential cul-de-sac is covered in floodwaters after heavy rain in Chehalis, Washington, U.S., January 7, 2022. Picture taken with a drone. REUTERS/Nathan HowardRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comLONDON, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Worsening droughts, storms and torrential rain in some of the world's largest economies could cause $5.6 trillion in losses to GDP by 2050, according to a report released Monday.This year heavy rains have triggered floods that inundated cities in China and South Korea and disrupted water and electricity supply in India, while drought has put farmers' harvests at risk across Europe. read more Such disasters are costing the global economy hundreds of billions of dollars. Last year's extreme droughts, floods and storms led to global losses of more than $224 billion, according to the Emergency Events Database maintained by the Brussels-based Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comBut as climate change fuels more intense rainfall, flooding and drought in coming decades, these costs are set to soar, warns the report by engineering and environmental consultancy firm GHD. read more Water – when there's too much or too little – can "be the most destructive force that a community can experience," said Don Holland, who leads GHD's Canadian water market programme.GHD assessed the water risks in seven countries representing varied economic and climatic conditions: the United States, China, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates and Australia. Using global insurance data and scientific studies on how extreme events can affect different sectors, the team estimated the amount of losses countries face in terms of immediate costs as well as to the overall economy.In the United States, the world's biggest economy, losses could total $3.7 trillion by 2050, with U.S. gross domestic product shrinking by about 0.5% each year up until then. China, the world's No. 2 economy, faces cumulative losses of around $1.1 billion by mid-century.Of the five business sectors most vital to the global economy, manufacturing and distribution would be hit hardest by disasters costing $4.2 trillion as water scarcity disrupts production while storms and floods destroy infrastructure and inventory. read more The agricultural sector, vulnerable to both drought and extreme rainfall, could see $332 billion in losses by 2050. Other sectors facing major challenges are retail, banking and energy.At this year's World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, a global group of experts launched a new commission to research the economics of water that aims to advise policymakers on water management. read more We must "transform how we govern water and the climate together," said commission co-chair Tharman Shanmugaratnam. "The costs of doing so are not trivial, but they are dwarfed by the costs of letting extreme weather wreak havoc."Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Gloria Dickie; Editing by Katy Daigle and Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
KENTUCKY -- At least 16 people are dead following catastrophic flooding in Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear said Friday. That number is expected to double and includes children, he told CNN earlier, as rescuers scramble to reach areas difficult to access."It's going to get a lot higher," Beshear said at a news conference Friday morning."There's going to be multiple families that we've lost," Beshear told Brianna Keilar on CNN's "New Day" earlier. "Kids that won't get the opportunity to grow up and experience so much that we have.""This is so deadly, and it hit so hard, and it hit in the middle of the night," the governor said, adding that although eastern Kentucky often floods, "we've never seen something like this."Rescuers are working around the clock to reach areas where flooding washed away roads or left them under water after heavy rain Wednesday night into Thursday.Live updates: Deadly flooding in eastern Kentucky"Whole roads washed out -- we still can't get to a lot of people. There is so much water. The current is so strong. It is not safe for some of the water rescues that we need to do," Beshear said.Swollen floodwaters washed out bridges, wiped out power and sent some residents scrambling to their rooftops as water gushed into their homes. Some families' houses and cars were submerged or swept away completely by the flooding, which has been exacerbated by creeks and grounds already soaked from ongoing rainfall.Houses were "completely swept away in the middle of the night," possibly while residents were sleeping, Beshear said.Hundreds of Kentuckians have lost everything they have, the governor said.Hazard, Kentucky, mayor: 'It's devastating'People around the city of Hazard, in the southeast of Kentucky, are "so overwhelmed, we don't really know what to ask for," Mayor Donald "Happy" Mobelini told CNN Friday morning."In downtown Hazard, we don't really have a ton of property damage here. But in the outlying areas, it's devastating," said Mobelini.Some houses are flooded that have stood for 50 or even 75 years without water ever coming close to them, he said.Seven of the city's nine bridges are impassable, and "that's unheard of," the mayor said.The town is bracing for news of more deaths, he said."Today will be the sad day," Mobelini said. "It's all sad. . . but this is the first time I remember that there's been a loss of life, and at this point we don't know what that looks like."More rainfall expectedBeshear warned Thursday that the destruction is far from over as more rainfall is expected Friday. Eastern Kentucky has a slight to moderate risk of flash flooding through Friday evening as an additional 1 to 3 inches is possible throughout the day, according to the Weather Prediction Center.And in the region of Jackson, Kentucky, downstream from the hardest-hit flood areas, "streams continue to rise due to excess runoff from earlier rainfall," the National Weather Service office there said Friday.An elderly man and woman died after being swept from their homes in the Oneida Community near Manchester, Kentucky, according to Clay County Coroner Jarrod Becknell. The man was 76 years old and the woman was in her late 60s or early 70s, Deputy Coroner Joe Crockett said.It is not clear whether the two deaths are included in the statewide toll that Beshear announced.On Thursday evening, Kentucky officials recommended that people evacuate the homes and businesses in the floodplain of Panbowl Lake in Jackson, citing the Kentucky River's rising water level and a "muddy discharge" seen near the lake's dam. A portion of Kentucky Route 15 was also closed Thursday night.Parts of West Virginia and western Virginia also experienced severe flooding Thursday and are expected to receive more rainfall Friday. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued a statewide emergency declaration, and West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice declared a state of emergency for Fayette, Greenbrier, Logan, McDowell, Mingo and Wyoming counties, according to news releases from the governors' offices.Much of West Virginia is in the moderate risk for flash flooding on Friday, according to the Weather Prediction Center. The southwest region of Virginia is also at risk of flooding Friday with between one and two inches of rain possible, and potentially more in some local areas, according to the National Weather Service in Blacksburg, Virginia.In a White House briefing Thursday, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that Deanne Criswell, the administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will travel to Kentucky Friday to survey the damage and report back to President Joe Biden.FEMA has also sent rescue personnel and an incident management assistance team to aid in the state's rescue efforts, she said.Beshear sent a direct request to Biden requesting federal assistance for eastern Kentucky, the governor said in a tweet.Rescues complicated by widespread water, power outagesAs floodwaters rose to dangerous levels, some Kentuckians quickly became trapped and were unable to safely escape. Hundreds of boat rescues and 50 air rescues have been made, Beshear said Friday.The National Guard from multiple states is assisting rescue efforts, he said.In Floyd County, approximately 80 people have been rescued since heavy rains began in the area Tuesday, county Judge-Executive Robbie Williams told CNN."I've never seen this much water before," Williams said. "I mean it just absolutely poured and we've got, you know, some small towns that are completely underwater."Widespread water and power outages in the region are hindering recovery efforts, Beshear said Thursday. He noted that the flooding is making it difficult for utility workers to access areas needed to restore power.More that 23,000 customers were without power across the state as of early Friday, according to PowerOutage.us.The state also has a limited number of helicopters that are capable of hoisting people into the air, the governor said. In an effort to assist the state's recovery efforts, both West Virginia and Tennessee sent helicopters with hoisting abilities to Kentucky.West Virginia has also deployed National Guard troops to aid its neighboring state, Gov. Justice announced.Communities also jumped into action to help their neighbors, including residents in the town of Whitesburg."We took kayaks, jet skis, boats, chainsaws and hatchets to every place that we could," resident Zach Caudill told CNN. Caudill's home only suffered from a few inches of flooding, but he said several of his neighbors lost their homes completely.Caudill grabbed bandages, gauze, medicine, menstrual supplies, food, water, and blankets from his home to take to others, he said."Everyone was there trying to lend a hand and help. That's how tight-knit our community is," Caudill said. "When one of us hurts, we all hurt."Kentucky State Police are asking residents of at least eight counties to call them if they have missing family members and to provide information on their loved ones. The counties include Wolfe, Owsley, Breathitt, Knott, Leslie, Letcher, Pike and Perry.Climate crisis drives more intense floodingKentucky was one of several states, including Missouri and Arizona, that experienced severe flooding on Thursday amid increasingly extreme weather events that are amplified by the climate crisis.In St. Louis, record-breaking rainfall at the beginning of the week triggered dangerous flash floods that have continued for days and left at least one person dead.As global temperatures climb, the atmosphere is able to hold more and more water, making water vapor more abundantly available to fall as rain.Rainfall over land has become more intense since the 1980s, according to the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The report's authors say human influence is the main driver.Human-caused fossil fuel emissions have warmed the planet a little more than 1 degree Celsius, on average, with more intense warming over land areas. Scientists are increasingly confident in the role that the climate crisis plays in extreme weather, and have warned that these events will become more intense and more dangerous with every fraction of a degree of warming.The-CNN-Wire & 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Wildfires and heatwaves wreaking havoc across swathes of the globe show humanity facing “collective suicide”, the UN secretary general has warned, as governments around the world scramble to protect people from the impacts of extreme heat.António Guterres told ministers from 40 countries meeting to discuss the climate crisis on Monday: “Half of humanity is in the danger zone, from floods, droughts, extreme storms and wildfires. No nation is immune. Yet we continue to feed our fossil fuel addiction.”He added: “We have a choice. Collective action or collective suicide. It is in our hands.”Wildfires raged at the weekend across Europe and north America. In south America, the Macchu Picchu archaeological site was threatened by fire. Extreme heat has broken records around the world in recent months, as heatwaves have struck India and south Asia, droughts have devastated parts of Africa, and unprecedented heatwaves at both poles simultaneously astonished scientists in March.In the UK, an extreme heat warning was issued with the hottest temperatures ever recorded in the UK expected on Monday and highs above 40C forecast in some places.Ministers meeting in Berlin for a two-day climate conference known as the Petersberg Climate Dialogue will discuss the extreme weather, as well as soaring prices for fossil fuels and food, and the impacts of the climate crisis. The meeting, convened annually for the last 13 years by the German government, marks one of the last opportunities to hammer out agreement among key countries before the Cop27 UN climate summit in Egypt this November.Alok Sharma, who chaired the Cop26 UN climate summit in Glasgow last November, will be absent from the Berlin conference, though he will join several sessions virtually. He must stay in London to vote in the Conservative party leadership contest, which will determine who takes over as UK prime minister from Boris Johnson. The UK still holds the presidency of the UN talks until Egypt takes on the mantle, and Sharma’s absence raised eyebrows among some participants.António Guterres: ‘We have a choice. Collective action or collective suicide. It is in our hands.’ Photograph: Lev Radin/Pacific Press/Rex/ShutterstockProspects for Cop27 have dimmed considerably in recent months, as energy and food price rises have engulfed governments in an inflationary cost-of-living crisis, prompted in part by the gradual emergence from the Covid-19 pandemic, and exacerbated by the war in Ukraine.At Cop26, countries agreed to limit global heating to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, but the commitments they made were still inadequate to do so. All countries agreed to come forward this year with improved national plans for greenhouse gas emissions, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs).Sign up to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every weekday morning at 7am BSTFrans Timmermans, the vice president of the European Commission, who leads the EU bloc at the UN climate talks, dampened expectations for the conference in an interview with Guardian. “I don’t see that many new NDCs on the horizon, frankly,” he said, pointing to Australia, with its new government, as a rare exception.Sameh Shoukry, Egypt’s foreign minister and the president of Cop27, will attend the Berlin talks this week, but his presence will be overshadowed by concerns over Egypt’s own recently submitted NDC. The plan disappointed many observers, who had hoped for much greater levels of ambition, to set an example to other emerging economies.Guterres also sharply criticised the “multilateral development banks”, institutions including the World Bank that are funded by taxpayers in the rich world to provide assistance to poor countries.He said they were not fit for purpose when it came to providing the funding needed for the climate crisis, and that they should be reformed.He said: “As shareholders of multilateral development banks, developed countries must demand immediate delivery of the investments and assistance needed to expand renewable energy and build climate-resilience in developing countries. Demand that these banks become fit-for-purpose. Demand that they change their tired frameworks and policies to take more risk … Let’s show developing countries that they can rely on their partners.” | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
The World Meteorological Organization, WMO, warns heatwaves, raging wildfires and record-breaking temperatures are becoming normal because of climate change. Meteorologists say the scorching heatwave sweeping Europe is likely to last well into the middle of next week, smashing more temperature records as it continues. They warn the time between heatwaves is becoming shorter, noting the current event was preceded by a similar one in June. And they say the likelihood of a third heatwave occurring before summer ends is strong. WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said he has no doubt as to what is behind the phenomenon. “Thanks to climate change, we have started breaking records nationally and also regionally,” Taalas said. “In the future, these kinds of heatwaves are going to be normal, and we will see even stronger extremes.” He said people have pumped so much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that the negative trend will continue for decades. Those who will suffer most, he said, are the elderly and sick. The WMO chief said more frequent, intense heatwaves also will have a major adverse effect on agriculture. “In the previous heatwaves in Europe, we lost big parts of harvest, and under the current situation we are already having this global food crisis,” Taalas said. “Because of the war in Ukraine, this heatwave is going to have a further negative impact on agricultural activities.” A young woman refills her bottle with water from the Fontana della Barcaccia at Piazza di Spagna in Rome, July 19, 2022, amid a fierce heatwave sweeping Europe. The World Health Organization’s director of environment and health, Maria Neira, said heat compromises the body’s ability to regulate its internal temperature. She warned that will lead to a cascade of illnesses, including heat cramps, heat stroke and hyperthermia. “We are very much concerned that when this heatwave coincides as well with high levels of pollution in the form that will exacerbate the respiratory, cardiovascular and general diseases and conditions,” Neira said. “And this is a major concern, as well for those big urban spaces where the cities that are not well adapted to cope with these high temperatures.” Scientists emphasize climate change is happening even faster than drafters of the Paris climate change agreement anticipated. They note warming in many regions already has surpassed 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The WMO’s Taalas said the world is heading for 2.5 degrees Celsius warming, which means heatwaves and other extreme weather events will become a normal part of life. He said that should be a wake-up call for human beings. A man uses cool morning hours for a run on a small road in the outskirts of Frankfurt, Germany, Monday, July 18, 2022. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
A second day of extreme heat has widened disruption on Britain’s railways, with two of the main lines closed and speed restrictions slowing trains around the country.Record rail track temperatures of 62C were recorded in Suffolk on Monday, with even higher temperatures expected on Tuesday.The rising temperatures led Network Rail and train operators overnight to intensify advice to avoid trains to a stark “do not travel” warning for services north out of London, with problems such as buckled rails and broken wires expected to multiply during the day.The east coast mainline was closed entirely between London and Leeds and York, stopping intercity LNER trains and Thameslink services.The Midland mainline between Derby, Nottingham and London was also closed from lunchtime as it grew hotter – stopping fast services to London Luton airport, which reopened yesterday evening after heat-related defects closed its runway to flights.Remaining intercity services on Avanti West Coast, West Midlands and Chiltern were also disrupted.A dozen buckled rails were reported on Monday around Britain, while overhead lines were broken in two places in the norte-east.Jake Kelly, the Network Rail operations director, said it had “not taken the decision lightly” to upgrade the travel advice, adding that any journey within the Met Office’s “red zone” of high heat was “going to be long, disrupted and uncomfortable”.Most London underground and overground trains were running with severe delays, with parts of lines suspended due to heat. Transport for London advised against all non-essential travel on Monday and Tuesday.Drivers stayed away from city centres, with congestion levels down significantly in London, Birmingham and Manchester in the morning peak from a week ago, according to data from the satnav firm TomTom.Sign up to the daily Business Today email or follow Guardian Business on Twitter at @BusinessDeskThe transport secretary, Grant Shapps, said it could take decades to upgrade existing lines to be more resilient, with the UK’s Victorian-era infrastructure “not built to withstand this type of temperature”.He said the railways, as well as many tarmac roads, would require a “long process of replacing it and upgrading it to withstand temperatures, either very hot or sometimes much colder than we’ve been used to, and these are the impacts of global warming”.Asked if the transport system could cope with the extreme weather, Shapps replied: “The simple answer at the moment is no.” | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
All trains out of Kings Cross, Euston and Birmingham New Street were cancelled today as Britain's rail network ground to a halt after temperatures soared past 40C (104F). Transport Secretary Grant Shapps today admitted the UK's infrastructure 'can't cope' with the extreme weather and said it will take 'decades' to adapt to rising temperatures caused by climate change. Britain's heatwave travel chaos TRAINSSerious disruption (red): Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Elizabeth Line, Grand Central, Great Western, Greater Anglia, Hull Trains, London Northwestern Railway, London Overground, Lumo, Merseyrail, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern, Southern, Stansted Express, Thameslink, TransPennine Express, Transport for Wales, West Midlands Railway, c2c. Moderate disruption (amber): Chiltern, East Midlands, Govia Thameslink, Great Northern, Island Line, LNER, Scotrail. Also disruption on city lines including the Newcastle Metro. ROADSCongestion in cities during the morning rush hour was lower than last week, according to TomTom. The RAC has warned motorists who may be driving to work that the number of vehicle breakdowns today could be a fifth higher than usual.TRANSPORT FOR LONDONGood service: Circle, Northern, Waterloo & City, DLR. Delays: All other lines. Avanti has cancelled all remaining trains for the rest of the day, while the East Coast main line has been closed from Kings Cross. Network Rail has issued a red 'do not travel warning' for services out of London, while hundreds of trains have been cancelled and other services subjected toThe authority said passenger numbers today were around 40 per cent lower than during the same day last week.There is a lineside fire in Harrow, north-west London, while overhead electric wires are down in Rugby, Birmingham and Carlisle, leading to a number of trains being trapped. Emergency evacuations of passengers are ongoing.Aside from the cancellations, three quarters of Britain's rail firms are running slower trains today after tracks hit 62C (144F) - while the escalators at Euston and Oxford Circus in London broke down in the searing heat. The hottest railway track reached 62C (144F) yesterday at a spot in Suffolk, Network Rail said. The lifts and escalators at Euston Station are out of action 'due to overheating', while the London Fire Brigade had to be called after smoke began pouring out of an escalator machine room at Oxford Circus due to the escalator pads began 'overheating'. Meanwhile, a fire at Finchley Road in Central London has suspended service between Waterloo and Willesden Green and caused severe delays on the rest of the Jubilee Line. A section of the A14 dual carriageway in Cambridgeshire was left looking like a 'skatepark' after it warped in the heatwave yesterday, police said; while a section of the A114 in Leytonstone, east London, had to be partially closed after the verge caught fire. The RAC has warned motorists that the number of vehicle breakdowns today could be a fifth higher than usual. Road congestion in several cities was down on last week, TomTom figures showed, as people avoided travelling in the heat.In Birmingham, congestion levels fell from 48 per cent on July 12 to 32 per cent, while in Manchester they decreased from 59 per cent to 44 per cent. Runways at Luton Airport and RAF Brize Norton were impacted by the heat yesterday - forcing aircraft to divert. Brize Norton will remain closed today before an inspection tomorrow, it is understood. Boards at Kings Cross today, where foreign tourists were bemused as to why temperatures that were 'quite normal' elsewhere during summer had resulted in such disruptionKings Cross resembled a rush hour ghost town this morning as all trains were cancelled with rocketing temperatures causing havoc to the rail network. Euston was busy at first (right) but has since halted departures The London Fire Brigade investigated reports of smoke coming from an escalator machine room on the northbound Victoria Line The LFB later said there had not been a fire but the smoke had been caused by 'escalator brake pads overheating' The A14 melted during today's heatwave at Bottisham in Cambridgeshire today. This photo was taken this morning There were delays on the A114 Bush Road near the A106 / A12 Green Man junction today after the grass verge caught fire Today, Network Rail released images of rails that had become bendy in the extreme heat. One rail reached 62C (144F) yesterday, it said Network Rail advised no one to travel on services leaving north from London today after pictures emerged of rails that had buckled in the heat Network rail is responsible for maintaining the country's railway infrastructure, which has been badly affected by the heat Today, Mr Shapps conceded the UK's transport network cannot cope with the extreme heat.He told BBC Breakfast: 'We've seen a considerable amount of travel disruption. We're probably going to see the hottest day ever in the UK recorded today, and infrastructure, much of it built in Victorian times, just wasn't built to withstand this type of temperature - and it will be many years before we can replace infrastructure with the kind of infrastructure that could, because the temperatures are so extreme.'Asked if the transport system can cope with the weather, he said: 'The simple answer at the moment is no. Road congestion drops as drivers heed warnings to keep off the roads Figures published by location technology firm TomTom show the level of road congestion at 9am today was lower in several cities than at the same time last week.In Birmingham, congestion levels fell from 48% on July 12 to 32%.In Bristol, congestion levels were down from 46% to 42%.In London, levels dropped from 60% to 44%.In Manchester, congestion declined from 59% to 44%.The figures reflect the proportion of additional time required for journeys compared with free-flow conditions. The RAC has warned motorists who may be driving to work that the number of vehicle breakdowns both Monday and Tuesday could be a fifth higher than usual. 'Where those tracks are 40 degrees in the air, on the ground that could be 50, 60, 70 and more, so you get a severe danger of tracks buckling. What we can't have is trains running over those and a terrible derailing.'We've got to be very cautious and conscious of that, which is why there's reduced speeds on large parts of the network.'Council gritters have been put on standby to spread light dustings of sand on melting roads. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said issues on the rails and roads will continue for decades during extreme heatwaves.Asked how long it will take to upgrade existing rail infrastructure to be more resilient, he told Sky News: 'Decades, actually, to replace it all. Ditto with Tarmac on the roads.'There's a long process of replacing it and upgrading it to withstand temperatures, either very hot or sometimes much colder than we've been used to, and these are the impacts of global warming.'He said there was no Cobra meeting planned for today, with the Prime Minister instead chairing Cabinet. Kings Cross resembled a rush hour ghost town today as all trains were cancelled with rocketing temperatures causing havoc to the rail network.All services between London and York were called off as the 40c temperatures hit with rail bosses concerned that tracks would not handle the heat.The only busy spot was the fictional 'Platform 9 3/4' from the Harry Potter films.At the head of the queue were New Yorkers Stacey and Steven Koppell and their nine-month-old daughter Hannah.The couple said they we are flabbergasted that Britain could come to a standstill among what they described as 'very normal to us' temperatures.They endured a nightmare train journey yesterday which led to them forking out £215 for a taxi. Commuters on the sweltering Jubilee line this morning as they commute to work on the London Underground Railway companies have issued similar warnings to Network Rail, with Thameslink telling customers 'please do not travel' Northern said many routes had 'completely shut down', while Chiltern Railways also had a 'do not travel' notice in placeLNER said no trains would be running between Kings Cross and south of York and Leeds, while the Gatwick Express has been suspended There were delays and overcrowding on the Jubilee Line this morning due to speed restrictions because of hot weather A man sleeping at London Bridge Station today as the Met Office warned temperatures could climb to 40C (104F) today, smashing the UK's all-time record Trains in sidings at Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, as many services are cancelled amid mass rail disruption Hottest day in history: Britain hits a record 39.1C before noon and is on track to soar to 43C today Britain today experienced its hottest day on record as temperatures soar towards 40C (104F) amid growing rail travel chaos as schools shut again and millions of people respond to the extreme heat by working from home.Before noon, Charlwood in Surrey hit 39.1C (102.4F) - beating the previous all-time UK high of 38.7C (101.7F) in Cambridge in July 2019, 38.5C (101.3F) in Kent in August 2003 and 38.1C (100.6F) in Suffolk only yesterday.Forecasters said an absolute maximum of 43C (109F) is possible later on - and the highs in England are equal to the warmest spots anywhere in Europe today. The UK is also hotter than Jamaica, the Maldives and Barbados.The Met Office also confirmed that last night was the warmest night on record in Britain, with temperatures not falling below 25C (77F) in many areas of England and Wales. The highest overnight minimum in the UK last night was 25.9C (78.6F) at Emley Moor in West Yorkshire, while it was 25.8C (78.4F) at Kenley in Croydon, South London.This smashed the previous record of 23.9C (75F) in Brighton set on August 3, 1990. It comes one day after Wales had its hottest day ever with 37.1C (99F) in Hawarden, Flintshire - beating a record set in the same village in 1990. Mr Koppell, a Manhattan lawyer, said: 'We are going to the Cotswolds for the day by train and the return journey stopped at Oxford and they said they couldn't take us any further.'Our hotel is in Paddington and we've got a young baby daughter and we have no alternative but to spend £215 on a taxi.'I do think it is a bit much. Britain just isn't ready for these temperatures. But it is 2022! 'Mrs Koppell, a New York teacher, added: 'This these summer temperatures are quite normal to us.'We were expecting a couple of days of rain before we move onto France and I think these temperatures have caught the country by surprise.'It's just haven't been prepared. We've heard about Trainline spending in the heat on the tarmac at airports Milton. It isn't really anybody's fault. But we are bemused by it all.'Another American, Maria Schroeder, and two friends were left frustrated after their train to Edinburgh was cancelled.Maria, 23, a teacher from Ohio, said: 'We got here at 4:45 am for our train which was supposed to leave an hour later only to find it cancelled.'My friends Ellie and Kyle and I were only fitting in Edinburgh for 24 hours to see that beautiful city.'We're only here for a short vacation so we'll have to cancel it now and we've also lost our Airbnb which we booked in Scotland.'We've had to find alternative accommodation for tonight in Camden Town, and we can't book in till 2 pm. So we are stuck here with our luggage.'I am just bemused at how England has come to a standstill. The heat index back home was in the 90s and yet everything works as normal.' Rachel Ayers, a Met Office forecaster, said: 'There are likely to be delays on roads, with road closures, as well as possible delays and cancellations to trains and maybe issues with air travel.'This could pose a significant health risk to those stuck on services or roads during the heat.' A Tube driver sipping from a bottle of water at Kings Cross, where all overground trains were cancelled this morning due to the heat People are being warned to stay at home instead of travelling. Pictured: Queues to board trains on the Jubilee Line today Transport for London (TfL) said London's rail network would also be running a reduced service today due to safety restrictions put into place to deal with the heat. Pictured: Commuters on the Jubilee Line | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Story at a glance Extreme weather events, like severe flooding from heavy rainfall, are affecting larger swathes of the U.S. A new poll finds that 78 percent of people surveyed have experienced a severe weather event in the last five years. Respondents report health and financial problems, as well as property damage as a result. Extreme weather events, like heavy rainfall, wildfires and heat waves, are occurring more and more frequently, partly due to climate change. This week, millions of people in the West and South are getting hit by a heat wave. While many people around the world have seen the effects of natural disasters year after year, people in the U.S. are increasingly experiencing these types of events as well. A new poll finds that the majority of households in the U.S. have been affected by extreme weather events, which have led to health and financial problems for some. In new poll results and a report released today from NPR, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 78 percent of adults in the U.S. say that they have been affected by extreme weather events in the past five years. For U.S. households who participated in the poll who say they’ve personally been affected by extreme weather events, some report serious health problems (24 percent) or financial problems (17 percent). Fourteen percent of them say that they’ve had to evacuate from their homes and 14 percent say that they’ve suffered damage to their home or property. The poll was conducted earlier this year from March 31 through May 5 by landline, mobile phone and online. Overall, 2,646 U.S. adults were surveyed, including people from various race and ethnic groups and people who may live in more rural areas. “Facing extreme weather has had a substantial impact on millions of Americans, who have had serious property damage, health, and financial consequences,” says Robert J. Blendon, co-director of the survey and Richard L. Menschel Professor of Public Health and Professor of Health Policy and Political Analysis Emeritus at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in a press release. “Experiencing these weather disasters has had a real impact on the public’s support for policies to prepare against future weather disasters, and to a lesser extent, support for policies to limit climate change by reducing carbon emissions.” The groups who put together the poll also asked respondents about climate change. Climate change is intricately tied to the severity and frequency of extreme weather events. According to the poll, people who have experienced these events in the past five years are more likely to say that climate change is a crisis (77 percent) or major problem compared to people who have not personally experienced a natural disaster (46 percent). Broadly, 65 percent of the public believes the government should be doing more to limit climate change, according to the report. However, the poll’s findings suggest that people who have direct experience with extreme weather are more likely to think more action is needed. In particular, 64 percent of people who had experienced extreme weather events said there should be “more state and federal regulation to make the electricity grid in [their] area more resistant to extreme weather, even if it raises electricity prices.” For people who had not experienced these types of events, 47 percent agreed with the statement. Similarly, 63 percent agree with the statement that “State government spending increases to better prepare your state for future weather disasters, even if it requires you to pay higher taxes.” The effects are largely being felt and will continue to be felt by communities of color and marginalized people. The poll found that 51 percent of Native Americans, 31 percent of Latino adults, 30 percent of Asian adults, 29 percent of Black adults, and 18 percent of white adults who experienced extreme weather in the last five years said their households have faced serious health problems as a result. “The research is clear that communities that are predominantly home to people of color, those with lower incomes, or in rural areas feel the harms of extreme weather and climate change first and worst,” says Alonzo Plough, the Chief Science Officer and vice president of Research-Evaluation-Learning at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in the press release. “This poll shows clearly that people of color feel these impacts sooner and are significantly more likely to see that climate change is a threat to the health of their families.” Published on Jun. 21, 2022 | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
California has urged residents to cut power use as a searing heatwave settles over the state and stretches power supplies to a breaking point, in the latest sign of extreme weather conditions in the US west.Temperatures in the most populous state are forecast to climb to well above 100F (38C) during the afternoon.To prevent power outages, state officials asked residents and businesses to turn off lights and appliances and preset their thermostats to 78F (26C), especially during the critical hours between 4 and 9pm local time when demand typically peaks and solar power generation beings to ebb.It’s been a brutal summer so far in the US west, where wildfires and severe drought have emerged as a growing threat. As spells of excessive heat become more frequent, the strain on power and water utilities will become more acute, scientists say. Just yesterday, the federal government ordered water cutbacks across several western states to protect the beleaguered Colorado river.California’s grid operator made similar power usage requests during the summers and falls over the last two years, when the region experienced several bouts of record-breaking hot weather. Power systems withstood heat waves in 2021 but rolling blackouts for two days in August 2020 left about 400,000 households without power.On Wednesday, the California grid operator projected power demand would peak at 44,919 megawatts (MW), the highest since September 2020 when usage hit 47,236 MW. One megawatt can power around 1,000 US homes on a typical day, but only about half that on a hot summer day.As a result, power prices during the day in southern California and in Washington state could climb to their highest points since September 2021.The heat on Wednesday is also raising the risk of wildfires. The Wishon Fire, a 350-acre blaze in the Sequoia national forest, was 35% containedOn Tuesday, the US government warned that more drastic cuts in water usage were needed to protect dwindling supplies held in reservoirs that are crucial to the well-being of seven western states.Two reservoirs – Lake Mead and Lake Powell – have fallen to just above one-quarter of their capacity this summer. If they fall much lower, the lakes will be unable to generate hydroelectric power for millions on the west, authorities say.In Big Bar, an unincorporated area of northern California for instance, temperatures could reach 110F (43C) on Wednesday while farther north, residents in Electric City, Washington, could see 105F, the National Weather Service said. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Britain's balmy weekend weather could be immediately followed by thunderstorms and heavy showers, the Met Office has warned, after sunseekers pitched up their tents overnight in anticipation of baking 95F temperatures that will make the UK hotter than parts of the Caribbean. The Met Office today issued a warning to expect thundery and wet weather across large parts of the country on Monday, with showers expected to hit from early next week. Are you out enjoying the warm weather today? Send your weather pictures to: [email protected] Forecasters have also warned of a small chance of flooding on Monday, which could in turn damage buildings, cause chaos on public transport services and create difficult driving conditions and even road closures. While the onset of rain would be welcomed by Britain's farmers, by mid-afternoon today temperatures could hit 35C (96F) in parts of southern England, making it hotter than holiday hotspots Jamaica and Barbados. The new weather update will follow a four-day amber warning for extreme heat from the Met Office that is in place for much of England and Wales until Sunday, with warnings of health impacts and disruption to travel.Warm weather and humidity is expected to endure throughout the weekend, with the mercury widely topping 30C (86F).Early risers were pictured getting their exercise done well before the heat soars, and beachgoers planning to beat the rush started piling onto Bournemouth's famous seascape early on Friday morning.Meanwhile, overnight campers, some pictured with their toothbrushes and toothpaste, risked the wrath of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council - and a £1,000 fine - by ignoring rules and pitching up their tents yesterday evening so they could grab the best spots today.In the southwest, hot air balloon fanatics at the Bristol Balloon Festival were finally given the go-ahead to ascend at around 6am on Friday, leaving them to enjoy a marvellous view of the city thousands of feet above the ground. Families appeared to have pitched up tents and camped overnight at the sun spot on the south coast Sunseekers pitched their tents up overnight to grab the best spots at busy beaches across the UK. Pictured: A family and their tent in Bournemouth, Dorset Bournemouth Council has threatened anyone found sleeping overnight with £1,000 fines A number of tents could be seen on the sand early this morning, before the beach filled up with sun worshippers A colourful tent is seen pitched up in a secluded spot of Bournemouth Beach early on Friday morningOvernight campers risked the wrath of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council by ignoring no camping rules and pitching up their tents yesterday evening so they could grab the best spots today The Met Office today issued a warning to expect thunder and wet weather across large parts of the country on Monday that is expected to hit from early morning until first thing Tuesday Sunseekers flocked to Bournemouth Beach on Friday as Britain is set to see a fresh blast of 35C (95F) August heat Hundreds of people are pictured enjoying the warm weather at Bournemouth Beach, Dorset on FridayEarly risers get their exercise done before the temperatures are expected to soar well over 30C (86F) on Bournemouth Beach, Dorset on Friday morningA sunbathing woman soaks up the rays on Bournemouth Beach, Dorset on Friday morning Two women are seen applying suncream on a busy Bournemouth Beach ahead of expected 95F temperatures on Friday Sunseekers look out at Bournemouth Pier as the mercury looks set to rise well above 30C (86F) on Friday Beachgoers started piling onto Bournemouth's famous seascape early on Friday morning A family pitches up to get one of the better spots at Bournemouth Beach, Dorset early on Friday morning Members of the public sit on a bench overlooking a very dry Wimbledon Common, south west London on Friday morning Boats are moored up and a young woman enjoys a pleasant view over the water in Mudeford, Dorset on Friday August 12 Hot air balloon fanatics at the Bristol Balloon Festival were finally given the go-ahead to ascend at around 6am on Friday morning, leaving them to enjoy a marvelous view of the city thousands of feet above the ground A hot air balloon is pictured over the Bristol cityscape on Friday morning as part of the city's International Balloon Fiesta 2022 A cyclist braves the soaring temperatures across Britain yesterday as the Met Office has also raised its Fire Severity Index to exceptional A woman was pictured walking near Big Ben in London yesterday as heatwaves and prolonged dry weather are damaging landscapes, gardens and wildlife, the National Trust has warned Tesco becomes latest retailer to BAN disposable barbecues from stores while Asda pauses sales amid fears of heatwave wildfires Tesco and Asda have vowed to stop selling disposable barbecues in a bid to prevent potentially devastating wildfires, as temperatures in tinderbox Britain are set to reach 36C (96F) this weekend.The supermarkets join the likes of Sainsbury's, Marks & Spencer and Ocado in temporarily banning the £2 grills, after fire chiefs and environmental campaigners condemned them for causing blazes at a time when the country is facing its longest dry spell since 1976.Tesco's previous policy, which banned the barbecues in stores near areas of outstanding beauty, has now been extended nationwide on a temporary basis.The grills will return to the shelves when the weather cools down, while small, metal portable barbecues will be sold as an alternative in the interim.An Asda spokesperson told MailOnline today that the company is 'in the process of briefing stores to temporarily pause the sale of disposable BBQs whilst the weather is so dry.'Aldi and Waitrose have stopped selling the barbecues altogether, while Morrisons and the Co-op have halted sales at stores near national parks only.Sainsbury's said: 'As a precautionary measure we are removing from sale all disposable barbecues until further notice. Safety is our highest priority.' Tesco and Asda are under pressure to stop selling cheap disposable barbecues after Sainsbury's became the latest supermarket to take them off the shelves Parts of southern England have seen the driest July since records began, and reservoir levels have fallen to their lowest levels in 30 years. Sources last night said they expect the drought declaration to be a 'formality'.A drought would be the first declared in the UK since 2018 – although that one was rapidly brought to an end by heavy rain. The move will be announced after a meeting of the National Drought Group today, led by the Environment Agency and including water firms and groups such as the National Farmers' Union and the Angling Trust. Former Top Gear host-turned-farmer Jeremy Clarkson later revealed he has to stop harvesting at his Diddly Squat farm due to the risk of fire as the sweltering conditions in the UK continue to dry up soil and raise the probability of wildfires.Clarkson took to Twitter to reveal: 'F**ketty F**k. Had to stop harvesting because of, and I'm not making this up, the fire risk.'He explained to a fan asking what may cause a fire that anything could lead to devastating consequences: 'Any damn thing. A bit of litter. A spark from the combine. A fag end. A careless rambler.'The Met Office also raised its Fire Severity Index to exceptional - the highest level - yesterday for much of southern England, and Wales alongside an amber, as the mercury is forecast to climb to 'lethally hot' temperatures of 35C (95F) over the weekend. The warning system also been at its second highest level of alert for seven weeks, which is the longest stretch since 1976. The ongoing dry conditions, combined with last month's record-breaking heatwave, have depleted rivers, reservoirs and aquifers and dried up soils, hitting agriculture, water supplies and wildlife and raising the risk of wildfires. Four water companies in England and Wales have already brought in hosepipe bans or have signalled their intention to do so, while the Wildlife Trusts have called for an England-wide hosepipe ban to protect nature and rivers. Britain experienced its hottest day on record with temperatures hitting an unprecedented 40.3C (104.5F) in Coningsby on 19 July amidst a scorching heatwave for the UK. Met Office boss Paul Davies said the increasing heatwave temperatures may now occur once every five years - and annually by the end of the century. He told The Mirror: 'When I started out as a forecaster, if someone had said in your lifetime you'll see 40 degrees, I'd have said; 'No, surely not!'.'We are in uncharted waters. We're entering areas we've never experienced before and it's not just the UK, it's the planet as a whole.'An Oxfordshire village has also become the first in Britain to run dry, with residents forced to rely on deliveries of bottled and tanker water.Northend, on the Buckinghamshire border, usually gets its water from the now dried-up Stokenchurch Reservoir.Thames Water had to send water tankers and bottles to its residents, struggling after high demand on the natural resource in recent hot weeks. The company has also recently announced it will be issuing a hosepipe ban for 15million customers across London, Surrey and Gloucestershire in the coming weeks. An image of scorched Britain captured on July 10 showed how ongoing drought conditions have affected the country An aerial view of the harvest during the heatwave in Scampton, Lincolnshire. Parts of southern England have had the driest July since records began, and reservoirs are at their lowest level for 30 years. Sources last night said they expect the drought declaration to be a 'formality' Cattle search for drinking water on Dartmoor, Devon at what until recently was an established watering hole, but is now completely dry Low water level is pictured yesterday at Pontsticill Reservoir amid the ongoing heat wave near Merthyr Tydfil, Wales A general view of dry grass on the football pitches at Hackney Marshes. The Met Office has issued an amber extreme heat warning which came into force on Thursday and covers the rest of this week Algal blooms are smothering parts of the Jubilee River in Slough, Berkshire yesterday. As the heatwave continues an Amber Level 3 Heat Health Alert remains in force with temperatures forecast to peak on Saturday 'It's like an apocalypse': France forced to call in hundreds of fire fighters from six other countries as 'monster' blaze spreads amid drought ravaging crops, melting glaciers and drying up rivers across Europe By Chris Pleasance for MailOnline France has been forced to call in reinforcements from across Europe to help battle a huge wildfire that has been burning in the south of the country for more than a month. Hundreds of firefighters from Germany, Poland, Romania and Italy are heading to Gironde, near Bordeaux, to help tackle a blaze that began burning in early July as Europe's record-breaking summer heatwave got underway before reigniting several days ago - forcing 10,000 people from their homes and burning 7,000 hectares of pine forest.Water-bombing planes are also being sent from Greece and Sweden to help extinguish the flames, as locals describe biblical scenes. Valentine Dupy, who lives in the village of Belin-Beliet, said the region is 'like an apocalypse. Smoke everywhere ... and planes throwing orange powder onto the fire.' Europe is sweltering through a record-breaking summer of heatwaves and drought that has parched the continent and turned forests tinder-dry. In Switzerland, a glacial pass that has been covered by ice for the last 2,000 years is set to be ice-free by the end of the week because it has all melted.Firefighters said they had managed to save her village, transformed into a ghost town after police told residents to evacuate as the flames approached. But the blaze reached the outskirts, leaving wrecked houses and charred tractors in its wake.'We've been lucky. Our houses were saved. But you see the catastrophe all over there. Some houses could not be saved,' said resident Gaetan, pointing to houses burnt to the ground.Support was on its way from across Europe, with 361 firefighters, as well as trucks and waterbombing aircrafts, expected to back up the 1,100 French firefighters already on the ground.'We are still in the phase of (trying to) confine the fire, direct it where we want it, where there is less vegetation, where our vehicles can best position themselves ... so we can eventually fix it, control it and extinguish it,' said Matthieu Jomain, a spokesperson for the Gironde firefighers.More than 60,000 hectares (230 square miles) have gone up in flames so far in France this year, six times the full-year average for 2006-2021, data from the European Forest Fire Information System shows. A water-bombing plane drops flame retardant chemicals on to trees in the Gironde region of France, where fire crews are struggling to extinguish a blaze that has been burning for more than a month Flames rip through tinder-dry woodland in Gironde, in the south of France, where a record-breaking summer of heatwaves and drought has turned pine forests into firewood Fire crews had managed to dampen down the Gironde fire around the end of July, when Europe's last major heatwave ended, but say it was never fully extinguished and has now re-ignited as the hot weather returnsFrench authorities said temperatures in the Gironde region would reach 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on Thursday and stay high until Saturday.Firefighters warned of an 'explosive cocktail' of weather conditions, with wind and the tinder-box conditions helping fan the flames.The Gironde was hit by big wildfires in July that destroyed more than 20,000 hectares of forest and temporarily forced almost 40,000 people from their homes.Hostens mayor Jean-Louis Dartiailh described the past weeks as a disaster. 'The area is totally disfigured. We're heartbroken, we're exhausted,' he told Radio Classique. '(This fire) is the final straw.'Europe is suffering under a severe heat wave and drought that has produced tragic consequences for farmers and ecosystems already under threat from climate change and pollution.In France, which is enduring its worst drought on record, flames raged through pine forests overnight, illuminating the sky with an intense orange light in the Gironde region, which was already ravaged by flames last month, and in neighboring Landes. More than 68 square kilometers (26 square miles) have burned since Tuesday.Along the Oder River, which flows from Czechia north into the Baltic Sea, volunteers have been collecting dead fish that have washed ashore in Poland and Germany.Piotr Nieznanski, the conservation policy director at WWF Poland, said it appears that a toxic chemical was released into the water by an industry and the low water levels caused by the drought has made conditions far more dangerous for the fish.'A tragic event is happening along the Oder River, an international river, and there is no transparent information about what is going on,' he said, calling on government authorities to investigate.People living along the river have been warned not to swim in the water or even touch it. Firefighters embrace as they work to contain a fire in Saint-Magne, as wildfires continue to spread in the Gironde region of southwestern FranceFlames consume woodland in Gironde, near Bordeaux, where a wildfire has been burning since early July and shows no signs of stopping as Europe's record-breaking summer of heat and drought continues A burned-out car is visible in front of a torched house in the village of Belin-Beliet, in the south of France, which was hit by wildfires that have burned through thousands of hectares of forest A firefighting truck that had been helping to tackle blazes in the south of France ended up becoming a victim of them, as crews struggle to get the inferno under control A dead fish lies on the bank of Oder River on the German-Polish border, in Brieskow-Finkenheerd, Frankfurt (Oder), GermanyPoland's state water management body said the drought and high temperatures can cause even small amounts of pollution to lead to an ecological disaster but it has not identified the source of the pollution.In northern Serbia, the dry bed of the Conopljankso reservoir is now littered with dead fish that were unable to survive the drought.The water level along Germany's Rhine River was at risk of falling so low that it could become difficult to transport goods - including critical energy items like coal and gasoline.In Italy, which is experiencing its worst drought in seven decades, the parched Po River has already caused billions of euros in losses to farmers who normally rely on Italy's longest river to irrigate their fields and rice paddies.'I am young and I do not remember anything like this, but even the elderly in my village or the other villages around here have never seen anything like this, never ever,' said Antonio Cestari, a 35-year-old farmer in Ficarolo who says he expects to produce only half his usual crops of corn, wheat and soy because his river-fed wells have such low water levels.The Po runs 652 kilometers (405 miles) from the northwestern city of Turin to Venice. It has dozens of tributary rivers but northern Italy hasn't seen rainfall for months and this year's snowfall was down by 70%. The drying up of the Po is also jeopardizing drinking water in Italy's densely populated and highly industrialized districts.Over in Portugal, the Serra da Estrela national park was also being ravaged by a wildfire. Some 1,500 firefighters, 476 vehicles and 12 aircraft were deployed to fight it but the wind-driven blaze 250 kilometers (150 miles) northeast of Lisbon was very hard to reach, with inaccessible peaks almost 2,000 meters (6,560 feet) high and deep ravines. The fire has charred 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres) of woodland.In Britain, where temperatures hit a record 40.3 degrees Celsius (104.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in July, the weather office has issued a new warning for 'extreme heat' from Thursday through Sunday, with temperatures forecast to reach 36 C (96.8 F).It has been one of the driest summers on record in southern Britain, and the Met Office weather service said there is an 'exceptional risk' of wildfires over the next few days.London Fire Brigade said its control room had dealt with 340 grass, garbage and open-land fires during the first week of August, eight times the number from last year. Assistant Commissioner Jonathan Smith said 'the grass in London is tinderbox dry and the smallest of sparks can start a blaze which could cause devastation.'In Switzerland, a drought and high temperatures have endangered fish populations and authorities have begun moving fish out of some creeks that were running dry.In Hausen, in the canton of Zurich, officials caught hundreds of fish, many of them brown trout, in the almost dried-up Heischerbach, Juchbach and Muehlebach creeks this week by anesthetizing them with electric shocks and then immediately placing them in a water tank enriched with oxygen, local media reported. Later, the fish were taken to creeks that still carry enough water.Despite all the harm caused by the extreme weather, Swiss authorities see one morbid upside: they believe there's hope of finding some people who went missing in the mountains in the last few years because their bodies are being released as glaciers melt.In the Swiss canton of Valais, melting glaciers have recently revealed parts of a crashed airplane and, at separate locations, at least two skeletons. The bodies have not yet been identified, news website 20Minuten reported Thursday.Spanish state television showed dozens of trucks heading to France having to turn around and stay in Spain because wildfires had forced authorities to close some border crossings. TVE reported that truckers, many carrying perishable goods, were looking for ways to cross the border because the parking areas around the Irun crossing were full.France this week is in its fourth heat wave of the year as it faces what the government describes as the country's worst drought on record. Temperatures were expected to reach 40 C (104 F) on Thursday. Drought is set to be declared TODAY: Millions more are hit by hosepipe bans as country faces tougher restrictions on water, canals being forced to close and risks to cropsBy Charlotte McLaughlin, Rory Tingle Home Affairs Correspondent for MailOnline and Colin Fernandez, Environment Correspondent for the Daily Mail Large parts of England are set to be officially declared in a state of drought today - forcing water companies to bring in even tougher restrictions on water use and threatening the closure of canals. The hardest-hit areas in the South and East of the country are expected to be officially classified as drought-stricken. The move will put pressure on water companies to do more to conserve supplies.Temperatures are expected to hit 95F (35C) today - making the country hotter than parts of the Caribbean and threatening crops like potatoes, apples, hops, broccoli and sprouts.Today, Yorkshire Water became the fifth company in England and Wales to announce a hosepipe ban for its five million customers. Southern Water, South East Water, Welsh Water and Thames Water have all announced hosepipe bans either now or in the coming weeks. South West Water and Severn Trent have all indicated they will also bring in restrictions. Together, they would cover more than 32 million people.Yorkshire Water will bring in a hosepipe ban from August 26, with its director of water, Neil Dewis, saying parts of the county had seen the lowest rainfall since records began more than 130 years ago. Under the restrictions, customers are banned from using a hosepipe to water their gardens, clean their vehicles, fill their swimming pools or clean their homes.However, they are still permitted to complete those activities with tap water from a bucket or watering can, or using water that is not sourced from taps. Businesses will only be allowed to use a hosepipe if it is directly related to a commercial purpose.An official drought is set to be announced today after a 10.30am meeting of the National Drought Group, which brings together the Environment Agency, water companies and groups such as the National Farmers' Union and the Angling Trust. Insiders last night said they expect the drought declaration to be a 'formality' for areas of southern England.It would be the first drought declared in the UK since 2018 – although that one was rapidly brought to an end by heavy rain. A general view of dry grass on the football pitches at Hackney Marshes. The Met Office has issued an amber extreme heat warning which came into force on Thursday and covers the rest of this week Cattle search for drinking water on Dartmoor, Devon at what until recently was an established watering hole, but is now completely dry An aerial view of the harvest during the heatwave in Scampton, Lincolnshire. Parts of southern England have had the driest July since records began, and reservoirs are at their lowest level for 30 years. Sources last night said they expect the drought declaration to be a 'formality' Low water level is pictured yesterday at Pontsticill Reservoir amid the ongoing heat wave near Merthyr Tydfil, Wales An image of scorched Britain captured on July 10 showed how ongoing drought conditions have affected the country Anglian Water staff handing out energy bottles of water to the residents of Haddenham in Cambridgeshire on Thursday afternoon The driest first seven months of the year in decades and hot spells have left parts of the UK facing looming drought, prompting hosepipe bans and warnings about the impact on agriculture, rivers and wildlife. Pictured: A dried out pond in Churchill Gardens, Bromley, east London New oak trees in Windsor Great Park begin to grow next to dead oak trees which still provide a vital habitat for insects A completely dry pond in Wanstead Park in northeast London, as heatwaves and drought caused by climate change continue in the UK A dried riverbed in Kemble, Gloucestershire, near the source of the River Thames is pictured yesterday Firefighters put out a grass fire at Hollow Ponds in Leytonstone, East London, yesterdayThe National Drought Group - made up of Government and agency officials, water companies and other groups such as the National Farmers' Union (NFU) - is set to meet tomorrow to discuss the prolonged dry weather Drought Q&A: Who decides if we're in one, could if affect food supplies, and at what stage are standpipes brought in?Who decides if it's a drought?The Environment Agency's National Drought Group declares when there is a drought. The group is made up of powerbrokers in the water sector with representatives from government ministries, water firms, unions and regulators and is chaired by Harvey Bradshaw, director of the agency.What makes it a drought?There is no single definition for a drought or set of measures that must be met. Instead, the group looks at rainfall, water supplies in rivers, reservoirs and lakes and temperature forecasts. If they decide the factors have combined in a certain way to warrant a warning, they will raise the alarm and offer a prediction of how severe the drought will be and how long it will last.There are two stages of drought they could declare:1. Amber – where there is a risk of stress on water supplies, reduced crop yields and increased wildfires.2. Red – involving a risk of widespread environmental damage, wildfires, failure of crops and of water supplies. The last severe drought was in 2011.What happens under each scenario?AMBERIn an amber-level drought, water supplies come under stress, wildlife habitats are harmed, wildfires break out and farmers suffer lower crop yields, according to the National Drought Group. Prolonged dry conditions are already causing problems for crops like potatoes, apples, hops, broccoli and sprouts, and there are fears Britain risks a looming vegetable shortage. Jack Ward, chief executive of the British Growers Association, said Britain 'could be in a major deficit position', where domestic supplies cannot meet demand. He said: 'The temperatures we are seeing here are being replicated around Europe so European production sites are facing similar challenges. This could lead to less product and less choice.' Long dry periods are problematic for wildlife because they can reduce the amount of food available to animals. Fish may also be affected by lower oxygen levels in the water. RED The impacts of a red-level drought include the 'failure of public and private water supplies', the National Drought Group says. Along with 'widespread' wildfires, the failure of crops and plants for fodder would increase food prices and worsen shortages of certain produce. The extremely dry summer of 1975 saw sheep, pigs and calves die in the high temperatures, while milk yields fell and lambs and cattle took longer to fatten, according to a Royal Society paper. Crops suffered not only from a lack of water but also from an increase in pests and diseases. What restrictions will water companies bring in? AMBER Once a drought is declared, the National Drought Group can limit the amount of water companies can take from rivers and ensure there are suitable plans for dealing with drought incidents. In some situations, the group will perform an 'emergency fish rescue' from drying-out bodies of water. It can also stop businesses using spray irrigation as well as advising the public how to conserve water.There could also be hosepipe bans and further restrictions on non-essential water use, including car washes and swimming pools. There would be 'prolonged' restrictions on canal and river navigation due to low water levels, and companies that consume large amounts of water would be forced to apply for permits to continue doing so. REDA severe drought could lead to water rationing and the introduction of standpipes or mobile water tanks. A huge emergency response would include the convening of COBRA, the government's emergency committee. Water companies could impose rationing at certain times of day and the introduction of standpipes or mobile water tanks. The permit regime would also be substantially toughened up to protect public water supplies. All other amber restrictions would be further strengthened. Parts of southern England have seen the driest July since records began, and reservoir levels have fallen to their lowest levels in 30 years. Sources last night said they expect the drought declaration to be a 'formality'. A four-day amber warning for extreme heat from the Met Office is in place for much of England and Wales until Sunday as temperatures are forecasted to rise to 99F (37C) over the weekend with warnings of health impacts and disruption to travel. There are also fears rain after the dry weather will cause flash floods, the Met Office said, with warnings set for northern parts of the UK next week. This has already prompted farmers like TV star Jeremy Clarkson to harvest their crops early. 'It may be the wrong type of rain because it falls very fast and very hard,' Paul Davies, the Met Office chief meteorologist, told the BBC. 'When it comes against the hard ground then the water flows very fast, taking debris and causing flash flooding, whereas other areas may see very little at all.' A drought would be the first declared in the UK since 2018 – although that one was rapidly brought to an end by heavy rain. The move will be announced after a meeting of the National Drought Group today, led by the Environment Agency and including water firms and groups such as the National Farmers' Union and the Angling Trust. It comes as: A Met Office amber warning for extreme heat came into force yesterday that will last until Sunday Forecasters said temperatures could hit 37C (99F) in Birmingham and London between today and the end of the weekend Fire chiefs saw eight times as many grass fires this week compared to a year ago Police say arsonists have targeted tinder-dry fields and parks Sainsbury's became the latest supermarket to stop the sale of disposable barbecues Meteorologists said showers next week are unlikely to be enough to replenish reservoirs While an official declaration of drought will not trigger any specific action by water companies, it creates a 'sense of urgency' for them, according to Government sources. An Environment Agency spokesman said firms were under no obligation to take action. There has been criticism that water firms in England and Wales let 681 million gallons of water leak from their pipes every day, equivalent to 1,245 full Olympic swimming pools. Tory leadership candidate Rishi Sunak yesterday vowed to crack down on leaking water companies if he becomes prime minister, saying 'nothing is off the table'. But aides in Liz Truss's camp said this amounted to a policy U-turn as he had previously supported hosepipe bans. The UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology said it would require 'exceptional' rainfall over the next one to three months to replenish water stocks. Satellite images show huge areas of England looking yellow and parched under the extreme dry weather. According to the Sun, some supermarket shelves were stripped dry from water bottles. Hosepipe bans also in turn have an effect on farmers, which could threaten crops. Jerry Knox, a professor of agricultural water management at Cranfield University, told the Guardian: 'We are starting to see real issues for crops such as potatoes. We will see reduced yields and particularly reduced quality.''Potatoes are set to become more expensive while farmers are already abandoning plans to grow brassicas like cabbages,' Professor Jerry Knox of Cranfield University told the Times. 'The autumn and winter will be critical to to return to normal conditions.'Professor Liz Bentley, chief executive of the Royal Meteorological Society, said: 'Drought will not disappear in a matter of days — it's going to take a long period of sustained rainfall.'The UK Health Security Agency has put a heat health alert in place. Temperatures hit 34.2C (93.6F) at Wiggonholt, West Sussex, yesterday.Forecaster Craig Snell said: 'It's going to be an incredibly hot day, and very sunny across the board, with temperatures slightly higher than what we saw on Thursday.' There is also a heat health alert in place from the UK Health Security Agency, with experts advising people to look out for those who are older or with existing health conditions, as well as young children. The ongoing dry conditions, combined with last month's record-breaking heatwave, have depleted rivers, reservoirs and aquife | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
JACOBABAD, Pakistan, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Not long ago, Sara Khan, principal at a school for disadvantaged girls in Jacobabad in southern Pakistan, looked on in alarm as some students passed out from the heat - the city was the world's hottest at one point in May.Now, after heavy monsoon rains submerged large parts of the country, her classrooms are flooded and many of the 200 students homeless, struggling to get enough food and caring for injured relatives.Such extreme weather events in a short space of time have caused havoc across the country, killing hundreds of people, cutting off communities, wrecking homes and infrastructure and raising concerns over health and food security. read more Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comJacobabad has not been spared. In May, temperatures topped 50 Celsius, drying up canal beds and causing some residents to collapse from heatstroke. Today, parts of the city are under water, though flooding has receded from its peak. read more In Khan's neighbourhood in the east of the city, houses have been badly damaged. On Thursday, she said she heard cries from a neighbour's house when the roof collapsed from water damage, killing their nine-year-old son.Many of her students are unlikely to return to school for months, having already lost class time during the brutal summer heatwave."Jacobabad is the hottest city in the world, there are so many challenges ... before people had heatstroke, now people have lost their homes, almost everything (in the flood), they have become homeless," she told Reuters.Nineteen people in the city of around 200,000 are confirmed to have died in the flooding, including children, according to the city's deputy commissioner, while local hospitals reported many more were sick or injured.More than 40,000 people are living in temporary shelters, mostly in crowded schools with limited access to food.One of the displaced, 40-year-old Dur Bibi, sat under a tent in the grounds of a school and recalled the moment she fled when water gushed into her home overnight late last week."I grabbed my children and rushed out of the house with bare feet," she said, adding that the only thing they had time to take with them was a copy of the Koran.Four days later, she has not been able to obtain medicine for her daughter who is suffering from a fever."I have nothing, besides these kids. All of the belongings in my home have been swept away," she said.WEATHER EXTREMESThe level of disruption in Jacobabad, where many people live in poverty, demonstrates some of the challenges extreme weather events linked to climate change can create."A manifestation of climate change is the more frequent and more intense occurrence of extreme weather events, and this is exactly what we have witnessed in Jacobabad as well as elsewhere globally during the past few months," said Athar Hussain, head of the Centre for Climate Research and Development at COMSATS University in Islamabad.A study earlier this year by the World Weather Attribution group, an international team of scientists, found that the heatwave that hit Pakistan in March and April was made 30 times more likely by climate change.Global warming likely exacerbated recent flooding as well, said Liz Stephens, a climate scientist at the University of Reading in Britain. That's because a warmer atmosphere is able to hold more moisture, which is eventually unleashed in the form of heavy rains.Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said the country, which is heavily dependent on agriculture, was reeling."If you are a farmer in Jacobabad ... you couldn't plant your crops because of water scarcity and the heat during the heatwave and now your crops have been damaged in the monsoons and floods," he told Reuters in an interview.In Jacobabad, local health, education and development officials said record temperatures followed by unusually heavy rains were straining vital services.Hospitals that set up emergency heatstroke response centres in May are now reporting an influx of people injured in the floods and patients suffering from gastroenteritis and skin conditions amid unsanitary conditions.Jacobabad Institute of Medical Sciences (JIMS) said it had treated around 70 people in recent days for injuries from debris in floods including deep cuts and broken bones.More than 800 children were admitted to JIMS for gastroenteritis conditions in August during heavy rains, compared to 380 the previous month, hospital data showed.At the nearby Civil Hospital, where the grounds are partially underwater, doctor Vijay Kumar said cases of patients suffering from gastroenteritis and other illnesses had at least tripled since the floods.Rizwan Shaikh, head officer at Jacobabad's Meteorology Office, recorded a high temperature of 51 degrees in May. Now he is tracking persistent heavy rainfall and notes with alarm that there are two more weeks of the monsoon season to go."All the districts are in a very tense situation," he said.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSyed Raza Hassan reported from Jacobabad and Charlotte Greenfield from Islamabad; Additional reporting by Gloria Dickie in London; Editing by Mike Collett-White and Alexandra HudsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
A man sits with a bag of ice in temperatures that have reached well above triple digits in Palm Springs, California, U.S. July 20, 2022. REUTERS/David SwansonRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comBOSTON, July 20 (Reuters) - Some 100 million Americans from New York City to Las Vegas are under heat warnings this week as temperatures rise well above 100 Fahrenheit (38 Celsius), part of a trend of extreme weather made worse by climate change.New York City temperatures are expected to reach 99 F and temperatures are also expected to break daily records across Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas, the National Weather Service (NWS) said on Wednesday. read more An NWS advisory for Dallas, Texas, where the high temperature was forecast to reach 112 F (44.4 C), cautioned against strenuous activity in peak heat hours and reminded people to stay hydrated.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comNew York Salvation Army captain and pastor Jack Tripari has been helping people affected by the heat wave. On Wednesday he ushered a woman into a Salvation Army center for water and a moment of cool air.“I do believe that there aren't enough people who know about the service so they might be missing out on receiving the help that we can provide during this extreme weather,” said Tripari.The Brooklyn Bay Ridge Salvation Army cooling center is one of many Salvation Army centers across the country. It operated just a few days in June but this time it's expected to stay open at least until the end of the week, Tripari said.Sweat dripped from 32-year-old Mako Arroyo's face as he collected garbage from a New York City sidewalk on Wednesday. The Clean Space sanitation worker said he pops inside businesses to cool off occasionally along his one-mile route."There's nothing else you can do but to stay hydrated. Luckily, on each block there's a store," Arroyo said.Rose Cowles Fussell's family in Glenmora, Louisiana installed an air conditioner in the dog house for their 15-year-old American bulldog named Boston. They've been freezing milk jugs full of water to toss in the swimming pool. But Wednesday they decided to retreat in hopes of finding cooler climates."We're out of here," Cowles Fussell told Reuters.She packed up the car, her husband and two teenagers and the dog and headed on a trip of 750 miles (1,200 km) to Fernandina Beach in the Jacksonville, Florida area.Air pollution presents yet another health risk in the heat. Pollution from the electric grid can more than double when power stations run full tilt to keep air conditioners running.In New England, carbon dioxide production soared to 123 metric tons per hour just before 8 p.m. EDT on Tuesday. That was more than double the hourly rate earlier in the day of just 58 metric tons, according to estimates by ISO New England, the grid operator for the six-state region.The U.S. heat wave follows conditions in Europe this week that have touched off wildfires and set record temperatures in the kind of weather event that scientists say will become more frequent with climate change. read more U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced a modest package of executive actions addressing climate change that included new funding for cooling centers and pushing for new off-shore wind projects in the oil-rich Gulf of Mexico. read more Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Tim McLaughlin in Boston, Brendan O'Brien in Chicago, Randi Love in New York and Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Donna Bryson, Chizu Nomiyama and Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Scientists have made a distressing discovery on how global warming will affect known infectious diseases.Climate hazards are expected to aggravate 58% of all known human pathogens, according to a study published Monday in Nature Climate Change. That's over half of infectious diseases discovered since the end of the Roman Empire, Camilo Mora, a data analyst and associate professor in the Department of Geography and Environment at the University of Hawaii Manoa, told ABC News.While the impact that climate change can have on human vulnerability to a range of diseases has been well accepted, the full threat climate change poses to humanity in the context of disease was unknown, according to the researchers. Past studies have primarily focused on specific groups of pathogens, such as bacteria or viruses, the response to certain hazards, such as heatwaves or increased flooding, or transmission types, such as food or water-borne.Mora's team systematically screened literature that revealed 3,213 empirical cases linking 286 unique, human pathogenic diseases to 10 climate hazards, such as warming, floods or drought. Of these, 277 pathogens were found to be aggravated by at least one climate hazard, with only nine pathogens "exclusively diminished" by climatic hazards, according to the study.A car washed into the Squabble Creek by the floods in Buckhorn, Ky., Aug. 5, 2022.Saul Young/News Sentinel via USA Today NetworkA whopping 58% of an authoritative list of infectious diseases documented to have impacted humanity have already been shown to be aggravated by climatic hazards -- a finding the researchers found "shocking," Mora said.Examples of hazards include those that bring humans closer to pathogens, such as storms and floods, which then cause displacements associated with cases of Lassa fever or Legionnaires’ disease.Other examples are events that bring pathogens closer to humans, in which warming increases in areas over which organisms that transmit diseases, such as Lyme disease, dengue and malaria, are active.A sunflower grows in a field during drought, July 31, 2022.Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty ImagesThere is a broad taxonomic diversity of human pathogenic diseases, such as bacteria, viruses, animals, plants, fungi and protozoa, as well as transmission types -- for example, vector-borne, airborne, direct contact -- that can be affected by warming, heat waves, droughts, wildfires, extreme precipitation, floods and sea level rise, according to the study.Shifts in the geographical range of species are one of the most common ecological indications of climate change, according to the study. Warming and precipitation changes, for instance, were associated with range expansion of vectors such as mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, birds and several mammals, which then were implicated in outbreaks by viruses, bacteria, animals and protozoans, including dengue, chikungunya, plague, Lyme disease, West Nile virus, Zika, trypanosomiasis, echinococcosis and malaria.The researchers found 1,006 unique pathways in which climatic hazards, via different transmission types, resulted in cases of pathogenic diseases.Warming at higher latitudes have allowed vectors and pathogens to survive winter, aggravating outbreaks by several viruses, such as an anthrax outbreak in the Arctic circle that may have stemmed from an ancient bacterial strain that emerged from an unearthed animal corpse as the frozen ground thawed, according to the study.COVID-19 is an example of how one single disease can create a thematic change in society, Mora said, adding that he does not believe the most recent pandemic -- and the animal-to-human transmission that likely caused it -- could have happened without global warming.An aerial view of pancake ice and melt in the Arctic, July 19, 2022.Kerem Yucel/AFP via Getty Images, FILEThis research reveals more evidence that humans will have difficulty adapting to climate change, especially those in developing countries, Mora said."The magnitude of the vulnerability when you think about one or two diseases -- okay, sure, we can deal with that," he said. "But when you're talking about 58% of the diseases, and 58% of those diseases can be affected or triggered in 1,000 different ways. So that, to me, was also revealing of the fact that we're not going to be able to adapt to climate change."Extreme weather events such as drought and wildfire in the West, flooding in both inland and coastal areas and extreme heat in places that previously did not experience such high temperatures are becoming more common, Mora said.The findings reveal unique pathways in which climatic hazards can lead to disease, underlining the limited capacity for societal adaptation, and emphasizing the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the authors said. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Across most of the western half of the U.S., electric companies are bracing for a heightened risk of blackouts during high usage periods due to rising temperatures and lower-than-expected energy production, according to a recent report by an energy industry watchdog.The North American Energy Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) 2022 Summer Reliability Assessment raised the alarm on five electric utility corporations across seven regions that are at an elevated or heightened risk of having "insufficient operating reserves." "This recent report highlights the need to stop shutting down existing capacity. We've seen this pattern happen," Jim Matheson, the former Utah congressman and current CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, told Fox News. "The report indicates the number of plants shut down earlier than anticipated, even a couple of years ago."DOZENS OF REPUBLICANS DEMAND BIDEN ADMIN'S PLAN FOR NATIONWIDE POWER CRISIS The North American Energy Reliability Corporation highlighted the risk of blackouts across the western U.S. during summer. (Fox News )The risk for rolling blackouts is not only fueled by increased demand but also decreased power generation and ruptured infrastructure."It basically says that there's a high risk of lack of sufficient resources, particularly in the Midwest, in Texas and in California or out in the Far West," Daniel Brooks, a vice president at the Electrical Power Research Institute, told Fox News. "When you have that climate impacts that are driving higher demand that also are impacting the ability of the resources to produce at the same time that you really get risk."The report highlights that much of the western half of the country is at risk for widespread blackouts and capacity shortfalls during peak usage hours. NERC cites a myriad of issues, chief among them decreased hydroelectric generation from widespread drought conditions, damaged transmission lines due to extreme weather events, premature closure of coal and other fossil fuel plants and supply chain issues that continue to disrupt key American industries. FORMER TRUMP ENERGY SECRETARY URGES BIDEN TO FIX U.S. OIL INFRASTRUCTURE TO HELP LOWER GAS PRICES"There's no question that extreme weather events are creating greater demand for electricity in this country, primarily through air conditioning load," Matheson said. "You’ve got this circumstance for reliability being put into question by this increased demand, where, at the same time, we're reducing our supply. Extreme weather is clearly one of the factors that's causing it."The risk threatens the reliability of massive portions of the country’s electrical grid. Widespread blackouts can have disastrous consequences, as seen in the 2021 Texas winter power crisis. Still, there’s reason for long-term optimism. A problem of this magnitude is attracting the minds and efforts of large and small stakeholders across the energy sectors to pinpoint the roots of unreliability and find mitigating solutions. There are government policy maneuvers that will allow more capacity in the immediate future. Data and resource sharing agreements will allow for better preparation among large-scale utility providers and a growing number of electrification options, like air conditioners, heat pumps and water heaters for consumers to bolster themselves and their homes against the fluctuations of natural gas reliability and pricing. A power plant in Houston on June 15, 2021. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)Matheson, drawing on his energy industry expertise and extensive background in politics, identified a couple of quick policy fixes that could alleviate the pressure on the grid during the summer. "There are limits in terms of number of hours per year certain facilities can operate for environmental purposes," he said. "The Secretary of Energy or the EPA could waive some of those restrictions to allow for greater use of existing assets to meet these periods of shortfall. So, there is something right here you could do in summer of 2022 to help mitigate the situation a little, but there's a lot more investments [that are] going to have to [be] made in the long run."BIDEN'S ENERGY POLICIES MAKING INFLATION WORSE, TOP ENERGY GROUP SAYSBeyond governmental quick fixes lie the long-term objectives of both demand- and supply-side energy sector stakeholders. Demand-side solutions exist in the domestic realm, often centering around home solutions that exist past the electric meter. Supply-side innovations focus on how power is generated and stored and how its data is shared among the different corporations. Sam Calisch is the director of special projects at Rewiring America, a nonprofit centered around the electrification of homes and communities. He told Fox News the electrification of home appliances, like heating and air conditioning, and even vehicles will help insulate consumers from the variables and insecurities of fossil fuels over the coming decades."As more of these critical pieces of our infrastructure of our lives — our cars, our heating, our water — move to electricity, suddenly it becomes far easier to take control over their long-term security," Calisch said. "It's pretty easy to buy a battery and store up that extra electricity so that if you do live in an area where you experience blackouts, you can create this sense of security for yourself," Calisch added. "Add, on top of that, the ability to generate your own electricity right on your rooftop due to the falling cost of solar. This is now an effective strategy across most of the country."The benefits of home and community electrification, according to Calisch, extend beyond increased reliability and resiliency in the face of a changing national power generation picture. "Electricity is not only kind of a lower-cost solution here, but is also more immune to these shorter-term volatility events, which, just on the level of a consumer homeowner, that's painful," Calisch said. "People are already feeling the effects of inflation. And then this short-term volatility where gas prices are up and natural gas prices are up. It's painful, and it really hurts people's pocketbooks."WIND ENERGY EXPANSION FACES STRONG HEADWINDS ACROSS U.S., INDUSTRY REPORT SHOWSOf course, increased electrification — especially when it comes to charging electric vehicles — will increase demand on the power grid. But Calisch said this can be mitigated by using smart technology that communicates between supply and demand sides while lowering unnecessary demand during peak usage hours. Beyond the resiliency and security of the home, Calisch said the ambitious electrification project has the added benefit of creating jobs in the community."This transition is going to spur an enormous number of jobs. And these are jobs that can't be offshored because they happen in our houses, in our communities," Calisch said. "Electricians, pipefitters, plumbers, high voltage, auto mechanics. There's a large workforce that is going to be responsible for making this transition happen."On the demand side of the equation, companies in the West are beginning to understand the importance of regional cooperation to make sure resources like energy and data are shared among the major utility providers. One organization, Western Power Pool (WPP), is gathering utility companies in a binding agreement to share data and coordinate operations to ensure reliability. Western Power Pool's Western Resource Adequacy Program will pool data and resources among western utility providers. (Fox News)"Our goal at the demand of our member companies is to put in place a regional resource adequacy program," Sarah Edmonds, CEO of WPP, told Fox News. "This is a planning and compliance framework that helps assure a high likelihood that there will be adequate supply to meet customer demand under an array of scenarios. We call this program the Western Resource Adequacy Program."Though the initiative is a couple of years from being fully realized, Edmonds said the plan will help utility providers coordinate more comprehensively to provide for customers, an effort similar to resource-sharing cooperatives in other parts of the country. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APPAll of these solutions depend on improving and expanding the underlying infrastructure of the country’s electrical grid. High-capacity transmission lines are critical to an increasingly electric future, and the current regulatory environment can delay critical upgrades by years."It really is a matter of increasing our ability to access across regions," Brooks said of building new transmission lines. "So that's additional transmission, that's distribution that can support these needs. "We have to get that in place. That's going to be foundational to whatever we do." Andrew Keiper is an associate producer with the Investigative Unit at Fox News. You can follow him on Twitter at @keiperjourno. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
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At least 25 deaths have been confirmed in a historic flash flooding event in eastern Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear (D) said Saturday, as search and rescue crews continue to look for survivors. A Perry County school bus lies destroyed after being caught up in the floodwaters of Lost Creek in ... [+] Ned, Kentucky, on Friday. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley) Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. Key Facts Beshear tweeted the updated death toll Saturday morning and warned the "number is likely to increase." Rain ended Friday morning after a storm system pummeled parts of eastern Kentucky with more than 10 inches of rain, inundating small towns in valleys across the state's hilly Appalachia region, with some waterways still yet to crest. The extent of the damage is not yet known but Beshear said earlier this week that at least "hundreds" of homes will be lost in eastern Kentucky, one of the most impoverished areas of the United States. Numerous roads remain closed in the region, some due to bridges being washed out. More than 18,000 are still without power in Kentucky, according to PowerOutage.US. Key Background
Beshear activated the National Guard and President Joe Biden declared a "major disaster" in response to the flooding, which is just the latest catastrophic flooding event to impact the U.S. this summer. Record-setting rainfall totals also caused deadly flash flooding in the St. Louis area earlier this week, while Yellowstone National Park is still recovering after rainfall last month caused a rise in the Yellowstone River that obliterated flood records that were more than a century old. Record-shattering heat waves have also been the norm across much of the country lately, as climate scientists warn extreme weather is becoming commonplace as global temperatures increase. What To Watch For
More rain is expected in eastern Kentucky starting Sunday and continuing into early next week, but downpours that could worsen flood conditions are not expected. Further Reading
Flash Floods Swamp St. Louis In Latest Bout Of Extreme U.S. Weather (Forbes)
At Least 16 Killed By Kentucky Flooding—Toll Expected To Rise (Forbes)
Yes, Another Heat Wave: Almost 50 Million Under Heat Alerts Across U.S. (Forbes)
Part Of Yellowstone May Stay Closed For ‘Substantial Length Of Time’ After Flooding (Forbes)
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The Reserve Bank has warned banks, insurers and other businesses to act now to manage the financial threats from global warming, with directors and trustees likely to face litigation risks if they don’t take “appropriate actions”.In a broad-ranging speech on Wednesday, the central bank’s head of domestic markets, Jonathan Kearns, said the climate crisis was a “significant issue” for the economy and society. Effects would be “more severe” if actions were delayed.For financial markets, the RBA’s main focus, the challenges range from immediate and chronic risks from the intensification of extreme weather, to the legal liabilities for those in charge of companies.Kearns said the appetite for Australia’s fossil fuel exports was also likely to diminish, a so-called “transition risk” the RBA is now taking into account for potential future economic fallout.Aside from the physical risk - both acute and chronic - there is the transition risk from climate change, the RBA says. That's being stuck in industries and technologies the sun should be setting on. The bank plots this difference for coal between current and net-zero policies. pic.twitter.com/kP2nindyTy— Peter Hannam (@p_hannam) August 23, 2022
The RBA was concerned asset prices would probably become more volatile, affecting their value as security for loans. That, in turn, would require banks to reassess their books.Households and businesses may also have their ability to repay debt reduced.The RBA in its look at climate risks also has a stab about how loan-to-value ratios might be affected by climate change. As houses become harder to insure in a warming world, banks are going to have to reassess their lending books. pic.twitter.com/pZzrnTKTdm— Peter Hannam (@p_hannam) August 24, 2022
The RBA and other members of the Council of Financial Regulators – Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, Australian Securities and Investments Commission and Treasury – have been working on updated disclosure rules since 2017. Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning While noting uncertainties remain about the scale and location of climate perils, Kearns said business, directors or trustees were increasingly exposed to liability risk “if they do not sufficiently respond to climate change”.“This risk exists not only when they choose not to take appropriate actions but also if they are not informed to take appropriate actions,” he said.Apra has already been working with the country’s five biggest banks to develop climate vulnerability assessments to account for “anticipated physical and transition risks through to 2050”.These assessments are based on two scenarios developed by the Network of Central Banks and Supervisors for Greening of the Financial System that has been advising up to 100 central banks and similar agencies around the world. One is for a delayed and then rapid reduction in emissions, and the other the continuation of current global policies that are insufficient to meet the Paris Climate Agreement targets.The regulators were also working to develop disclosures by companies that would be both “high quality” and comparable with other nations to help investors understand the risks at play.The International Sustainability Standards Board was aiming to finish “key decisions” by the end of 2022, Kearns said.The third area of work was to provide “scientifically based definitions for what could be considered as ‘green’ or ‘sustainable’” finance. Asic on Tuesday listed as a priority a crackdown on “greenwashing” by companies that exaggerated their emission cuts or other environmental efforts.Without a taxonomy of consistent definitions, Australia could find it harder to attract investment, Kearns said. “For example, the EU taxonomy may label LNG as not being a green investment unless it meets stringent requirements that are not applied in Australia,” he said. “[H]owever, in the near-term, increased use of LNG in Australia may assist a transition away from coal while renewables infrastructure is developed.”Head of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes, Andy Pitman, also a member of the Australian Sustainable Finance Institute’s taxonomy project, said it was “valuable” that the RBA was addressing climate risks.“There needs to be active dialogue between groups like the RBA and those who develop the [climate] models that provide the information around future risks,” Pitman said. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
All trains out of Kings Cross, Euston and Birmingham New Street were cancelled today as Britain's rail network ground to a halt after temperatures soared past 40C (104F). Transport Secretary Grant Shapps today admitted the UK's infrastructure 'can't cope' with the extreme weather and said it will take 'decades' to adapt to rising temperatures caused by climate change. Britain's heatwave travel chaos TRAINSSerious disruption (red): Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Elizabeth Line, Grand Central, Great Western, Greater Anglia, Hull Trains, London Northwestern Railway, London Overground, Lumo, Merseyrail, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern, Southern, Stansted Express, Thameslink, TransPennine Express, Transport for Wales, West Midlands Railway, c2c. Moderate disruption (amber): Chiltern, East Midlands, Govia Thameslink, Great Northern, Island Line, LNER, Scotrail. Also disruption on city lines including the Newcastle Metro. ROADSCongestion in cities during the morning rush hour was lower than last week, according to TomTom. The RAC has warned motorists who may be driving to work that the number of vehicle breakdowns today could be a fifth higher than usual.TRANSPORT FOR LONDONGood service: Circle, Northern, Waterloo & City, DLR. Delays: All other lines. Avanti has cancelled all remaining trains for the rest of the day, while the East Coast main line has been closed from Kings Cross. Network Rail has issued a red 'do not travel warning' for services out of London, while hundreds of trains have been cancelled and other services subjected toThe authority said passenger numbers today were around 40 per cent lower than during the same day last week.There is a lineside fire in Harrow, north-west London, while overhead electric wires are down in Rugby, Birmingham and Carlisle, leading to a number of trains being trapped. Emergency evacuations of passengers are ongoing.Aside from the cancellations, three quarters of Britain's rail firms are running slower trains today after tracks hit 62C (144F) - while the escalators at Euston and Oxford Circus in London broke down in the searing heat. The hottest railway track reached 62C (144F) yesterday at a spot in Suffolk, Network Rail said. The lifts and escalators at Euston Station are out of action 'due to overheating', while the London Fire Brigade had to be called after smoke began pouring out of an escalator machine room at Oxford Circus due to the escalator pads began 'overheating'. Meanwhile, a fire at Finchley Road in Central London has suspended service between Waterloo and Willesden Green and caused severe delays on the rest of the Jubilee Line. A section of the A14 dual carriageway in Cambridgeshire was left looking like a 'skatepark' after it warped in the heatwave yesterday, police said; while a section of the A114 in Leytonstone, east London, had to be partially closed after the verge caught fire. The RAC has warned motorists that the number of vehicle breakdowns today could be a fifth higher than usual. Road congestion in several cities was down on last week, TomTom figures showed, as people avoided travelling in the heat.In Birmingham, congestion levels fell from 48 per cent on July 12 to 32 per cent, while in Manchester they decreased from 59 per cent to 44 per cent. Runways at Luton Airport and RAF Brize Norton were impacted by the heat yesterday - forcing aircraft to divert. Brize Norton will remain closed today before an inspection tomorrow, it is understood. Boards at Kings Cross today, where foreign tourists were bemused as to why temperatures that were 'quite normal' elsewhere during summer had resulted in such disruptionKings Cross resembled a rush hour ghost town this morning as all trains were cancelled with rocketing temperatures causing havoc to the rail network. Euston was busy at first (right) but has since halted departures The platform had London Waterloo had buckled today after expanding in the heat. Credit: London Waterloo The London Fire Brigade investigated reports of smoke coming from an escalator machine room on the northbound Victoria Line The LFB later said there had not been a fire but the smoke had been caused by 'escalator brake pads overheating' The A14 melted during today's heatwave at Bottisham in Cambridgeshire today. This photo was taken this morning There were delays on the A114 Bush Road near the A106 / A12 Green Man junction today after the grass verge caught fire Today, Network Rail released images of rails that had become bendy in the extreme heat. One rail reached 62C (144F) yesterday, it said Network Rail advised no one to travel on services leaving north from London today after pictures emerged of rails that had buckled in the heat Network rail is responsible for maintaining the country's railway infrastructure, which has been badly affected by the heat Today, Mr Shapps conceded the UK's transport network cannot cope with the extreme heat.He told BBC Breakfast: 'We've seen a considerable amount of travel disruption. We're probably going to see the hottest day ever in the UK recorded today, and infrastructure, much of it built in Victorian times, just wasn't built to withstand this type of temperature - and it will be many years before we can replace infrastructure with the kind of infrastructure that could, because the temperatures are so extreme.'Asked if the transport system can cope with the weather, he said: 'The simple answer at the moment is no. Road congestion drops as drivers heed warnings to keep off the roads Figures published by location technology firm TomTom show the level of road congestion at 9am today was lower in several cities than at the same time last week.In Birmingham, congestion levels fell from 48% on July 12 to 32%.In Bristol, congestion levels were down from 46% to 42%.In London, levels dropped from 60% to 44%.In Manchester, congestion declined from 59% to 44%.The figures reflect the proportion of additional time required for journeys compared with free-flow conditions. The RAC has warned motorists who may be driving to work that the number of vehicle breakdowns both Monday and Tuesday could be a fifth higher than usual. 'Where those tracks are 40 degrees in the air, on the ground that could be 50, 60, 70 and more, so you get a severe danger of tracks buckling. What we can't have is trains running over those and a terrible derailing.'We've got to be very cautious and conscious of that, which is why there's reduced speeds on large parts of the network.'Council gritters have been put on standby to spread light dustings of sand on melting roads. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said issues on the rails and roads will continue for decades during extreme heatwaves.Asked how long it will take to upgrade existing rail infrastructure to be more resilient, he told Sky News: 'Decades, actually, to replace it all. Ditto with Tarmac on the roads.'There's a long process of replacing it and upgrading it to withstand temperatures, either very hot or sometimes much colder than we've been used to, and these are the impacts of global warming.'He said there was no Cobra meeting planned for today, with the Prime Minister instead chairing Cabinet. Kings Cross resembled a rush hour ghost town today as all trains were cancelled with rocketing temperatures causing havoc to the rail network.All services between London and York were called off as the 40c temperatures hit with rail bosses concerned that tracks would not handle the heat.The only busy spot was the fictional 'Platform 9 3/4' from the Harry Potter films.At the head of the queue were New Yorkers Stacey and Steven Koppell and their nine-month-old daughter Hannah.The couple said they we are flabbergasted that Britain could come to a standstill among what they described as 'very normal to us' temperatures.They endured a nightmare train journey yesterday which led to them forking out £215 for a taxi. Commuters on the sweltering Jubilee line this morning as they commute to work on the London Underground Railway companies have issued similar warnings to Network Rail, with Thameslink telling customers 'please do not travel' Northern said many routes had 'completely shut down', while Chiltern Railways also had a 'do not travel' notice in placeLNER said no trains would be running between Kings Cross and south of York and Leeds, while the Gatwick Express has been suspended There were delays and overcrowding on the Jubilee Line this morning due to speed restrictions because of hot weather A man sleeping at London Bridge Station today as the Met Office warned temperatures could climb to 40C (104F) today, smashing the UK's all-time record Trains in sidings at Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, as many services are cancelled amid mass rail disruption Hottest day in history: Britain hits a record 39.1C before noon and is on track to soar to 43C today Britain today experienced its hottest day on record as temperatures soar towards 40C (104F) amid growing rail travel chaos as schools shut again and millions of people respond to the extreme heat by working from home.Before noon, Charlwood in Surrey hit 39.1C (102.4F) - beating the previous all-time UK high of 38.7C (101.7F) in Cambridge in July 2019, 38.5C (101.3F) in Kent in August 2003 and 38.1C (100.6F) in Suffolk only yesterday.Forecasters said an absolute maximum of 43C (109F) is possible later on - and the highs in England are equal to the warmest spots anywhere in Europe today. The UK is also hotter than Jamaica, the Maldives and Barbados.The Met Office also confirmed that last night was the warmest night on record in Britain, with temperatures not falling below 25C (77F) in many areas of England and Wales. The highest overnight minimum in the UK last night was 25.9C (78.6F) at Emley Moor in West Yorkshire, while it was 25.8C (78.4F) at Kenley in Croydon, South London.This smashed the previous record of 23.9C (75F) in Brighton set on August 3, 1990. It comes one day after Wales had its hottest day ever with 37.1C (99F) in Hawarden, Flintshire - beating a record set in the same village in 1990. Mr Koppell, a Manhattan lawyer, said: 'We are going to the Cotswolds for the day by train and the return journey stopped at Oxford and they said they couldn't take us any further.'Our hotel is in Paddington and we've got a young baby daughter and we have no alternative but to spend £215 on a taxi.'I do think it is a bit much. Britain just isn't ready for these temperatures. But it is 2022! 'Mrs Koppell, a New York teacher, added: 'This these summer temperatures are quite normal to us.'We were expecting a couple of days of rain before we move onto France and I think these temperatures have caught the country by surprise.'It's just haven't been prepared. We've heard about Trainline spending in the heat on the tarmac at airports Milton. It isn't really anybody's fault. But we are bemused by it all.'Another American, Maria Schroeder, and two friends were left frustrated after their train to Edinburgh was cancelled.Maria, 23, a teacher from Ohio, said: 'We got here at 4:45 am for our train which was supposed to leave an hour later only to find it cancelled.'My friends Ellie and Kyle and I were only fitting in Edinburgh for 24 hours to see that beautiful city.'We're only here for a short vacation so we'll have to cancel it now and we've also lost our Airbnb which we booked in Scotland.'We've had to find alternative accommodation for tonight in Camden Town, and we can't book in till 2 pm. So we are stuck here with our luggage.'I am just bemused at how England has come to a standstill. The heat index back home was in the 90s and yet everything works as normal.' Rachel Ayers, a Met Office forecaster, said: 'There are likely to be delays on roads, with road closures, as well as possible delays and cancellations to trains and maybe issues with air travel.'This could pose a significant health risk to those stuck on services or roads during the heat.' A Tube driver sipping from a bottle of water at Kings Cross, where all overground trains were cancelled this morning due to the heat People are being warned to stay at home instead of travelling. Pictured: Queues to board trains on the Jubilee Line today Transport for London (TfL) said London's rail network would also be running a reduced service today due to safety restrictions put into place to deal with the heat. Pictured: Commuters on the Jubilee Line | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comISLAMABAD/KARACHI, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Pakistani authorities are struggling to prevent the country's biggest lake bursting its banks and inundating nearby towns after unprecedented flooding, while the disaster management agency on Monday raised its toll of flood deaths by another 24.Record monsoon rains and melting glaciers in Pakistan's northern mountains have brought floods that have affected 33 million people and killed at least 1,314, including 458 children, Pakistan's National Disaster Management Agency said.The floods have followed record-breaking summer temperatures and the government and the United Nations have both blamed climate change for the extreme weather and the devastation it has brought.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comAuthorities on Sunday breached Pakistan's largest freshwater lake, displacing up to 100,000 people from their homes in the hope of draining enough water to stop the lake bursting its banks and swamping more densely populated areas.But water levels in the lake, to the west of the Indus river in the southern province of Sindh, remain dangerously high. read more "The water level at Manchar lake has not come down," Jam Khan Shoro, the provincial minister for irrigation told Reuters.He declined to say if another attempt to drain water from the lake would be made.A girl carries her sibling as she walks through stranded flood water, following rains and floods during the monsoon season in Nowshera, Pakistan September 4, 2022. REUTERS/Fayaz Aziz The floods are a huge burden for an economy already needing help from the International Monetary Fund.The United Nations has called for $160 million in aid to help the victims of the floods but Finance Minister Miftah Ismail said the cost of the damage was far higher than that."The total damage is close to $10 billion, perhaps more," Ismail said in an interview with CNBC."Clearly it is not enough. In spite of meagre resources Pakistan will have to do much of the heavy lifting."Nevertheless, help from abroad is arriving.Relief flights from the United Nations and countries including Turkmenistan and the United Arab Emirates arrived on Monday, the foreign ministry said in a statement.Elsewhere in the region, floods are also threatening crisis-hit Sri Lanka, while rains have disrupted life in India's technology hub, Bangalore.The northern summer is the rainy season across much of Asia.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Asif Shazad in Islamabad and Syed Raza Hassan in Karachi; Writing by Alasdair Pal; Editing by Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
The outbreak of hundreds of fires amid the new record temperature of 40.3C on Tuesday has been labelled as the new normal for the UK as Britain expects more heatwaves in the coming years. Firefighters have warned the public that wildfires will likely break out every three years as they said the destruction of homes should be a 'wake-up call' to the country. Chief Fire Officer Dave Walton said Monday and Tuesday were a ‘game changer’ and explained that fires are spreading quicker than ever before due to high temperatures. As temperatures climbed above 40C for the first time ever on Tuesday, major fire incidents were declared in London, Norfolk, Hertfordshire, Suffolk, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and South Yorkshire amid the tinder-dry conditions.London had its busiest day since the Second World War when bombs rained down on the capital city as record temperatures led to hundreds of fires across the capital, with the service taking 2,670 calls.There were no deaths but 63 homes from Wennington and Dagenham to Norfolk and Barnsley were destroyed leaving villages 'looking like warzones'.The news comes as the alert for wildfires still remains 'very high' in parts of Scotland, the east and south, until tomorrow with residents being urged by the fire service on Twitter 'to exercise the utmost caution'.While there were reports of continued wildfires just outside of Ipswich in Suffolk and Sheffield, South Yorkshire yesterday as some blazes were seen. SHEFFIELD: In this aerial view Firefighters contain a wildfire that encroached on nearby homes in the Shiregreen area on Wednesday SHEFFIELD: Multiple fires have continued to break out across the UK during this week as Britain battles wildfires SNETTISHAM: Wildfire damage on the ground at Wild Ken Hill, which undoubtedly killed much wildlife as the fire quickly spread on the West Norfolk coastline WENNINGTON: Burnout building are seen in the village after wildfires caused by heatwave destroyed homes WATTON: This is the moment another wildfire threatens to engulf a Norfolk village as firefighters desperately battle to push back the advancing inferno BRANCASTER STAITHE: Four homes in Norfolk are seen without roofs after devastating fires in the village yesterday WATTON: The blaze, which was yesterday being tackled by at least 60 firefighters, is thought to have started in a field near the homes and is believed to have spread to a number of houses WENNINGTON: An aerial view shows the rubble and destruction in a residential area following a large blaze the previous day in Wennington, Greater London WENNINGTON: Around 100 firefighters were called to an inferno in Wennington, Essex, alone, which one emergency worker described as 'absolute hell.' (Pictured: Row of destroyed homes in Wennington following Tuesday's inferno) DAGENHAM: Firefighters at the scene of a blaze in Dagenham, east London, which destroyed a number of properties and vehiclesDAGENHAM: One of the worst scenes aside from Wennington was in Dagenham, east London, where video shows an almost post-apocalyptic scene following a blaze which has destroyed a number of properties. One person filming the devastation described it as 'like a warzone' DAGENHAM: At least 14 homes and 25 vehicles are believed to have been destroyed in a blaze in Dagenham, east London More than a dozen firefighters injured battling blazes in London A total of 16 fire fighters were injured tackling the series of fires that ripped through London on Tuesday, Assistant Commissioner Jonathan Smith of the London Fire Brigade.In unprecedented scenes, hundreds of firefighters tackled 15 fires in 40 degree temperatures as he warned that climate change would bring more of the same in the future.Speaking to reporters from the village of Wennington he said: 'We have never faced anything like what we saw across London yesterday. We have never had firefighters operating in 40-degree heat.'We had 2,600 calls come through to our control room and we responded to well over 1,000 incidents.'What we have to do to bring fires in the open back under control is extremely labour intensive. It is very physically draining, dragging hoses across fields.'That's why we have had 16 firefighters injured altogether, all of whom have fully recovered.'London Fire Brigade (LFB) Assistant Commissioner Jonathan Smith said: '[Tuesday's] fires are another example of how we are increasingly being challenged by new extremes of weather as our climate changes, and we're developing long-term strategies to deal with more incidents like this in the future.'Bosses at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, which came close to calling a major incident, warned the situation across the country on Tuesday would not be a one-off and the UK needed to 'get prepared'.West Yorkshire Deputy Chief Fire Officer Dave Walton said: '[Tuesday] was a game changer and took us to a completely new level. Fires were spreading much more quickly than ever before.'He said that usually when a big fire happened, it was possible to call on neighbouring services to help, but on Tuesday 'everyone was busy and completely stacked out'.'The predictions are we will get heatwaves like this much more regularly, even as much as every three years, due to climate change.'This is very different position we are in now compared to a one-off event nearly 50 years ago, and we need to see this as a wake-up call.'We need to learn how we get prepared as a country for this and how we rethink the resource we have or need, going forward, so we are ready for these, so homes, property and ultimately people's lives are saved,' he warned.Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service said it was called to more than 60 incidents, 38 of which were fires in the open, describing the situation as 'unprecedented'.While firefighters in Norfolk were called to more than 80 incidents on Tuesday. Across the UK, homes were destroyed including in London on 41, 19 homes in the village of Wennington, near the Dartford Crossing east of London, and 14 homes and 25 vehicles in a blaze in Dagenham. Outside of London, pictures show a row of six houses devastated by wildfire in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Residents reportedly battled back the flames with hosepipes and buckets of water as they awaited the arrival of the fire brigade. Another eight properties were destroyed in Maltby, Rotherham, and three in nearby Kiveton Park, alongside another three in Clayton, West Yorkshire.It comes after terrified residents in Wennington were ordered out as 100 firefighters tried to halt a lethal wall of flame spreading from home to home, fanned by warm winds. One firefighter at the scene branded it 'absolute hell'.Tim Stock, whose own house was destroyed, said he and his son saw the fire in his neighbour's garden but had been unable to stop it spreading.The 66-year-old, who works as the village gravedigger and church warden, managed to escape with his family, two dogs and a tortoise.'It was like a warzone. Down the actual main road, all the windows had exploded out, all the roofs have caved, it was like a scene from the Blitz really.'It's heartbreaking really. I mean, I've been there 41 years but my granddad was there before me, so we've been there 60-odd years, he told BBC Radio 5 Live.'And to see it all fall apart yesterday, it's really sad. But as I said, we'll get the site cleared, fit up a kind of mobile home there, and we'll start again.' WENNINGTON: Burnt grass surrounds St Mary and St Peter's Church in the village of Wennington, as historic place of worship miraculously remains largely untouched by the inferno WENNINGTON: A woman is given water and comforted close to the blaze in the village of Wennington, east London, where 100 firefighters tackled a fire on Tuesday WENNINGTON: Firefighters are pictured dampening the flames in Wennington early on Wednesday morning, as warnings for fires remained in place due to the dry conditions WENNINGTON: Burned out cars are among the wreckage left by a fierce wildfire in Wennington, Essex, sparked by record-breaking temperatures on Tuesday BRANCASTER STAITHE: In the village people revealed how they rescued their pets, while others attempted to dig trenches in a desperate bid to stop the advancing wall of fire WENNINGTON: Residents and emergency services are assessing the damage this morning after Britain's hottest day on record sparked a string of devastating wild fires which destroyed dozens of homes and businesses. (Pictured: Aftermath in Wennington, Essex) BRANCASTER STAITHE: A tractor also destroyed in the devastation after the inferno swept towards the village in Norfolk MALTBY: An aerial view shows the burn out remains of homes after a wild fire in Maltby yesterday, as fires broke out across the country amid a record 40C heatwave MALTBY: An aerial view shows the burn out remains of homes after a wildfire ripped through properties in South Yorkshire yesterday BARNSLEY: The remains of a property in Barnsley after a fire broke out in a back garden and spread to homes - destroying four properties BARNSLEY: A row of homes destroyed by fire in Woodland Drive, Barnsley stand as empty shells following a devastating wildfire yesterday BRANCASTER STAITHE: A completely gutted home is seen in the Norfolk village after wildfire advanced on properties near Watton Where were properties destroyed by fire on Wednesday? • Wennington (East London) - 19• Dagenham (East London) – 14• Chadwell Heath (East London) – 1• Kenton (North West London) - 2• Brancaster Staithe (Norfolk) - 5• Ashmanhaugh (Norfolk) - 2• Kiveton Park (South Yorkshire) - 3• Barnsley (South Yorkshire) - 6• Maltby (South Yorkshire) - 8• Clayton (South Yorkshire) – 3NHS bosses have warned that the health service's 'crumbling' buildings are not fit to adapt to the heatwave, which saw hospitals forced to scale back the number of planned operations and install cooling units and try to cool down IT server rooms.A spokesperson for Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust said on Wednesday that it had experienced significant disruption of its IT systems due to Tuesday's heat, which meant it had been forced to postpone some operations and appointments.On the railways, there was ongoing disruption on Wednesday, with dozens of trains cancelled or delayed across England because of problems caused by the extreme heat.There is potentially no respite from the extreme weather, with a yellow warning for thunderstorms in place across a large swathe of England from noon to 10pm on Wednesday.The Met Office said that while many places will only see relatively small amounts of rain, some slow-moving torrential downpours are possible.Where these occur there could be 20-30mm (0.8-1.1 inches) of rain in an hour and in some spots 50mm (2 inches) in three hours.Dozens of families across the UK are having to come to terms with the devastating loss of their homes after they were destroyed by wildfires in yesterday's record-breaking 40C heatwave.As many as 63 homes were gutted across the UK yesterday, with 41 in London alone - including 19 homes in the village of Wennington, near the Dartford Crossing east of London, and 14 homes and 25 vehicles in a blaze in Dagenham. WENNINGTON: Two rows of terraced houses, four other homes, 12 stables and five cars were destroyed by the inferno in Wennington, near the Dartford Crossing east of London. Pictured: A sliding image showing the devastation after the fire (left) and the village before the fire (right) DAGENHAM: Pictures show an almost post-apocalyptic scene with a number of properties and vehicles destroyed in a blaze in Dagenham, east London DAGENHAM: Pictures show the scale of destruction caused by a grassland fire that tore through a residential area of Dagenham DAGENHAM: More than 130 people had to be evacuated from their homes yesterday when a wildfire broke out in Beam Parklands and spread to nearby residential roads (damage pictured) BRANCASTER STAITHE: The blackened ground is seen advancing towards the hollowed out properties further down in the village DAGENHAM: The fire tore through buildings and what appears to be a car storage area. As many as 14 homes and 25 vehicles are believed to have been damaged WENNINGTON: A row of burnt out houses and gardens is seen in the village of Wennington east of London after yesterday's record temperatures. Pictured: Slide across to see a satellite image of the properties before the blaze WENNINGTON: A compost heap on the edge of Wennington village is believed by some to be the source of the inferno after it reportedly burst into flames before spreading to nearby grass and undergrowth and eventually reaching homes (destroyed properties pictured) BRANCASTER STAITHE: A line of tape cordons off the row of homes destroyed in the fire in Norfolk WENNINGTON: The fire took place near to a fire station. Firefighters battled to contain the inferno is it swept across the village, and towards the fire station itself WENNINGTON: The chard remains of homes in the village of Wennington following the devastating fire which swept through yesterday as Britain hit 40C for the first time WENNINGTON: A Union flag remains undamaged amid the devastation following the huge wildfire which ripped through the village of Wennington in east LondonWENNINGTON: The charred remains of a house in Wennington, Greater London, following a devastating wildfire which ripped through the village on TuesdayThis map shows scale of damage across the UK after wildfires tore through homes from Wennington and Dagenham to Norfolk and Barnsley leaving villages 'looking like warzones' 'We've lost everything': Families fleeing wildfires grabbed pets and tried to dig trenches to stop flames as devastated homeowner reveals his house has been destroyed just eight WEEKS after he paid off the mortgage Families have revealed how their lives have been turned upside-down by the devastating wildfires which ripped through parts of England on the hottest day in UK history.More than a dozen families have been left homeless after a fire tore through the small village of Wennington, on the outskirts of east London, yesterday amid the UK's record breaking 40C heatwave.As many as 41 homes were destroyed across London yesterday - nearly half of which were gutted in Wennington alone. Local officials believe 19 properties were destroyed in the grass blaze, including two detached houses, two semi-detached houses, two rows of terraced houses, two outbuildings, six single-storey garages, 12 stables - as well as five cars.Another 14 homes and 25 vehicles were destroyed in a blaze in Dagenham, while six have been left charred after a fire in Barnsley which is believed to have started in a garden shed.Drone footage also shows firefighters battling back against a wildfire as it advanced on properties in Brancaster Staithe near Watton in Norfolk. At least five homes are thought to have been destroyed.Now families caught up in the devastation have spoken about the moment they noticed the inferno sweeping towards them.Some revealed how they rescued their pets, while others attempted to dig trenches in a desperate bid to stop the advancing wall of fire. Tim Stock, whose house was destroyed in yesterday's devastating fire in Wennington, said he and his son saw blaze in his neighbour's garden but were unable to stop it spreading.The 66-year-old, who works as the village gravedigger and church warden, saw his house burn to the ground, but managed to escape with his family, two dogs and a tortoise.Mr Stock said: 'I lost everything. The house, the garden, we had two beehives, there was no going back. 'My son took some stuff and went round to his mate's house but about 10 minutes later that burnt down so he has got nothing either.'I've been a gravedigger for 50 years. My truck has blown up, that belonged to the council. I didn't have time to get it out. 'Last night I stayed in Thurrock Hotel. The council was trying to put us up in people's houses but we've got two dogs and my tortoise Malty.' Speaking about how the fire started, he said: 'The fire started across the cornfield, at one point I got stuck behind the cordon and the field was burning so I couldn't get out that way.'We opened up the church because I have the keys, we got everyone in, people were covered in soot, they were having a drink of water, but then that started filling up with smoke so we had to get everyone out again. I'm surprised it didn't burn down as well to be honest.'Tim's family home is one of 19 believed to have been destroyed in the fire. Among the wrecked houses are two detached houses, two semi-detached houses, two rows of terraced houses, two outbuildings, six single-storey garages, 12 stables and five cars were destroyed by the blaze.A rescue centre has been set up at the Wennington Premier Inn for residents who have been evacuated. Despite losing his home, Tim added defiantly: 'We will bounce back and we will start again!' Carole Stopp, 69, who has lived in Wennington Green for more than 35 years, also rescued her tortoise Cleo - who is 60 years old in human years - from the blaze.She told the Telegraph: 'Thick black smoke started rising at about 1pm. 'I said: 'Oh my god' and looked out the window. Our neighbour Tim's front garden was on fire. We rang to see if he was ok. Tim was trying to put the fire out himself with a hose.'Then we heard some large bangs - we think it must have been windows imploding because of the heat. We just grabbed the tortoise and left.'Meanwhile, video from Dagenham shows an almost post-apocalyptic scene following a blaze which has destroyed a number of properties. A person filming the devastation, which looks similar to the types of images taken from bombed out villages in Ukraine, described the blackened area as looking 'like a warzone'. The UK recorded a new provisional high temperature of 40.3C in Coningsby, Lincolnshire, on Tuesday, outstripping the previous record set in Cambridge in 2019 of 38.7.There were also provisional records for Scotland – 35.1C at Floors Castle in Roxburghshire on Tuesday – and Wales, where a high of 37.1C was recorded at Hawarden, Clwyd, on Monday.Heatwaves are being made more intense, frequent and longer by climate change, and scientists said it would be 'virtually impossible' for the UK to have experienced temperatures reaching 40C without human-driven global warming.Scientists also warn that climate change is increasing fire danger across the UK, and people need to be prepared for it.Increasing heatwaves raise health risks, with high temperatures putting the elderly, those with pre-existing conditions and children particularly at risk of serious illness or death, and potentially affecting the population more widely.Record high overnight temperatures were also seen during the heatwave, which puts further stress on people's health as their bodies are not able to recover from the hot days with cooler nights.London Ambulance Service said it had taken the equivalent of a call every 13 seconds during the two days of extreme heat, with a 10-fold increase in incidents related to heat exposure compared with last week, and an 8% increase in people faintingElsewhere in the country hundreds of fire crews battled raging infernos in Wales, Scotland and the rest of England as 'tinderbox' dry conditions in the UK caused wildfires to threaten homes, animals and people and a children's nursery was destroyed along with most of a street in Yorkshire amid police fears some of the fires could have been deliberate. Officers and fire chiefs also think deliberate blazes were set on scrubland, trees, fields, rubbish, buildings on a residential street and at a nature reserve during the heatwave, which began on Saturday. Yesterday, temperature records were shattered as sweltering Britons turned to beaches lakes and even fountains in Trafalgar Square in a desperate bid to cool off. Heathrow was first to reach the 40C barrier – breaking the old record of 38.7C (102F) measured in Cambridge in 2019. But hottest of all yesterday was Coningsby in Lincolnshire, which recorded 40.3C (104.5F). At least 34 parts of the country broke the UK's previous national record of 38.7C, the Met Office said stretching from West Yorkshire to Surrey. Staggeringly, meteorologists calculated that Britain was hotter than 98.9 per cent of the Earth's surface yesterday.Scotland also recorded its hottest day ever as temperatures climbed to 34.8C (94.64) at Charterhall and Wales set its record yesterday of 37.1C in Hawarden, Flintshire.But a band of thunderstorms moving across England and Wales from the Isles of Scilly spelt the end of the punishing temperatures for some.The 'extreme heat' also led to almost 15,000 homes in the North East being left without power at about 2pm as electrical equipment overheated during the record temperatures. Roads were also closed as fires broke out alongside major motorways including the M25 and M1.Emergency call centres were hit with tens of thousands of pleas for help. Greater Manchester Police said four fires were deliberate on moorland at Dovestone Reservoir near Oldham. Superintendent Phil Hutchinson said: 'This is being as arson which, following conviction, can result in a lengthy prison sentence.'The UK is also being warned these temperatures could soon be the 'new normal' as Britain starts to see wildfires, extreme heat and pressure on the water supply which has long plagued Europe.One expert, a specialist in wildfire operations, on Wednesday told the Telegraph that the severity of fires seen yesterday was 'rare, or possibly unprecedented' in the UK. Steve Gibson said: 'It's difficult to find a previous time when so much of the country has been affected.' Ed Miliband, Labour's shadow secretary of state for climate change, said that extreme hot weather like this will become the 'new normal' under climate change.'Reports of fires across the country are deeply distressing. We must do everything we can to support the families and communities affected. I urge everyone to stay safe and salute the courage of our fire services,' he said. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Temperatures have never reached 40C in the UK but for the first time ever forecast computer models have shown it could be possible for mid-July. According to the latest modelling, large parts of the southeast could also hit 39C.
The highest ever temperature in the UK was recorded on 25 July 2019, when Cambridge Botanic Garden hit 38.7C.Before that, it was 38.5C, recorded at Faversham in Kent in August 2003.The prediction has been met with a "mix of shock and surprise" by forecasters, who say it is actually very unlikely to happen - at least this summer. "Nobody can recall 40C appearing in a major global forecast system for the UK," said Sky's weather forecaster Kirsty McCabe.
"Especially when this forecast was also predicting temperatures over 39C over a huge area of southeast England."Given that the UK's previous hottest days have only seen a few places exceed 38C, this was unlike anything forecasters had ever seen before."However, it should be noted that this prediction has come from a single member of one ensemble forecast system.Such systems are designed to capture a range of possible outcomes by running a model many times and producing a set of forecasts.Predictions are seen to be more likely if more members of the set have the same one. Image: The modelling predicts temperatures could reach 40C. Pic: www.weatheroutlook.com So what has to happen for the UK to hit 40C and why is it so unlikely? "All the factors have to align perfectly for the UK to attain 40C," said Ms McCabe."While it is possible, it's extremely unlikely, even if the risk is the highest it's ever been."For example, for the weekend of 16/17 July 2022, most forecasts are in the low-to-mid 30s, and there are just as many forecasts showing maxima not much above 20C as there are showing 40C."For the UK to see the scorching temperature, the weather setup would have to pump the warmest air from Africa, through Spain and France, and then into the UK.This involves the development of a low-pressure system west of Iberia and its drift during next week, with warm air moving on the country's eastern flank. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player UK recorded the hottest day of the year last month Could we see 40C in the future? Despite the prediction being surprising, it was just a matter of time until it happened as the world continues to warm up as a result of climate change.So, while it is unlikely the country will see 40C this summer, it is more likely that the record temperature will hit the UK in the future.Read more:The latest Sky News UK weather forecastGlobal temperature could be warmest on record in one of next five years"Extreme weather events and rising temperatures are due to human-induced global warming," Ms McCabe added."Recent research indicates that towards the end of the century parts of the UK could see 40C every few years under a high emissions scenario."Health alert level raised The heat health alert has been raised to Level 3 for the southeast next week as temperatures are expected to reach the low 30s. Twitter Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this. Open Privacy Options The alert level, triggered by the Met Office, means social and healthcare services should take specific action to help high-risk groups due to the hot weather.The Met Office said there is a very high probability that temperatures in the southeastern and eastern areas of the country could reach at least 30C throughout the week.Between Wednesday and Friday, there is due to be some patchy rain in central areas and showers in the far north, while it will stay very warm in the far southeast and cooler elsewhere.Showers are likely to affect the far north on Thursday and Friday, but elsewhere will be dry and warm.Watch the Daily Climate Show at 3.30pm Monday to Friday, and The Climate Show with Tom Heap on Saturday and Sunday at 3.30pm and 7.30pm. All on Sky News, on the Sky News website and app, on YouTube and Twitter.The show investigates how global warming is changing our landscape and highlights solutions to the crisis. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Pakistan is experiencing a “serious climate catastrophe, one of the hardest in the decade,” the country’s top climate official, said in a video posted on Twitter.Army troops evacuate people from a flood-hit area in Rajanpur, district of Punjab, Pakistan, on Saturday.Asim Tanveer / APAug. 28, 2022, 10:48 AM UTC / Source: Associated PressDeaths from widespread flooding in Pakistan topped 1,000 since mid-June, officials said Sunday, as the country’s climate minister called the deadly monsoon season “a serious climate catastrophe.”Flash flooding from the heavy rains has washed away villages and crops as soldiers and rescue workers evacuated stranded residents to the safety of relief camps and provided food to thousands of displaced Pakistanis.Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority reported the death toll since the monsoon season began earlier than normal this year — in mid-June — reached 1,033 people after new fatalities were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southern Sindh provinces.Sherry Rehman, a Pakistani senator and the country’s top climate official, said in a video posted on Twitter that Pakistan is experiencing a “serious climate catastrophe, one of the hardest in the decade.”“We are at the moment at the ground zero of the front line of extreme weather events, in an unrelenting cascade of heatwaves, forest fires, flash floods, multiple glacial lake outbursts, flood events and now the monster monsoon of the decade is wreaking non-stop havoc throughout the country,” she said. The on-camera statement was retweeted by the country’s ambassador to the European Union.Flooding from the Swat River overnight affected northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where tens of thousands of people — especially in the Charsadda and Nowshehra districts — have been evacuated from their homes to relief camps set up in government buildings. Many have also taken shelter on roadsides, said Kamran Bangash, a spokesperson for the provincial government.The unprecedented monsoon season has affected all four of the country’s provinces. Nearly 300,000 homes have been destroyed, numerous roads rendered impassable and electricity outages have been widespread, affecting millions of people.Rehman told Turkish news outlet TRT World that by the time the rains recede, “we could well have one fourth or one third of Pakistan under water.”“This is something that is a global crisis and of course we will need better planning and sustainable development on the ground. ... We’ll need to have climate resilient crops as well as structures,” she said.In May, Rehman told BBC Newshour that both the country’s north and south were witnessing extreme weather events because of rising temperatures. “So in north actually just now we are ... experiencing what is known as glacial lake outburst floods which we have many of because Pakistan is home to the highest number of glaciers outside the polar region.”The government has deployed soldiers to help civilian authorities in rescue and relief operations across the country.Meanwhile, the Pakistani army said in a statement it airlifted a 22 tourists trapped in a valley in the country’s north to safety. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
World Updated on: July 19, 2022 / 8:54 AM / CBS News Brutal heat and wildfires grip Europe Scorching summer temps and wildfires roast Europe 03:30 London — Britain on Tuesday recorded its first ever temperature over the 40 degrees Celsius mark (104 Fahrenheit), a landmark that many in the U.K. thought would take years longer to reach. The mercury provisionally registered 40.2C at Heathrow Airport, the country's meteorological agency, the Met Office, said. The new record was set within an hour of Britain passing its previous all-time high temperature of about 102 degrees, registered in eastern England in 2019.The same heat wave is fueling damaging wildfires across southern France, Spain, Italy and Portugal, driving tens of thousands of people from their homes. Wildfires rage in Spain and France amid heat wave 02:12 But the extreme temperatures are especially shocking for the U.K., where neither the people nor the infrastructure are prepared for such heat. Only about 5% of British homes are thought to have air-conditioning. The countries further south have suffered the most this week, however. With firefighters in Spain scrambling to put out dozens of wildfires from the ground and by air, desperate residents have tried to step in to battle the flames. Video caught the moment that one farmer's clothing caught on fire as he tried to dig a trench to stop the blaze approaching his property. He managed to run away, but was badly burned. Authorities have already blamed more than 1,000 deaths on the current heat wave in Spain and neighboring Portugal.In France, hot winds have been hampering efforts to contain wildfires that have scorched tens of thousands of acres, and meteorologists have warned that parts of the country are facing what they've called a "heat apocalypse." Tourists pose for photographs on Westminster Bridge in London, July 19, 2022, the hottest day ever recorded in the U.K. Frank Augstein/AP But as the hot air from the Sahara desert blows northward, it was Britain left to bake in the record-setting temperatures on Tuesday. Saberi said some places were forecast to as high as 108 degrees. London's Luton Airport was forced to suspend flights on Monday after part of the runway simply melted. Hundreds of trains have been cancelled and people have been warned to avoid public transport, stay hydrated, and stay cool however they can.Scientists say heat waves have become more frequent, more intense, and longer lasting."Climate change has everything to do with the extreme weather that we're seeing at the moment, and it's human-induced climate change, it's not a natural variation," Kirsty McCabe, a meteorologist at the U.K.'s Royal Meteorological Society, told CBS News. Asked if weather like this was likely to become the norm for Britain and its neighbors, she left little room for doubt."Unfortunately, yes. That's exactly where we are heading at the moment," McCabe said, "if we don't do some drastic action, we will continue to see these things happening." In: Weather Forecast Heat Wave European Union United Kingdom london Thanks for reading CBS NEWS. Create your free account or log in for more features. Please enter email address to continue Please enter valid email address to continue | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Britain today experienced its hottest day on record as temperatures soar towards 40C (104F) amid growing rail travel chaos as schools shut again and millions of people respond to the extreme heat by working from home.Before noon, Charlwood in Surrey hit 39.1C (102.4F) - beating the previous all-time UK high of 38.7C (101.7F) in Cambridge in July 2019, 38.5C (101.3F) in Kent in August 2003 and 38.1C (100.6F) in Suffolk only yesterday.Forecasters said an absolute maximum of 43C (109F) is possible later on - and the highs in England are equal to the warmest spots anywhere in Europe today. The UK is also hotter than Jamaica, the Maldives and Barbados.The Met Office also confirmed that last night was the warmest night on record in Britain, with temperatures not falling below 25C (77F) in many areas of England and Wales. The highest overnight minimum in the UK last night was 25.9C (78.6F) at Emley Moor in West Yorkshire, while it was 25.8C (78.4F) at Kenley in Croydon, South London.This smashed the previous record of 23.9C (75F) in Brighton set on August 3, 1990. It comes one day after Wales had its hottest day ever with 37.1C (99F) in Hawarden, Flintshire - beating a record set in the same village in 1990. In Cambridgeshire today, the surface of the A14 at Bottisham appeared to have melted and buckled. And on the trains, Network Rail and operators upgraded their travel advice for services heading north out of London into the red warning area to 'do not travel', saying there will be no services in or out of London King's Cross all day today. The heat has brought major rail chaos for commuters around the capital, with no Thameslink or Great Northern trains running in any location north of London, from Blackfriars via St Pancras, or from King's Cross or Moorgate.Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told people across Britain today to 'apply common sense' and 'depending on the nature of your journey and reason for it, you might want to consider rearranging your day around it'. But the sight of parts of the UK shutting down sparked a backlash, with complaints that ministers and health chiefs were 'acting like nanny' - while holidaymakers were delayed yesterday as a part of runway at Luton Airport melted.Today, the Supreme Court in London was closed to visitors because of the heat and an air-conditioning fault. A sign was posted at the building's entrance explaining the problem, although hearings could still be viewed online. But the extreme heat is likely to end with a bang tomorrow, with the Met Office issuing a thunderstorm warning for between 1pm and 9pm across the South East amid concerns of sudden flooding, lightning strikes and power cuts. Forecasters said up to 1.2in (30mm) of rain could fall in some areas in just an hour and 2in (50mm) in three hours. Before then, with the UK's first ever red warning for extreme heat still predicted to see the 40C (104F) barrier broken for the first time ever this afternoon, normal life was on hold in parts of the country as:At least 171 schools closed, with teachers claiming learning was impossible in sweltering classrooms;Hospitals cancelled appointments and non-urgent operations as operating theatres turned into ovens;Royal Mail workers were told to return to sorting offices with undelivered mail amid fears they would fall ill;Experts recommended avoiding the beach and holding off exercising until the extreme heat has passed;Commuter numbers on roads and railways were down by up to a fifth, and tracks on some lines buckled;There was a spate of water-related tragedies, including a 13-year-old boy's body pulled from the River Tyne;A 50-fold increase in demand for fans alongside a boom for bottled water, ice lollies and canned cocktails;Water companies raised the prospect of hosepipe bans amid fears of a summer drought.LNER will run no trains from south of York and south of Leeds to King's Cross - and Southern, Southeastern, South Western Railway and Great Western Railway are among the operators running significantly reduced services.On the London Underground, there was no Hammersmith & City line, no Metropolitan line between Baker Street and Aldgate due to 'heat-related speed restrictions', and severe delays on the Central and District lines.There was also no Overground between Willesden Junction and Richmond or Romford and Upminster, while there were delays on other Overground lines, the Jubilee line and the western and eastern parts of the Elizabeth line.People dip their heads into the fountain to cool off at Trafalgar Square in London this morning amid the extreme heat The surface of the A14 at Bottisham in Cambridgeshire appears to have melted and buckled today during the heatwave Maximum temperatures of at least 40C are expected in England this afternoon - but could rise even further to as high as 43C Forecasters at MetDesk produced this map revealing where the top temperatures are likely to be observed in Britain today Two women lay a towel on the sand at Bournemouth beach today as sunbathers flock to the Dorset coast to enjoy the heat A busy Bournemouth beach this morning as people enjoy the sunshine on what is set to be a record-breaking day The burnt out remains of parkland in Skellow, Doncaster, this morning after a huge grass fire came within feet of homes Peter Dolby jumps into the water at Compton Lock in Winchester today on what is expected to be the hottest day on record Commuters struggle in the extreme heat this morning as they cross London Bridge on the way to workCommuters struggle in the extreme heat this morning as they cross London Bridge on the way to work today Cyclist Oonagh Thin, 24 takes a rest to enjoy the sun at Holyrood Park in Edinburgh this morning Racehorses get cooled down at trainer Sue Smith's yard near Bingley in West Yorkshire this morning People enjoy an early morning swim at the Serpentine Lido in London's Hyde Park today Siblings Joshua, Harry and Chloe jump into the water at Compton Lock in Winchester, Hampshire, this morning People walk along the sand at Bournemouth beach in Dorset this morning ahead of another very hot day at the seaside Commuters on the sweltering Jubilee line this morning as they commute to work on the London Underground Friends Isaac Pratt and Connie Dolby hold hands as they drift down the river at Compton Lock in Winchester this morning A woman enjoys the hot weather on a paddleboard at Tynemouth Longsands in North Tyneside this morning The UK has experienced its warmest night on record, according to provisional Met Office figures as shown in this mapIn the West End, Oxford Circus station was closed this morning while London Fire Bridgade crews investigated what they said were 'reports of smoke issuing from an escalator machine room on the northbound Victoria line'. Transport for London said London's rail network will be running a reduced service throughout today due to safety restrictions put into place to deal with the heat, and Gatwick Express trains were completely suspended. Heatwave death toll hits 12: Man in his 70s drowns and boy, 14, is missing in River Thames as teenage swimmers, 16 and 13, die while trying to cool down A man in his 70s has become the latest to drown after attempting to cool off from the scorching temperatures by going for a swim.At least 12 people have died in heatwave-related incidents this month since the heatwave began on July 9 bringing with it record-breaking temperatures. The 70-year-old man was pulled unconscious from the water in Sandown on the Isle of Wight. Emergency service crew members battled for 40 minutes to save his life but he was declared dead at the scene.Robert Hattersley, 13, died after an incident on Sunday at Ovingham, Northumberland It comes after a 14-year-old boy was declared missing yesterday after getting into difficulty in the Thames at Richmond in West London and is said to have drowned.Emergency services were called at 5pm to a child seen in the water at Tagg's Island in Hampton and searched the area for the boy but were unsuccessful. The rescue operation was brought to an end at 6.40pm while efforts to recover his body will continue.Also yesterday, a 16-year-old boy died after getting into difficulty in Bray Lake in Maidenhead, Berkshire.Robert Hattersley, 13, from Crawcrook, died following an incident in the River Tyne on Sunday as his family said they were 'absolutely devastated'. The 'kind and loving' teenager died after getting into difficulty in a river near Ovingham, Northumberland, over the weekend.Yesterday, police were also seen near the River Irwell in Bury at around 4pm as police parked in Jubilee Way. A man was also rescued yesterday by fire, police and ambulance services yesterday after he was seen in Erewash canal near Sandiacre, Derbyshire.A 37-year-old man died after being pulled out of the sea at Brighton beach on Saturday evening. In Scotland a 51-year-old man died after his kayak capsized on the River Spey, Moray, on Sunday. The same night, a man in his 50s died after falling from a boat and getting into difficulty in the water in Northern Ireland. Emergency services rushed to the scene at Cromane Bay, Kilorglin, at around 10pm.Also on Sunday, a 50-year-old man died at Ardsley Reservoir, West Yorkshire, it was reported, after he got into difficulty while swimming.On Saturday a 16-year-old Kalen Waugh drowned in Salford Quays on Saturday, causing Greater Manchester Police to issue a fresh warning about swimming.Two other schoolboys drowned in separate swimming accidents last week.After getting into difficulties while swimming in a quarry at Appley Bridge, Lancashire, on July 9, 16-year-old Jamie Lewin died. The promising boxer who 'loved life' and was 'was one in a million' was the third teenager in just seven years to lose his life at the quarry.Just two days later Alfie McCraw, also 16, from Wakefield, who had only recently finished his GCSEs, died after swimming in a West Yorkshire canal.In North Wales, Emma Louise Powell, 24, drowned while paddleboarding with two friends last Thursday evening.The 'happy go lucky' woman got into difficulties at the beauty spot at Conwy Morfa with her two friends. All three were rescued from the water following a major rescue operation, but Ms Powell, from Llandudno, died. Network Rail had previously warned customers to travel only if 'absolutely necessary' today. It said the hottest rail track was 62C (143F) in Suffolk yesterday - where the air temperature was 38.1C (100.6F). Merseyrail said the number of trains running and journey times will be 'seriously affected', with some routes shut.East Midlands Railway is running limited services between Derby, Nottingham, Luton, Bedford and London, which will stop completely between lunchtime and 7pm - the hottest period of the day.There are limited and disrupted services running into and out of London Euston - on Avanti West Coast and West Midlands Railway - and London Marylebone with Chiltern Railway, according to Network Rail.Met Office meteorologist Annie Shuttleworth told how it was 'extraordinarily unusual' to see temperatures in the 30Cs by the morning rush-hour in the UK.She added: 'It's looking pretty likely a new record is broken today. We're looking at the maximum temperatures somewhere between 40C to 41C, and that's looking to be across the Lincolnshire and Yorkshire region.'Forecaster Rachel Ayers added: 'There are likely to be delays on roads, with road closures, as well as possible delays and cancellations to trains and maybe issues with air travel. This could pose a significant health risk to those stuck on services or roads during the heat.'Figures published by location technology firm TomTom show the level of road congestion at 9am today was lower in several cities than at the same time last week.In Birmingham, congestion levels fell from 48 per cent on July 12 to 32 per cent. In Bristol, congestion levels were down from 46 per cent to 42 per cent. In London, levels fell from 60 per cent to 44 per cent. In Manchester, it declined from 59 per cent to 44 per cent.The data shows the proportion of extra time required for journeys compared with free-flow conditions.Forecasters and NHS leaders have warned that thousands of people – even those who are fit and healthy – could die during the 'ferocious' heatwave, urging them to do 'as little as possible'.But in a furious backlash, senior Tory MPs claimed people were becoming 'frightened of the heat'. Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: 'Great British common sense should be allowed to prevail'.'I long for the day when the Government stops acting like Nanny telling everyone what to do, every institution panicking and the BBC telling us we're all going to die,' he said yesterday.'If it's very hot, just give people advice – wear a hat, wear sun lotion, drink a lot of liquid. If you go to Italy or France, they don't just stop everything because it's hot.'Sir John Hayes, chairman of the Common Sense group of backbench Tory MPs, said we were entering 'a cowardly new world where we live in a country where we are frightened of the heat'.'It is not surprising that in snowflake Britain, the snowflakes are melting,' he added. 'Thankfully, most of us are not snowflakes.'Former Tory Health Minister Edwina Currie warned against 'too much hectoring'. She called on the Government to promote 'more positive messages' in hot weather, such as going to work and school early in the morning and 'having a siesta' to stay out of the sun.Former Northern Ireland First Minister Dame Arlene Foster branded the warnings 'Government over-reach', add-ing that 'all of this started with Covid regulations'.She told BBC Politics Live people now 'expect the Government to tell them how to live their lives, which I think is absolutely wrong'.Tory donor and Pimlico Plumbers founder Charlie Mullins claimed the push to stay away from work due to hot weather risked damaging an already fragile economy.'The only reason they want to be at home is so they can sit in the sun,' he told Jeremy Vine's Channel 5 show. 'It's another excuse. Just go to work, get on with your job.'If we put up with this, we're going to open the floodgates for all the snowflakes. They're not going to come to work, whether it's too foggy, too wet, too rainy, windy, (or) storms are coming.'Scotland and Northern Ireland also experienced their warmest days of the year so far yesterday with 31.3C (88.3F) recorded in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, and 31.1C (88F) in Derrylin, County Fermanagh.After Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab urged the country to 'enjoy the sunshine' and be 'resilient enough through some of the pressures it will place', beaches were thronged yesterday. Sunseekers head into the water at Bournemouth beach in Dorset this morning as the extreme heat continues in England People out enjoying the hot weather at Tynemouth Longsands in North Tyneside this morning Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service issued this picture of firefighters attend to a grass fire in Rixton, Warrington, today Swimmers Tara Wight and Kate Whitaker in the sea at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh this morning amid the heatwave Fire crews have been sent to a gorse blaze at Zennor near St Ives in Cornwall, which is pictured this morning A woman goes for a swim off Bournemouth beach today as people enjoy the water and sun on the Dorset coast People on Bournemouth beach this morning as Britons prepare for another very hot day across the country Two women carry water across Bournemouth beach early this morning as sunseekers flock to the Dorset coast again Ddrone footage of the aftermath of a field fire by Cheshunt Park in Hertfordshire pictured today, after it started yesterday People out enjoying the hot weather at Tynemouth Longsands in North Tyneside this morning A group of men go for a paddle early this morning at Bournemouth beach as sunseekers flock to the Dorset coast again Chippy the chimpanzee enjoying an ice treat at Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park near Stirling this morning Commuters and joggers cross London Bridge this morning amid the extreme temperatures as the heatwave continues People on Bournemouth beach this morning as Britons prepare for another very hot day across the country The burnt out remains of Lickey Hills parkland in Birmingham this morning where fire crews are still on the scene A cyclist makes her way around Holyrood Park in Edinburgh today as the UK is braced to face the hottest day on record A bush fire in Leytonstone, East London, resulted in roads having to close as the heatwave continues in England Trains to London King's Cross from Edinburgh Waverley station are cancelled due to hot weather this morningMeanwhile commuter numbers plummeted across England – with a corresponding rise in visitor numbers to sea-side resorts.It suggested that millions of people had heeded Cabinet Office Minister Kit Malthouse, who said 'this may be a moment to work from home' – or taken the day off altogether.After more than a dozen train firms advised passengers to travel only if it is 'absolutely necessary', Network Rail said the number using major stations across Britain yesterday was around 20 per cent down on the week before.Rail tracks buckled in London's Vauxhall in the heat – resulting in a safety inspection on the line that caused disruption between Waterloo and Clapham Junction. And operator Great Northern said a buckled rail at Watlington in Norfolk meant services could not run between Cambridge and Kings Lynn.Today, Mr Shapps said issues on the rails and roads will continue for decades during extreme heatwaves.Asked how long it will take to upgrade existing rail infrastructure to be more resilient, he told Sky News: 'Decades, actually, to replace it all. Ditto with Tarmac on the roads.'There's a long process of replacing it and upgrading it to withstand temperatures, either very hot or sometimes much colder than we've been used to, and these are the impacts of global warming.'He said there was no Cobra meeting planned for today, with the Prime Minister instead chairing Cabinet. People sleep on deckchairs on Bournemouth beach this morning ahead of another very hot day at the coast A busy London Euston Station this morning amid mass travel disruption on the second day of the red weather warning People enjoy an early morning swim at the Serpentine Lido in London's Hyde Park today The sun rises over Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, this morning on what is expected to be the hottest day of the year so far A man sleeping at London Bridge railway station this morning as temperatures are set to climb to 40C today Trains in sidings at Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, as many services are cancelled amid mass rail disruption Today, the Supreme Court in London was closed to visitors because of the heat and an air-conditioning fault People enjoy an early morning swim at the Serpentine Lido in London's Hyde Park today Early morning swimmers and paddleboarders cool off at Clevedon Marine Lake in Somerset today The sun rises on a warm early morning over the countryside at Dunsden in Oxfordshire today Sun scorched grass seen on what is set to be the hottest day of the year so far at Blackheath in South East London today Empty shelves at a Lidl store in Clevedon, Somerset, this morning as the UK is set for another day of hot weather People enjoy an early morning swim at the Serpentine Lido in London's Hyde Park today A man drinks from a bottle of water on the Jubilee line this morning as commuters use the London Underground to get to work Sunrise from Glastonbury Tor in Somerset this morning at the start of what could be the hottest day on record Commuters on the sweltering Jubilee line this morning as they wait for a train at London Bridge station Empty shelves in the water aisle of a Sainsbury's supermarket at Nine Elms in South West London this morning Early morning swimmers cool off at Clevedon Marine Lake in Somerset today at the start of an exceptionally hot day Swimmers Tara Wight and Kate Whitaker in the sea at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh this morning amid the heatwave People enjoy an early morning swim at the Serpentine Lido in London's Hyde Park todayMr Shapps also insisted Boris Johnson has not checked out early from Number 10 after the Prime Minister was criticised for not playing a direct enough role in combating the heatwave. What are Britain's ten hottest days on record? 1) 38.7C - July 25, 20192) 38.5C - August 10, 20033) 38.1C - YESTERDAY 4) 37.8C - July 31, 20205) 37.1C - August 3, 1990=6) 36.7C - July 1, 2015=6) 36.7C - August 9, 19118) 36.6C - August 2, 19909) 36.5C - July 19, 2006=10) 36.4C - August 7, 2020=10) 36.4C - August 6, 2003He told Sky News: 'It's literally not true, in fact exactly the opposite is the truth.'Mr Shapps also conceded that the UK's transport network cannot cope with the extreme heat.He told BBC Breakfast: 'We've seen a considerable amount of travel disruption, we're probably going to see the hottest day ever in the UK recorded today and infrastructure, much of it built in Victorian times, just wasn't built to withstand this type of temperature.'And it will be many years before we can replace infrastructure with the kind of infrastructure that could, because the temperatures are so extreme.'Asked if the transport system can cope with the weather, he said: 'The simple answer at the moment is no.'Where those tracks are 40C in the air, on the ground that could be 50C, 60C, 70C and more. So you get a severe danger of tracks buckling, what we can't have is trains running over those and a terrible derailing.'We've got to be very cautious and conscious of that, which is why there's reduced speeds on large parts of the network.'Predictions of long tailbacks as road surfaces melted in the heat also took effect, with location technology firm TomTom recording congestion at 9am down by up to 11 per cent in major UK cities.Lincolnshire Police said road surface temperatures topping 50C caused parts of the A159 to melt.Transport for London – which advised people to 'only travel if essential' – said Tube passenger numbers were down 18 per cent on the previous Monday.Meanwhile bus journeys in the capital were down ten per cent week-on-week. Council staff pick up an abandoned tent on Bournemouth beach in Dorset this morning as the hot weather continues Two women walk along the sand at Bournemouth beach this morning as people arrive early at the Dorset coast Litter strewn across Bournemouth beach early this morning after sunseekers flocked to the Dorset coast People rest on the sand on Bournemouth beach this morning ahead of another very hot day at the coast People rest on the sand on Bournemouth beach this morning ahead of another very hot day at the coast People rest on Bournemouth beach this morning ahead of another very hot day at the coast Litter strewn across Bournemouth beach early this morning after sunseekers flocked to the Dorset coast People rest on Bournemouth beach this morning ahead of another very hot day at the coast People rest on the sand on Bournemouth beach this morning ahead of another very hot day at the coast Litter strewn across Bournemouth beach early this morning after sunseekers flocked to the Dorset coast Litter strewn across Bournemouth beach early this morning after sunseekers flocked to the Dorset coast Litter pickers on Bournemouth beach early this morning after sunseekers flocked to the Dorset coast Litter strewn across Bournemouth beach early this morning after sunseekers flocked to the Dorset coast People rest on the sand on Bournemouth beach this morning ahead of another very hot day at the coast People rest on deckchairs on Bournemouth beach this morning ahead of another very hot day at the coast People rest on deckchairs on Bournemouth beach this morning ahead of another very hot day at the coast Litter strewn across Bournemouth beach early this morning after sunseekers flocked to the Dorset coast People rest on the sand on Bournemouth beach this morning ahead of another very hot day at the coast Litter strewn across Bournemouth beach early this morning after sunseekers flocked to the Dorset coast Litter strewn across Bournemouth beach early this morning after sunseekers flocked to the Dorset coast Litter strewn across Bournemouth beach early this morning after sunseekers flocked to the Dorset coast Litter strewn across Bournemouth beach early this morning after sunseekers flocked to the Dorset coastRetail analysts Springboard reported a similar fall in Central London footfall yesterday, with 11 per cent fewer peo-ple in regional cities – but a nine per cent boost in visitors to coastal towns. Record heat brings Britain's travel network to a halt: Oxford Circus station is evacuated over 'smoking escalator' and Network Rail tells people 'DO NOT TRAVEL' Record breaking temperatures has brought Britain's travel network to a halt, with Oxford Circus station evacuated over a 'smoking escalator', Network Rail issuing a 'do not travel warning', hundreds of trains cancelled, and runways melting at airports. London Fire Brigade said firefighters were investigating reports of smoke coming from an escalator machine room on the northbound Victoria Line. The incident is causing yet more disruption to the Tube network, which is already running a reduced service. Today, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps admitted the UK's infrastructure 'could not cope' with the extreme weather - as the country braced for 43C (109F) highs.Network Rail advised no one to travel on services leaving north from London today after pictures emerged of rails that had buckled in the heat. The hottest railway track reached 62C (144F) yesterday at a spot in Suffolk.While several train companies have closed routes completely, others are warning against anything but essential travel. 'Please don't use our trains to get to the beach,' Thameslink said. There will be no Thameslink or Great Northern trains running in any location north of London, from London Blackfriars via St Pancras, or from King's Cross or London Moorgate today. Merseyrail said the number of trains running and journey times will be 'seriously affected', with some routes closed completely. LNER will run no trains from south of York and south of Leeds to King's Cross.Southern, South Eastern, South Western Railway and Great Western Railway are among the dozens of train companies running significantly reduced services across the country. All trains out of King's Cross were cancelled this morning, with foreign tourists bemused as to why temperatures that were 'quite normal' elsewhere during summer had resulted in such disruption.'People are clearly working at home today as advised,' said the firm's insights director, Diane Wehrle.A number of small shops around the country closed early for the day or have closed completely until tomorrow. These included several groups of charity shops, while hairdressers, cafes and chip shops put up the closed signs.In Durham, Woofs and Cuts dog groomers shut because it was 'unsafe for any dogs to be in the hot conditions and for the journey to the appointment'.At Wapping Wharf, Bristol, fashion and gift shop Frankly explained: 'Our shop is in a metal box and it gets VERY hot in there.' But the British Retail Consortium said major chains tend to have air conditioning, which protects staff and shoppers.Meanwhile several ambulance trusts reported normal call volumes for a Monday as NHS medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis insisted 'the overwhelming majority of NHS services are continuing to run'.And Brian Jordan, director of 999 operations for London Ambulance Service, said the service saw a slight increase in calls for fainting and heat exposure. The service received 6,600 emergency calls yesterday, which was actually slightly lower than predicted.'We really hope that's because the public really have been listened to the messages about how they can look after themselves and only call 999 if it's a genuine emergency,' Mr Jordan told BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning.'People have been through a very long day yesterday and there's been high temperatures overnight and with the even hotter temperatures today, I cannot really emphasise enough that people need to continue to do what we were asking them yesterday - to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun, keep hydrated, look after more vulnerable friends, families, neighbours and use sun cream etc.'He added: 'As yesterday afternoon progressed we saw a slight increase in the rates of fainting and heat exposure'.Mr Jordan said that the service expected to see a 'build-up of illness due to the continued heat overnight and even higher temperatures coming today... it's just about making sure that even after the peak temperatures, everyone continues to follow that advice'.Ambulances were not waiting outside of hospitals any longer than usual on Monday, he added.An East of England Ambulance Service spokesman said the service has detailed plans in place for dealing with the extreme hot weather.He added: 'We have seen above-average call numbers since Monday afternoon. Demand on our service is very high and, even when the temperatures drop, we expect to still being seeing an impact from heat-related illnesses into the weekend.'We continue to ask the public to help us, as their actions can help manage rapid increases in the number of people calling for an ambulance.'Please continue to follow guidance during this period of hot weather and only call 999 in life-threatening emergencies.'Flights were suspended at London Luton Airport for around two hours before engineers managed to repair what was described as a 'surface defect' on the runway. Litter strewn across Bournemouth beach early this morning after sunseekers flocked to the Dorset coast Litter strewn across Bournemouth beach early this morning after sunseekers flocked to the Dorset coast Litter strewn across Bournemouth beach early this morning after sunseekers flocked to the Dorset coast Litter strewn across Bournemouth beach early this morning after sunseekers flocked to the Dorset coast People rest on chairs on Bournemouth beach this morning ahead of another very hot day at the coast Litter strewn across Bournemouth beach early this morning after sunseekers flocked to the Dorset coast People rest on the sand on Bournemouth beach this morning ahead of another very hot day at the coast Litter strewn across Bournemouth beach early this morning after sunseekers flocked to the Dorset coast Litter strewn across Bournemouth beach early this morning after sunseekers flocked to the Dorset coast Litter strewn across Bournemouth beach early this morning after sunseekers flocked to the Dorset coast Litter strewn across Bournemouth beach early this morning after sunseekers flocked to the Dorset coast People rest on the sand on Bournemouth beach this morning ahead of another very hot day at the coast Litter strewn across Bournemouth beach early this morning after sunseekers flocked to the Dorset coast Litter strewn across Bournemouth beach early this morning after sunseekers flocked to the Dorset coast Litter strewn across Bournemouth beach early this morning after sunseekers flocked to the Dorset coast Litter strewn across Bournemouth beach early this morning after sunseekers flocked to the Dorset coast Litter strewn across Bournemouth beach early this morning after sunseekers flocked to the Dorset coast Litter strewn across Bournemouth beach early this morning after sunseekers flocked to the Dorset coast Litter strewn across Bournemouth beach early this morning after sunseekers flocked to the Dorset coast People rest on the sand on Bournemouth beach this morning ahead of another very hot day at the coastActivity was also halted at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, with Sky News reporting that part of the runway had melted. Heatwave could lead to devastating wildfires Experts are worried about the possibility of major wildfires tearing through the countryside as temperatures threaten to soar as high as 40C.Wildlife would be 'devastated' by such a blaze, with one expert suggesting Britain could face conditions similar to those taking hold in southern Europe. Lickey Hills parkland in Birmingham today after a huge firePatches of England were at 'exceptional risk' of wildfires on Monday, the Met Office said, with an alert spreading to most of the country for Tuesday.'I haven't even seen the exceptional category being used in the times I've looked at the Wildfire Index before,' Kathryn Brown, the Wildlife Trust's director for climate action, said. 'In southern Europe, we're seeing these stories of these horrendous wildfires taking hold all over the place and these are the conditions that we're | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
As a cleanup expected to last months grinds on, climate experts and meteorologists say the gap between the destruction and what was forecast underscores a troublesome aspect of climate change: Models used to predict storm impacts do not always keep up with increasingly devastating rainstorms, hurricanes, heat waves and other events.“Those rivers had never reached those levels. We literally were flying blind not even knowing what the impacts would be,” said Arin Peters, a senior hydrologist with the National Weather Service.Hydrologic models used to predict flooding are based on long-term, historical records. But they do not reflect changes to the climate that emerged over the past decade, said meteorologist and Weather Underground founder Jeff Masters.“Those models are going to be inadequate to deal with a new climate,” Masters said.Another extreme weather event where the models came up short was Hurricane Ida, which slammed Louisiana last summer and then stalled over the Eastern Seaboard — deluging parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York with unprecedented rainfall that caused massive flooding.The weather service had warned of a “serious situation” that could turn “catastrophic,” but the predicted of 3 to 6 inches (8 to 15 centimeters) of rain for New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania was far short of the 9 to 10 inches (23 to 25 centimeters) that fell.The deadly June 2021 heat wave that scorched the Pacific Northwest offered another example. Warmer weather had been expected, but not temperatures of up to 116 degrees (47C degrees) that toppled previous records and killed an estimated 600 or more people in Oregon, Washington state and western Canada.The surprise Yellowstone floods prompted a nighttime scramble to close off roads and bridges getting swept away by the water, plus rushed evacuations that missed some people. No one died, somewhat miraculously, as more than 400 homes were damaged or destroyed.As rock slides caused by the rainfall started happening in Yellowstone, park rangers closed a heavily-used road between the town of Gardiner and the park headquarters in Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming. It later washed out in numerous places.The rain and snowmelt was “too much too fast and you just try to stay out of the way,” Yellowstone Deputy Chief Ranger Tim Townsend said.If the road hadn’t been closed “we probably would have had fatalities, unquestionably,” park Superintendent Cam Sholly said.“The road looks totally fine and then it’s like an 80-foot drop right into the river," Sholly said. "No way if someone was driving in the rain at night that they would have seen that and could have stopped.”Rock Creek, which runs through the city of Red Lodge and normally is placid and sometimes just ankle deep, became a raging river. When the weather service issued a flood warning for the creek, the water already had surged over its banks and begun to knock down bridges.By the time the warning was went, “we already knew it was too late,” said Scott Williams, a commissioner for Carbon County, Montana, which borders Yellowstone.Red Lodge resident Pam Smith was alerted to the floods by something knocking around in her basement before dawn. It was her clothes dryer, floating in water pouring through the windows.In a scramble to save keepsakes, Smith slipped on the wet kitchen floor and fell, shattering a bone in her arm. She recalled holding back tears as she trudged through floodwaters with her partner and 15-year-old granddaughter to reach their pickup truck and drive to safety.“I went blank,” Smith said. “I was angry and like, ‘Why didn’t anybody warn us? Why was there no knock on the door? Why didn’t the police come around and say there’s flooding, you need to get out?’”Local authorities say sheriff’s deputies and others knocked on doors in Red Lodge and a second community that flooded. But they acknowledged not everyone was reached as numerous rivers and streams overflowed, swamping areas never known previously to flood.While no single weather event can be conclusively tied to climate change, scientists said the Yellowstone flooding was consistent with changes already documented around the park as temperatures warm.Those changes include less snowfall in mid-winter and more spring precipitation — setting the stage for flash floods when rains fall on the snow, said Montana State University climate scientist Cathy Whitlock.Warming trends mean spring floods will increase in frequency — even as the region suffers from long-term drought that keeps much of the rest of the year dry, she said.Masters and other experts noted that computer modelling of storms has become more sophisticated and is generally more accurate than ever. But extreme weather by its nature is hard to predict, and as such events happen more frequently there will be many more chances for forecasters to get it wrong.The rate of the most extreme rainstorms has increased by a factor of five, Masters said. So an event with a 1% chance of happening in any given year — commonly referred to as a “one in 100-year” event — now has a 5% chance of happening, he said.“We are literally re-writing our weather history book,” said University of Oklahoma Meteorology Professor Jason Furtado.That has widespread implications for local authorities and emergency officials who rely on weather bulletins to guide their disaster response approaches. If they’re not warned, they can’t act.But the National Weather Service also strives to avoid undue alarm and maintain public trust. So if the service's models show a only a slim chance of disaster, that information is likely left out of the forecast.Weather service officials said the agency's actions with the Yellowstone flooding will be analyzed to determine if changes are needed. They said early warnings that river levels were rising did help officials prepare and prevent loss of life, even if their advisories failed to predict the severity.Computer-based forecasting models are regularly updated to account for new meteorological trends due to climate change, Peters said. Even with those refinements, events like the Yellowstone flooding still are considered low-probability and so often won't make it into forecasts based on what the models say is most likely to occur.“It's really difficult to balance that feeling that you've got that this could get really bad, but the likelihood of it getting really bad is so small,” Peters said. He added that the dramatic swing from drought to flood was hard even for meteorologists to reconcile and called it “weather whiplash."To better communicate the potential for extreme weather, some experts say the weather service needs to change its forecasts to inform the public about low probability hazardous events. That could be accomplished through more detailed daily forecasts or some kind of color-coded system for alerts.“We’ve been slow to provide that information,” North Carolina State University atmospheric scientist Gary Lackmann said. “You put it on people’s radars and they could think about that and it could save lives.” | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Wildfires broke out across southern England today as Britain experienced its hottest day on record with temperatures soaring past 40C (104F) amid growing rail travel chaos as schools shut again in the extreme heat.A huge grass blaze broke out in Wennington, Essex, and appeared to have destroyed at least two houses - while major fires also broke out nearby in Upminster and across the Thames at Dartford in Kent; on a day when millions of people were working from home. There was also a major gorse blaze today at Zennor near St Ives in Cornwall. The mercury hit an unprecedented 40.2C (104.4F) at London Heathrow Airport at 12.50pm - around an hour after a reading of 39.1C (102.4F) in Charlwood, Surrey, beat the previous all-time UK high of 38.7C (101.7F) in Cambridge in July 2019. In third place is 38.5C (101.3F) in Kent in August 2003, and 38.1C (100.6F) in Suffolk yesterday is fourth.Elsewhere in England this afternoon, by lunchtime the mercury had got up to 39.9C (103.8F) at Charlwood, 39.6C (103.3F) at Kew Gardens in West London, 39.3C (102.7F) at Wisley in Surrey, and 39.2C (102.6F) at both Chertsey in Surrey and Northolt in West London - with all of these readings also beating the all-time UK high from 2019. Forecasters said an absolute maximum of 43C (109F) is possible later on - and the highs in England are equal to the warmest spots anywhere in Europe today. The UK is also hotter than Jamaica, the Maldives and Barbados.London Fire Brigade declared a 'major incident' in response to a huge surge in fires across the capital today as it came under 'immense pressure', with 15 fire engines and 100 firefighters dealing with the Wennington blaze alone.And smoke drifted over the M25 as almost 200 firefighters and 30 fire engines tried to extinguish a corn field blaze in Upminster. Firefighters in London said they were battling 'several significant fires' including these nine: ** Are you in Wennington or anywhere else hit by wildfires today? Please email: [email protected] ** 30 fire engines tackling a grass fire on Pea Lane in Upminster;15 fire engines tackling a fire on The Green in Wennington;12 fire engines tackling a fire involving garden fencing and trees on Uxbridge Road in Pinner;Ten fire engines tackling a restaurant fire on Green Lanes in Southgate;Eight fire engines tackling a grass fire on Oaks Road in Croydon;Eight fire engines tackling a grass fire on Ballards Road in Dagenham;Eight fire engines tackling a fire on The Broadway in Wembley;Six fire engines tackling a grass fire on Sunningfields Crescent in Hendon;Four fire engines tackling a grass fire on Chapel View in Croydon;Four fire engines tackling a fire on Sidcup Road in Eltham. A huge grass blaze broke out in Wennington, Essex, this afternoon and appeared to have destroyed this house (centre) Another house was also destroyed in the Wennington fire this afternoon which was seen from above in this Sky News aerial Some 15 fire engines and 100 firefighters from the London Fire Brigade are dealing with the Wennington blaze in Essex today The huge grass blaze has spread to houses in Wennington, Essex, this afternoon amid the extreme heat Some 15 fire engines and 100 firefighters from the London Fire Brigade are dealing with the Wennington blaze in Essex today A fire on Dartford Heath next to the A2 in Kent this afternoon, with smoke spreading across the road A fire on Peckham High Street in South London this afternoon as the heatwave continues to cause chaos in the capital The fire broke out in Wennington, Essex, this afternoon and was having a major impact on local residential areas Firefighters attend a gorse bush fire during the heatwave near Zennor in Cornwall this afternoon Firefighters attend a blaze on Dartford Marshes in Kent today after temperatures reached 40C for the first time on record Firefighters attend a gorse bush fire during the heatwave near Zennor in Cornwall this afternoon A firefighter tackles a grass fire in a park in New Brighton in Merseyside this afternoon amid the heatwave Firefighters attend a gorse bush fire during the heatwave near Zennor in Cornwall this afternoon Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service issued this picture of firefighters attend to a grass fire in Rixton, Warrington, today A gorse bush fire during the heatwave near Zennor in Cornwall this afternoon amid the very high temperatures The burnt out remains of parkland in Skellow, Doncaster, this morning after a grass fire came within feet of homes Firefighters rest as they attend a gorse bush fire during a heatwave near Zennor in Cornwall this afternoon The burnt out remains of parkland in Skellow, Doncaster, this morning after a grass fire came within feet of homes Drone footage of the aftermath of a field fire by Cheshunt Park in Hertfordshire pictured today, after it started yesterday A gorse bush fire during the heatwave near Zennor in Cornwall this afternoon amid the very high temperatures The burnt out remains of parkland in Skellow, Doncaster, this morning after a grass fire came within feet of homes A fire in Upminster, Essex, today as the hot weather continues amid a series of extreme weather warnings The burnt out remains of parkland in Skellow, Doncaster, this morning after a grass fire came within feet of homesA bush fire in Leytonstone, East London, resulted in roads having to close as the heatwave continues in England The burnt out remains of parkland in Skellow, Doncaster, this morning after a grass fire came within feet of homes The burnt out remains of Lickey Hills parkland in Birmingham this morning where fire crews are still on the scene Maximum temperatures of at least 40C are expected in England this afternoon - but could rise even further to as high as 43C Forecasters at MetDesk produced this map revealing where the top temperatures are likely to be observed in Britain todayOne blaze at Lickey Hills Country Park near Birmingham, spread to 50,000 square metres and forced 15 people to flee their homes, while firefighters in Essex said they were receiving three times their average number of calls.West Midlands Fire Service received 717 incident calls yesterday - a rise of 280 in the space of a week, while crews in Hereford and Worcester had 54 fires based around fields, undergrowth and woodland. In Nottinghamshire, fire crews saw a 'significant increase' in grass fires over the last month, with numbers up even more this week.The Met Office has confirmed that last night was the warmest night on record in Britain, with temperatures not falling below 25C (77F) in many areas of England and Wales. The highest overnight minimum in the UK last night was 25.9C (78.6F) at Emley Moor in West Yorkshire, while it was 25.8C (78.4F) at Kenley in Croydon, South London.This smashed the previous record of 23.9C (75F) in Brighton set on August 3, 1990. It comes one day after Wales had its hottest day ever with 37.1C (99F) in Hawarden, Flintshire - beating a record set in the same village in 1990. In Cambridgeshire today, the surface of the A14 at Bottisham appeared to have melted and buckled. And on the trains, Network Rail and operators upgraded their travel advice for those heading north out of London into the red warning area to 'do not travel', saying there will be no services in or out of London King's Cross all day today. The heat has brought major rail chaos for commuters around the capital, with no Thameslink or Great Northern trains running in any location north of London, from Blackfriars via St Pancras, or from King's Cross or Moorgate.Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told people across Britain today to 'apply common sense' and 'depending on the nature of your journey and reason for it, you might want to consider rearranging your day around it'. But the sight of parts of the UK shutting down sparked a backlash, with complaints that ministers and health chiefs were 'acting like nanny' - while holidaymakers were delayed yesterday as a part of runway at Luton Airport melted.Today, the Supreme Court in London was closed to visitors because of the heat and an air-conditioning fault. A sign was posted at the building's entrance explaining the problem, although hearings could still be viewed online. But the extreme heat is likely to end with a bang tomorrow, with the Met Office issuing a thunderstorm warning for between 1pm and 9pm across the South East amid concerns of sudden flooding, lightning strikes and power cuts. Forecasters said up to 1.2in (30mm) of rain could fall in some areas in just an hour and 2in (50mm) in three hours. Before then, with the UK's first ever red warning for extreme heat still predicted to see the 40C (104F) barrier broken for the first time ever this afternoon, normal life was on hold in parts of the country as:At least 171 schools closed, with teachers claiming learning was impossible in sweltering classrooms;Hospitals cancelled appointments and non-urgent operations as operating theatres turned into ovens;Royal Mail workers were told to return to sorting offices with undelivered mail amid fears they would fall ill;Experts recommended avoiding the beach and holding off exercising until the extreme heat has passed;Commuter numbers on roads and railways were down by up to a fifth, and tracks on some lines buckled;There was a spate of water-related tragedies, including a 13-year-old boy's body pulled from the River Tyne;A 50-fold increase in demand for fans alongside a boom for bottled water, ice lollies and canned cocktails;Water companies raised the prospect of hosepipe bans amid fears of a summer drought.LNER will run no trains from south of York and south of Leeds to King's Cross - and Southern, Southeastern, South Western Railway and Great Western Railway are among the operators running significantly reduced services.All trains between London Euston and Milton Keynes were suspended this afternoon as emergency services dealt with a lineside fire. The blaze was caused when 25,000 volt overhead electric cables came down in Harrow.James Dean, Network Rail's West Coast South route director, said: 'As predicted the extreme temperatures have impacted the overhead cables on the West Coast main line and all trains have had to be stopped at Harrow in North London. Please follow our 'do not travel' message today as journeys are being severely impacted. 'Once the emergency services give us the go ahead we will work as fast as we can to restore the railway lines. We're sorry to people impacted and we're working as fast as we can to get things back up and running.'All trains were also stopped at Birmingham New Street station after a power line fault. Network Rail said its rapid response team is dealing with a fault involving the overhead electric cables outside the station.Denise Wetton, Network Rail's Central route director, said: 'As predicted the extreme temperatures have impacted our overhead cables which power trains and we've had to stop all trains at Birmingham New Street station.'Please keep following our 'do not travel' message today as journeys are being severely impacted. We're sorry to people impacted and we're working as fast as we can to get things back up and running.'On the London Underground, there was no Hammersmith & City line, no Metropolitan line between Baker Street and Aldgate due to 'heat-related speed restrictions' and no Jubilee line between Waterloo and Willesden Green.There were severe delays on the Central, District and Victoria lines; severe delays on the sections of the Jubilee and Metropolitan that were in operation; and no Overground between Willesden Junction and Richmond or Romford and Upminster. There were also delays on the western and eastern sections of the Elizabeth line.Two women dip their heads into the fountain to cool off at Trafalgar Square in London this morning amid the extreme heat A packed Brighton beach in East Sussex this afternoon on day two of the red extreme heat warning The surface of the A14 at Bottisham in Cambridgeshire appears to have melted and buckled today during the heatwave A group of women walk along the pebbles of Brighton beach today as they head to the coast of East Sussex People on the beach in Bournemouth in Dorset this morning as Britons melt on the hottest UK day on record A member of F Company Scots Guards swelters during the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace today The burnt out remains of parkland in Skellow, Doncaster, this morning after a huge grass fire came within feet of homes People on the beach in Bournemouth today as temperatures soar across England to record levels A packed Brighton beach in East Sussex this afternoon on day two of the red extreme heat warning A young woman in the fountains at Trafalgar Square in London today as the heatwave continues Beachgoers make the best of the scorching morning temperatures at West Bay in Dorset today Peter Dolby jumps into the water at Compton Lock in Winchester today on what is expected to be the hottest day on record Two women lay a towel on the sand at Bournemouth beach today as sunbathers flock to the Dorset coast to enjoy the heat A man and woman sit in the River Dove in Dovedale today during the heatwave as people enjoy the weather in Derbyshire Sunworshippers on Brighton beach this morning on day two of the red extreme heat warning People on the beach in Bournemouth today as temperatures soar across England to record levels Commuters struggle in the extreme heat this morning as they cross London Bridge on the way to work A woman sits by the fountains at Trafalgar Square in London today as Britons experience the hottest UK day on record Commuters struggle in the extreme heat this morning as they cross London Bridge on the way to work today People enjoy the hottest day of year at Stainforth Force in the Yorkshire Dales this afternoon as they cool off People flock to the beach and seafront at Southend-on-Sea this morning as an Essex Police officer walks past Cyclist Oonagh Thin, 24 takes a rest to enjoy the sun at Holyrood Park in Edinburgh this morning Australian cabaret and circus troupe Briefs take to the water to attempt to cool themselves during a photocall for 'Bites' outside the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London today Two women sunbathe on Brighton beach in East Sussex this morning on day two of the red extreme heat warning Racehorses get cooled down at trainer Sue Smith's yard near Bingley in West Yorkshire this morning People enjoy an early morning swim at the Serpentine Lido in London's Hyde Park today A member of the Household Cavalry has a fan placed next to him at Horse Guards Parade in Central London this morning People at Harpur Hill Quarry in Derbyshire - known as 'Blue Lagoon' - on what is the hottest day on record in the UK A horse at Horse Guards Parade in Westminster is given some water to cool down as the heatwave continues Siblings Joshua, Harry and Chloe jump into the water at Compton Lock in Winchester, Hampshire, this morning A member of the Household Cavalry feels the heat at Horse Guards Parade in London today as the heatwave continues The Tarmac on Crook Mill Road in East Halton, North Lincolnshire, is sizzling today due to the current heatwave People walk along the sand at Bournemouth beach in Dorset this morning ahead of another very hot day at the seaside Commuters on the sweltering Jubilee line this morning as they commute to work on the London Underground Friends Isaac Pratt and Connie Dolby hold hands as they drift down the river at Compton Lock in Winchester this morning The dried out bed and reduced water levels in the Thruscross Reservoir in North Yorkshire, pictured this morning A woman enjoys the hot weather on a paddleboard at Tynemouth Longsands in North Tyneside this morning People on the beach in Bournemouth this afternoon as Britons bake on the hottest UK day on record Police smashed the window of a £25,000 electric Hyundai to save a dog trapped inside in London's Leicester Square The UK has experienced its warmest night on record, according to provisional Met Office figures as shown in this mapIn the West End, Oxford Circus station was closed this morning while London Fire Brigade crews investigated what they said were 'reports of smoke issuing from an escalator machine room on the northbound Victoria line'. Transport for London said London's rail network will be running a reduced service throughout today due to safety restrictions put into place to deal with the heat, and Gatwick Express trains were completely suspended. Heatwave death toll soars to 13 with two missing: Man in his 20s dies in Cotswolds as search is launched for swimmer dragged out to sea in Essex and hunt continues for 14-year-old boy in River Thames A man in his 20s has become the latest to drown after attempting to cool off from the scorching temperatures by going for a swim at a water park in Wiltshire.At least 13 people have died in heatwave-related incidents since the heatwave began on July 9, bringing with it record-breaking temperatures. It comes after it was confirmed a man had died from drowning, bringing Monday's death toll alone to five.Robert Hattersley, 13, died after an incident on Sunday at Ovingham, Northumberland The 70-year-old man was pulled unconscious from the water in Sandown on the Isle of Wight. Emergency services battled for 40 minutes to save his life but he was declared dead at the scene.In Wiltshire, police confirmed the man in his 20s had died at Cotswold Water Park in Ashton Keynes. The force said the man was pulled from the water but pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 6pm. Meanwhile, a boy aged 14 is feared dead in Richmond after he was declared missing when he was spotted getting into difficulty in the Thames in West London and at least one person is missing after going for a swim in Clacton, Essex, with a search operation ongoing.In Richmond, emergency services were called at 5pm yesterday to reports of a child seen in the water at Tagg's Island in Hampton and searched the area for the boy but were unsuccessful. Also yesterday, a 16-year-old boy died after getting into difficulty in Bray Lake in Maidenhead, Berkshire. A 16-year-old boy died after getting into difficulty in Bray Lake near Maidenhead in Berkshire yesterdayRobert Hattersley, 13, from Crawcrook, died following an incident in the River Tyne on Sunday as his family said they were 'absolutely devastated'. The 'kind and loving' teenager died after getting into difficulty in a river near Ovingham, Northumberland, over the weekend.Yesterday, police were also seen near the River Irwell in Bury at around 4pm as police parked in Jubilee Way. A man was also rescued yesterday by fire, police and ambulance services yesterday after he was seen in Erewash canal near Sandiacre, Derbyshire.A 37-year-old man died after being pulled out of the sea at Brighton beach on Saturday evening. In Scotland a 51-year-old man died after his kayak capsized on the River Spey, Moray, on Sunday. The same night, a man in his 50s died after falling from a boat and getting into difficulty in the water in Northern Ireland. Emergency services rushed to the scene at Cromane Bay, Kilorglin, at around 10pm.Also on Sunday, a 50-year-old man died at Ardsley Reservoir, West Yorkshire, it was reported, after he got into difficulty while swimming.On Saturday a 16-year-old Kalen Waugh drowned in Salford Quays on Saturday, causing Greater Manchester Police to issue a fresh warning about swimming.Two other schoolboys drowned in separate swimming accidents last week.After getting into difficulties while swimming in a quarry at Appley Bridge, Lancashire, on July 9, 16-year-old Jamie Lewin died. The promising boxer who 'loved life' and was 'was one in a million' was the third teenager in just seven years to lose his life at the quarry.Just two days later Alfie McCraw, also 16, from Wakefield, who had only recently finished his GCSEs, died after swimming in a West Yorkshire canal.In North Wales, Emma Louise Powell, 24, drowned while paddleboarding with two friends last Thursday evening.The 'happy go lucky' woman got into difficulties at the beauty spot at Conwy Morfa with her two friends. All three were rescued from the water following a major rescue operation, but Ms Powell, from Llandudno, died. Network Rail had previously warned customers to travel only if 'absolutely necessary' today. It said the hottest rail track was 62C (143F) in Suffolk yesterday - where the air temperature was 38.1C (100.6F). Merseyrail said the number of trains running and journey times will be 'seriously affected', with some routes shut.East Midlands Railway is running limited services between Derby, Nottingham, Luton, Bedford and London, which will stop completely between lunchtime and 7pm - the hottest period of the day.There are limited and disrupted services running into and out of London Marylebone with Chiltern Railway, according to Network Rail.Meanwhile a section of the A14 dual carriageway in Cambridgeshire was left looking like a 'skatepark' after it warped in the heatwave yesterday, police said.Policing East Cambridgeshire said in a Facebook post on Tuesday, with a photo of the damaged road surface: 'No, the A14 is not being turned into a skatepark... unfortunately the road surface isn't coping well in this heat. While it might look like fun it's potentially very dangerous.'The westbound section of the A14 at Bottisham was closed overnight for emergency repairs and had reopened by around 7am today, National Highways said.A spokesman for National Highways said: 'The road surface that was damaged yesterday was replaced overnight and while we continue to have these extremely high temperatures we have increased our monitoring on these older sections of road, which make up around 4 per cent of the total network, and we do not anticipate any further significant issues.'This was a failure in a section of older road which formerly had a concrete surface. To prolong the life of the road, and increase traction for vehicles using it, the concrete had been covered with a layer of asphalt.'In the extreme heat a cumulative effect has meant the temperature of the concrete under the asphalt has risen over recent days meaning sections have expanded and overwhelmed the tolerances (gaps) we allow for normal expansion.'These type of older road surfaces are more common in the east of England and we are currently investing £400million over the next three years to replace concrete roads and upgrade them to the higher standards we see across the majority of the strategic road network we operate.'Met Office meteorologist Annie Shuttleworth told how it was 'extraordinarily unusual' to see temperatures in the 30Cs by the morning rush-hour in the UK.She added: 'We're looking at the maximum temperatures somewhere between 40C to 41C, and that's looking to be across the Lincolnshire and Yorkshire region.'Forecaster Rachel Ayers added: 'There are likely to be delays on roads, with road closures, as well as possible delays and cancellations to trains and maybe issues with air travel. This could pose a significant health risk to those stuck on services or roads during the heat.'Figures published by location technology firm TomTom show the level of road congestion at 9am today was lower in several cities than at the same time last week.In Birmingham, congestion levels fell from 48 per cent on July 12 to 32 per cent. In Bristol, congestion levels were down from 46 per cent to 42 per cent. In London, levels fell from 60 per cent to 44 per cent. In Manchester, it declined from 59 per cent to 44 per cent.The data shows the proportion of extra time required for journeys compared with free-flow conditions.Forecasters and NHS leaders have warned that thousands of people – even those who are fit and healthy – could die during the 'ferocious' heatwave, urging them to do 'as little as possible'.But in a furious backlash, senior Tory MPs claimed people were becoming 'frightened of the heat'. Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: 'Great British common sense should be allowed to prevail'.'I long for the day when the Government stops acting like Nanny telling everyone what to do, every institution panicking and the BBC telling us we're all going to die,' he said yesterday.'If it's very hot, just give people advice – wear a hat, wear sun lotion, drink a lot of liquid. If you go to Italy or France, they don't just stop everything because it's hot.'Sir John Hayes, chairman of the Common Sense group of backbench Tory MPs, said we were entering 'a cowardly new world where we live in a country where we are frightened of the heat'.'It is not surprising that in snowflake Britain, the snowflakes are melting,' he added. 'Thankfully, most of us are not snowflakes.'Former Tory Health Minister Edwina Currie warned against 'too much hectoring'. She called on the Government to promote 'more positive messages' in hot weather, such as going to work and school early in the morning and 'having a siesta' to stay out of the sun.Former Northern Ireland First Minister Dame Arlene Foster branded the warnings 'Government over-reach', add-ing that 'all of this started with Covid regulations'.She told BBC Politics Live people now 'expect the Government to tell them how to live their lives, which I think is absolutely wrong'.Tory donor and Pimlico Plumbers founder Charlie Mullins claimed the push to stay away from work due to hot weather risked damaging an already fragile economy.'The only reason they want to be at home is so they can sit in the sun,' he told Jeremy Vine's Channel 5 show. 'It's another excuse. Just go to work, get on with your job.Sunseekers head into the water at Bournemouth beach in Dorset this morning as the extreme heat continues in England A packed Brighton beach in East Sussex this afternoon on day two of the red extreme heat warning People carry umbrellas to take cover from the sun during a heatwave at Trafalgar Square in London this afternoon A busy Bournemouth beach this morning as people enjoy the sunshine on what is set to be a record-breaking day People out enjoying the hot weather at Tynemouth Longsands in North Tyneside this morning A packed Brighton beach in East Sussex this afternoon on day two of the red extreme heat warning A woman wears an umbrella hat on the beach at Southend-on-Sea in Essex this morning as the heatwave continues Steller sea eagle Vraska cools down with keeper Johanna McQuade at Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park today Beachgoers make the best of the scorching morning temperatures at West Bay in Dorset today A woman lays on the beach in Bournemouth, Dorset, today as Britons feel the heat on the hottest UK day on record Australian cabaret and circus troupe Briefs take to the water to attempt to cool themselves during a photocall for 'Bites' outside the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London today People at Harpur Hill Quarry in Derbyshire - known as 'Blue Lagoon' - on what is the hottest day on record in the UK People with their feet in a fountain at Trafalgar Square in central London today as the heatwave continues A packed Brighton beach in East Sussex this afternoon on day two of the red extreme heat warning People enjoy the hottest day of year at Stainforth Force in the Yorkshire Dales this afternoon as they cool off People on the beach in Bournemouth in Dorset this morning as Britons melt on the hottest UK day on record Swimmers Tara Wight and Kate Whitaker in the sea at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh this morning amid the heatwave People on the beach in Bournemouth in Dorset this morning as Britons melt on the hottest UK day on record A woman goes for a swim off Bournemouth beach today as people enjoy the water and sun on the Dorset coast People on the beach in Bournemouth in Dorset this morning as Britons melt on the hottest UK day on record People on Bournemouth beach this morning as Britons prepare for another very hot day across the country Two women carry water across Bournemouth beach early this morning as sunseekers flock to the Dorset coast again People out enjoying the hot weather at Tynemouth Longsands in North Tyneside this morning A group of men go for a paddle early this morning at Bournemouth beach as sunseekers flock to the Dorset coast again Chippy the chimpanzee enjoying an ice treat at Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park near Stirling this morning People on the beach in Bournemouth in Dorset this morning as Britons melt on the hottest UK day on record People at Harpur Hill Quarry in Derbyshire - known as 'Blue Lagoon' - on what is the hottest day on record in the UK Commuters and joggers cross London Bridge this morning amid the extreme temperatures as the heatwave continues People rest on a bench at St James's Park in London today as temperatures soar again across England People on Bournemouth beach this morning as Britons prepare for another very hot day across the country The dried out bed and reduced water levels in the Thruscross Reservoir in North Yorkshire, pictured this morningA woman wears an umbrella hat on the beach at Southend-on-Sea in Essex this morning as the heatwave continues People basking in the sun on Brighton beach today as temperatures soar across the country A ambulance drives along the promenade in Bournemouth today on the hottest day on record in England Empty ice cream freezers at the Tesco Extra in Musselburgh, East Lothian, today as the UK endures the hottest day on record A packed Brighton beach in East Sussex this afternoon on day two of the red extreme heat warning A cyclist makes her way around Holyrood Park in Edinburgh today as the UK is braced to face the hottest day on record People flock to the beach at Southend-on-Sea in Essex this morning as the heatwave continues A woman dips her head into the fountain to cool off at Trafalgar Square in London this morning amid the extreme heat A man sits in a chair on the beach in Bournemouth today as Britons melt on the hottest UK day on record Trains to London King's Cross from Edinburgh Waverley station are cancelled due to hot weather this morning Wayoh Reservoir in Entwistle, Bolton, which is currently well below capacity, is pictured today A woman rests on the grass at St James's Park in London today as temperatures soar again across England'If we put up with this, we're going to open the floodgates for all the snowflakes. They're not going to come to work, whether it's too foggy, too wet, too rainy, windy, (or) storms are coming.' Keep gadgets out of the sun to stop overheating Tech experts have urged smartphone users to keep their gadgets out of the sun during the heatwave to ensure they continue working properly.Many gadgets can overheat in direct sunlight leaving them unable to function properly or be charged.People are also being encouraged to take cases off phones, tablets and laptops to improve airflow around them and help a device's ability to cool, and move other items such as WiFi routers to a place with plenty of airflow to ensure they do not overheat.Some larger devices contain internal fans to aid cooling, meaning giving them some extra space to disperse that warm air can help lower their temperature.According to the mobiles team at Uswitch.com, extreme temperatures can cause gadgets to stop working as well as doing lasting damage to the technology.Uswitch advises people to consider adjusting some settings to reduce battery usage and how hard a phone has to work as a result, which can help reduce the device's temperature and ensure it continues to work efficiently.'Playing with the settings on your laptop, smartphone or tablet can also be an effective way of preventing them from overheating,' Uswitch says. 'It's usually the batteries in these devices that get hot, so tinkering to get the battery usage down is always helpful.'The higher the brightness, the more the battery gets used, so this is the first setting to get down as low as you can. 'It might be a bit harder to see, but it will definitely help keep your device cool. Also, a lot of smartphones have adaptive screens. In which case, the brightness will automatically go up if you're out in the sun, so turn this setting off.'If a device such as a smartphone begins to overheat, many will show users a warning to tell them they need to cool the phone down.A smartphone that is too hot may also not charge when plugged in as this can cause a further temperature rise.But experts have warned gadget owners not to put their devices in a fridge or freezer in an effort to cool them down. Insurance provider So-Sure said doing so can be 'very harmful' as it means moisture could get into a device and cause significant damage.Scotland and Northern Ireland also experienced their warmest days of the year so far yesterday | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Why does it matter?Switzerland's melting glaciers aren't an isolated event.In July, 11 people died after part of the Marmolada glacier collapsed in the Dolomites in an event Italy's prime minister, Mario Draghi, tied to climate change.In addition, this year Europe has been battling extreme weather events including drought, heatwaves, wildfires and fatal storms. On Rhône glacier, Prof Farinotti and his team are mapping the changes.He shows us a huge section of it that totally collapsed this year.Near the middle, another area is visibly bowing.In one spot, the scientists are using ground penetrating radar to check the thickness of the ice, further up they are drilling into the glacier to monitor changes in velocity."The situation for glaciers is really not good. They have been retreating for decades, but this summer has been very bad in the sense that it may well be kind of the worst year we will have on record [for glacier retreat]," Prof Farinotti explains, showing us the huge walls of broken ice.He is in no doubt that, along with the other extreme weather events experienced this year, the melting glaciers are victims of climate change."The cause is well-known; it is the warming temperatures that are caused by the ongoing climate change," Prof Farinotti adds"The really bad news is that it's not only affecting glaciers, but it's also affecting many other areas of the system; things like forest fires or more severe precipitation events that can cause flooding or storms."According to the team, one major consequence of the disappearing glaciers is the impact on water supplies. Initially when the ice melts, water is released into the valleys, but as glaciers shrink further the water supply diminishes. Once glaciers are gone that crucial water source cannot be replaced.For some glaciers it's already too late, they'll be gone in just over a decade. The future of the rest depends on us - on our desire and ability to slow the global warming heating up our world. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Published July 19, 2022 6:05AM Updated 1:51PM article Passersby walk towards an LED sign saying "18 -19 July extreme heat only travel if essential" on July 19, 2022, in London, England. (Photo by Sebastian Gollnow/picture alliance via Getty Images) LONDON - Britain shattered its record for highest temperature ever registered Tuesday amid a heat wave that has seared swaths of Europe, as the U.K.'s national weather forecaster said such highs are now a fact of life in a country ill-prepared for such extremes. The typically temperate nation was just the latest to be walloped by unusually hot, dry weather that has triggered wildfires from Portugal to the Balkans and led to hundreds of heat-related deaths. Images of flames racing toward a French beach and Britons sweltering — even at the seaside — have driven home concerns about climate change. The U.K. Met Office weather agency registered a provisional reading of 40.3 degrees Celsius (104.5 degrees Fahrenheit) at Coningsby in eastern England — breaking the record set just hours earlier. Before Tuesday, the highest temperature recorded in Britain was 38.7 C (101.7 F), set in 2019. By later afternoon, 29 places in the UK had broken the record. As the nation watched with a combination of horror and fascination, Met Office chief scientist Stephen Belcher said such temperatures in Britain were "virtually impossible" without human-driven climate change. He warned that "we could see temperatures like this every three years" without serious action on carbon emissions. Wildfires burn nearly 50,000 acres in Southern France Wildfires in the Gironde region of France have burned 19,300 hectares (47,691 acres) and forced the evacuation of 35,000 people as of July 19, 2022, according to local authorities. Credit: Sapeurs-Pompiers 33 via Storyful The sweltering weather has disrupted travel, health care and schools. Many homes, small businesses and even public buildings, including hospitals, in Britain don’t have air conditioning, a reflection of how unusual such heat is in the country better known for rain and mild temperatures. The intense heat since Monday has damaged the runway at London’s Luton airport, forcing it to shut for several hours, and warped a main road in eastern England, leaving it looking like a "skatepark," police said. Major train stations were shut or near-empty Tuesday, as trains were canceled or ran at low speeds out of concern rails could buckle. London faced what Mayor Sadiq Khan called a "huge surge" in fires because of the heat. The London Fire Brigade listed 10 major blazes it was fighting across the city Tuesday, half of them grass fires. Images showed several houses engulfed in flames as smoke billowed from burning fields in Wennington, a village on the eastern outskirts of London. Sales of fans at one retailer, Asda, increased by 1,300%. Electric fans cooled the traditional mounted troops of the Household Cavalry as they stood guard in central London in heavy ceremonial uniforms. The length of the changing of the guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace was shortened. The capital’s Hyde Park, normally busy with walkers, was eerily quiet — except for the long lines to take a dip in the Serpentine lake. "I’m going to my office because it is nice and cool,’’ said geologist Tom Elliott, 31, after taking a swim. "I’m cycling around instead of taking the Tube.’’ Footage shows waves crash over buildings Video recorded by Isabella Sloan shows a colossal wave smashing over the rooftops of two-story condos at the Keauhou-Kona Surf and Racquet Club. Ever the stalwart, Queen Elizabeth II carried on working. The 96-year-old monarch held a virtual audience with new U.S. ambassador Jane Hartley from the safety of Windsor Castle. A huge chunk of England, from London in the south to Manchester and Leeds in the north, remained under the country’s first "red" warning for extreme heat Tuesday, meaning there is danger of death even for healthy people. Such dangers could be seen in Britain and across Europe. At least six people were reported to have drowned while trying to cool off in rivers, lakes and reservoirs across the U.K. In Spain and neighboring Portugal, hundreds of heat-related deaths have been reported in the heat wave. Climate experts warn that global warming has increased the frequency of extreme weather events, with studies showing that the likelihood of temperatures in the U.K. reaching 40 C (104 F) is now 10 times higher than in the pre-industrial era. Watch: Colossal waves crash over 2-story condo in Hawaii as Hurricane Darby remnants pass The head of the U.N. weather agency expressed hope that the heat gripping Europe would serve as a "wake-up call" for governments to do more on climate change. Other scientists used the milestone moment to underscore that it was time to act. "While still rare, 40C is now a reality of British summers," said Friederike Otto, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science at Imperial College London’s Grantham Institute for Climate Change. "Whether it will become a very common occurrence or remains relatively infrequent is in our hands and is determined by when and at what global mean temperature we reach net zero." Extreme heat broiled other parts of Europe, too. In Paris, the thermometer in the French capital’s oldest weather station – opened in 1873 – topped 40 C (104 F) for just the third time. The 40.5 C (104.9 F) measured there by weather service Meteo-France on Tuesday was the station’s second-highest reading ever, topped only by a blistering 42.6 C (108.7 F) in July 2019. Drought and heat waves tied to climate change have also made wildfires more common and harder to fight. In the Gironde region of southwestern France, ferocious wildfires continued to spread through tinder-dry pines forests, frustrating firefighting efforts by more than 2,000 firefighters and water-bombing planes. Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from homes and summer vacation spots since the fires broke out July 12, Gironde authorities said. A smaller third fire broke out late Monday in the Medoc wine region north of Bordeaux, further taxing resources. Five camping sites went up in flames in the Atlantic coast beach zone where blazes raged around the Arcachon maritime basin famous for its oysters and resorts. In Greece, a large forest fire broke out northeast of Athens, fanned by high winds. Fire Service officials said nine firefighting aircraft and four helicopters were deployed to try to stop the flames from reaching inhabited areas on the slopes of Mount Penteli, some 25 kilometers (16 miles) northeast of the capital. Smoke from the fire blanketed part of the city’s skyline. But weather forecasts offered some consolation, with temperatures expected to ease along the Atlantic seaboard Tuesday and the possibility of rains rolling in late in the day. ___ Associated Press writers Sylvia Hui and Jo Kearney in London, John Leicester in Le Pecq, France, Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, and Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed to this story. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
A view of the exposed riverbed of Yangtze river on a hot day in Chongqing, China August 17, 2022. cnsphoto via REUTERS Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSummarySouthwestern Sichuan widens power rationing to homes, mallsFarm ministry warns of impact on crops, livestockCloud seeding programmes launched in central Hubei and elsewhereHeatwave, at 64 days, is the longest since records beganSHANGHAI, Aug 17 (Reuters) - China is scrambling to alleviate power shortages and bring more water to the drought-hit basin of the Yangtze river as it battles a record-breaking heatwave by deploying relief funds, seeding clouds and developing new sources of supply.For more than two months, baking temperatures have disrupted crop growth, threatened livestock and forced industries in the hydropower-dependent regions of the southwest to shut down so as to ensure electricity supplies for homes.China has repeatedly warned that it faces a proliferation of extreme weather events in coming years as it tries to adapt to climate change and rises in temperature that are likely to be more severe than elsewhere. read more Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comThe current extreme heat is likely to stem from a "special case" of high pressure from a West Pacific subtropical high extending over much of Asia, said Cai Wenju, a researcher with Australia's national scientific research institute, CSIRO.On Wednesday, China's southwestern province of Sichuan said it would ration power supplies to homes, offices and shopping malls, after having already ordered energy-intensive metals and fertiliser producers to curb operations. read more In what appears to be an official call to cut back use of electricity, government offices were asked to set air conditioners no lower than 26 degrees Celsius (78.8°F) and use more staircases instead of lifts, the Sichuan Daily, run by the provincial government, said.Fountains, light shows and commercial activities after dark are to be suspended, it added.Power shortages have also prompted several companies in the sprawling Chongqing region bordering Sichuan to say they would suspend production.Hydropower makes up about 80% of Sichuan's power capacity, but dwindling water flows on the Yangtze and its tributaries led to a struggle to meet mounting demand for air conditioning as temperatures soared to 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) and beyond.Drought throughout the Yangtze river basin was also "adversely affecting" drinking water for rural people and livestock, as well as the growth of crops, the water resources ministry said in a notice.It urged drought-hit regions to make plans to maintain water supply with steps such as temporary water transfer, the development of new sources and the extension of pipe networks.To boost downstream supplies, China's biggest hydropower project, the Three Gorges dam, will step up water discharges by 500 million cubic metres over the next 10 days, it said on Tuesday. Water flows there this week were about half those of a year earlier.Some livestock from drought-hit areas had been temporarily moved elsewhere, the finance ministry said this week, promising disaster relief of 300 million yuan ($44.30 million).On Wednesday, the central province of Hubei became the latest to unveil an effort to induce rainfall, by sending airplanes to fire the chemical silver iodide into the clouds.Other regions on the Yangtze have also launched "cloud seeding" programmes, but with cloud cover too thin, operations in some parched areas have stayed on standby.China's heatwave has run for 64 days, making it the longest since full records began in 1961, state media said, citing data from the National Climate Center.As many as 262 weather stations have recorded temperatures of 40 degrees C (104°F) and above, also the highest such tally. Eight have seen 44 degrees C (111.2°F).High temperatures will persist until Aug 26 in the Sichuan basin and large parts of central China, the center forecast.($1=6.7718 yuan)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by David Stanway in Shanghai, Aizhu Chen in Singapore and the Beijing newsroom; Editing by Kim Coghill and Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
A firefighter works to extinguish a forest fire, during a heatwave, near Thiendorf, north of Dresden, Germany, July 19, 2022. REUTERS/Matthias RietschelRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comJuly 20 (Reuters) - Brutal heatwaves are gripping both Europe and the United States this week and are forecast to dump searing heat on much of China into late August.In addition to temperatures spiking above 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), wildfires are raging across southern Europe with evacuations in towns in Italy and Greece. read more The searing heat is part of a global pattern of rising temperatures, attributed by scientists to human activity.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comHOTTER, MORE FREQUENT HEATWAVESClimate change makes heatwaves hotter and more frequent. This is the case for most land regions, and has been confirmed by the U.N.'s global panel of climate scientists (IPCC).Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities have heated the planet by about 1.2 Celsius since pre-industrial times. That warmer baseline means higher temperatures can be reached during extreme heat events."Every heatwave that what we are experiencing today has been made hotter and more frequent because of climate change," said Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College London who also co-leads the World Weather Attribution research collaboration.But other conditions affect heatwaves too. In Europe, atmospheric circulation is an important factor.A study in the journal Nature this month found that heatwaves in Europe have increased three-to-four times faster than in other northern mid-latitudes such as the United States. The authors linked this to changes in the jet stream - a fast west-to-east air current in the northern hemisphere.FINGERPRINTS OF CLIMATE CHANGETo find out exactly how much climate change affected a specific heatwave, scientists conduct "attribution studies". Since 2004, more than 400 such studies have been done for extreme weather events, including heat, floods and drought - calculating how much of a role climate change played in each.This involves simulating the modern climate hundreds of times and comparing it to simulations of a climate without human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.For example, scientists with World Weather Attribution determined that a record-breaking heatwave in western Europe in June 2019 was 100 times more likely to occur now in France and the Netherlands than if humans had not changed the climate.HEATWAVES WILL STILL GET WORSEThe global average temperature is around 1.2C warmer than in pre-industrial times. That is already driving extreme heat events."On average on land, heat extremes that would have happened once every 10 years without human influence on the climate are now three times more frequent," said ETH Zurich climate scientist Sonia Seneviratne.Temperatures will only cease rising if humans stop adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Until then, heatwaves are set to worsen. A failure to tackle climate change would see heat extremes escalate even more dangerously.Countries agreed under the global 2015 Paris Agreement to cut emissions fast enough to limit global warming to 2°C and aim for 1.5°C, to avoid its most dangerous impacts. Current policies would not cut emissions fast enough to meet either goal.A heatwave that occurred once per decade in the pre-industrial era would happen 4.1 times a decade at 1.5°C of warming, and 5.6 times at 2°C, the IPCC says.Letting warming pass 1.5°C means that most years "will be affected by hot extremes in the future," Seneviratne said.CLIMATE CHANGE DRIVES WILDFIRESClimate change increases hot and dry conditions that help fires spread faster, burn longer and rage more intensely.In the Mediterranean, that has contributed to the fire season starting earlier and burning more land. Last year more than half a million hectares burned in the European Union, making it the bloc’s second-worst forest fire season on record after 2017.Hotter weather also saps moisture from vegetation, turning it into dry fuel that helps fires to spread."The hotter, drier conditions right now, it just makes [fires] far more dangerous," Copernicus senior scientist Mark Parrington said.Countries such as Portugal and Greece experience fires most summers, and have infrastructure to try to manage them - though both have received emergency EU help this summer. But hotter temperatures are also pushing wildfires into regions not used to them, and thus less prepared to cope.CLIMATE CHANGE ISN'T THE ONLY FACTOR IN FIRESForest management and ignition sources are also important factors. In Europe, more than nine out of 10 fires are ignited by human activities, like arson, disposable barbeques, electricity lines, or littered glass, according to EU data.Countries, including Spain, face the challenge of shrinking populations in rural areas, as people move to cities, leaving smaller workforces to clear vegetation and avoid "fuel" for forest fires building up.Some actions can help to limit severe blazes, such as setting controlled fires that mimic the low-intensity fires in natural ecosystem cycles, or introducing gaps within forests to stop blazes rapidly spreading over large areas.But scientists concur that without steep cuts to the greenhouse gases causing climate change, heatwaves, wildfires, flooding and drought will significantly worsen."When we look back on the current fire season in one or two decades' time, it will probably seem mild by comparison," said Victor Resco de Dios, professor of forest engineering at Spain's Lleida University.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Kate Abnett in Brussels; Additional reporting by Gloria Dickie; Editing by Katy Daigle, Barbara Lewis and Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
The publication of Bill McGuire’s latest book, Hothouse Earth, could not be more timely. Appearing in the shops this week, it will be perused by sweltering customers who have just endured record high temperatures across the UK and now face the prospect of weeks of drought to add to their discomfort.And this is just the beginning, insists McGuire, who is emeritus professor of geophysical and climate hazards at University College London. As he makes clear in his uncompromising depiction of the coming climatic catastrophe, we have – for far too long – ignored explicit warnings that rising carbon emissions are dangerously heating the Earth. Now we are going to pay the price for our complacence in the form of storms, floods, droughts and heatwaves that will easily surpass current extremes.The crucial point, he argues, is that there is now no chance of us avoiding a perilous, all-pervasive climate breakdown. We have passed the point of no return and can expect a future in which lethal heatwaves and temperatures in excess of 50C (120F) are common in the tropics; where summers at temperate latitudes will invariably be baking hot, and where our oceans are destined to become warm and acidic. “A child born in 2020 will face a far more hostile world that its grandparents did,” McGuire insists.Bill McGuire is emeritus professor of geophysical and climate hazards at University College London and was also an adviser to the UK government.In this respect, the volcanologist, who was also a member of the UK government’s Natural Hazard Working Group, takes an extreme position. Most other climate experts still maintain we have time left, although not very much, to bring about meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. A rapid drive to net zero and the halting of global warming is still within our grasp, they say.Such claims are dismissed by McGuire. “I know a lot of people working in climate science who say one thing in public but a very different thing in private. In confidence, they are all much more scared about the future we face, but they won’t admit that in public. I call this climate appeasement and I believe it only makes things worse. The world needs to know how bad things are going to get before we can hope to start to tackle the crisis.”McGuire finished writing Hothouse Earth at the end of 2021. He includes many of the record high temperatures that had just afflicted the planet, including extremes that had struck the UK. A few months after he completed his manuscript, and as publication loomed, he found that many of those records had already been broken. “That is the trouble with writing a book about climate breakdown,” says McGuire. “By the time it is published it is already out of date. That is how fast things are moving.”Among the records broken during the book’s editing was the announcement that a temperature of 40.3C was reached in east England on 19 July, the highest ever recorded in the UK. (The country’s previous hottest temperature, 38.7C, was in Cambridge in 2019.)In addition, London’s fire service had to tackle blazes across the capital, with one conflagration destroying 16 homes in Wennington, east London. Crews there had to fight to save the local fire station itself. “Who would have thought that a village on the edge of London would be almost wiped out by wildfires in 2022,” says McGuire. “If this country needs a wake-up call then surely that is it.” Wildfires of unprecedented intensity and ferocity have also swept across Europe, North America and Australia this year, while record rainfall in the midwest led to the devastating flooding in the US’s Yellowstone national park. “And as we head further into 2022, it is already a different world out there,” he adds. “Soon it will be unrecognisable to every one of us.”Kurdish farmers battle a blaze in a wheat field in Syria’s north-eastern Hasakah province, a breadbasket for the region. Photograph: Delil Souleiman/AFP/Getty ImagesThese changes underline one of the most startling aspects of climate breakdown: the speed with which global average temperature rises translate into extreme weather.“Just look at what is happening already to a world which has only heated up by just over one degree,” says McGuire. “It turns out the climate is changing for the worse far quicker than predicted by early climate models. That’s something that was never expected.”Since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, when humanity began pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, global temperatures have risen by just over 1C. At the Cop26 climate meeting in Glasgow last year, it was agreed that every effort should be made to try to limit that rise to 1.5C, although to achieve such a goal, it was calculated that global carbon emissions will have to be reduced by 45% by 2030.“In the real world, that is not going to happen,” says McGuire. “Instead, we are on course for close to a 14% rise in emissions by that date – which will almost certainly see us shatter the 1.5C guardrail in less than a decade.”And we should be in no doubt about the consequences. Anything above 1.5C will see a world plagued by intense summer heat, extreme drought, devastating floods, reduced crop yields, rapidly melting ice sheets and surging sea levels. A rise of 2C and above will seriously threaten the stability of global society, McGuire argues. It should also be noted that according to the most hopeful estimates of emission cut pledges made at Cop26, the world is on course to heat up by between 2.4C and 3C.From this perspective it is clear we can do little to avoid the coming climate breakdown. Instead we need to adapt to the hothouse world that lies ahead and to start taking action to try to stop a bleak situation deteriorating even further, McGuire says.The Fox glacier in New Zealand in winter. It has retreated by 900m in a decade. Photograph: Gabor Kovacs/AlamyCertainly, as it stands, Britain – although relatively well placed to counter the worst effects of the coming climate breakdown – faces major headaches. Heatwaves will become more frequent, get hotter and last longer. Huge numbers of modern, tiny, poorly insulated UK homes will become heat traps, responsible for thousands of deaths every summer by 2050.“Despite repeated warnings, hundreds of thousands of these inappropriate homes continue to be built every year,” adds McGuire.As to the reason for the world’s tragically tardy response, McGuire blames a “conspiracy of ignorance, inertia, poor governance, and obfuscation and lies by climate change deniers that has ensured that we have sleepwalked to within less than half a degree of the dangerous 1.5C climate change guardrail. Soon, barring some sort of miracle, we will crash through it.”The future is forbidding from this perspective, though McGuire stresses that if carbon emissions can be cut substantially in the near future, and if we start to adapt to a much hotter world today, a truly calamitous and unsustainable future can be avoided. The days ahead will be grimmer, but not disastrous. We may not be able to give climate breakdown the slip but we can head off further instalments that would appear as a climate cataclysm bad enough to threaten the very survival of human civilisation.“This is a call to arms,” he says. “So if you feel the need to glue yourself to a motorway or blockade an oil refinery, do it. Drive an electric car or, even better, use public transport, walk or cycle. Switch to a green energy tariff; eat less meat. Stop flying; lobby your elected representatives at both local and national level; and use your vote wisely to put in power a government that walks the talk on the climate emergency.”Hothouse Earth: An Inhabitant’s Guide by Bill McGuire is published by Icon Books, £9.99The Gulf Stream, starting in the Gulf of Mexico and running through the Atlantic Ocean, is being weakened by climate breakdown. Photograph: NOAAStings in the tailFive unexpected threats posed by the pumping of carbon dioxide into the atmosphereUnder our feet As vast, thick sheets of ice disappear from high mountains and from the poles, rock crusts that had previously been compressed are beginning to rebound, threatening to trigger earthquakes and tsunamis. “We are on track to bequeath to our children and their children not only a far hotter world, but also a more geologically fractious one,” says Bill McGuire.New battlefields As crops burn and hunger spreads, communities are coming into conflict and the election of populist leaders – who will promise the Earth to their people – is likely to become commonplace. Most worrying are the tensions over dwindling water supplies that are growing between India, Pakistan and China, all possessors of atomic weapons. “The last thing we need is a hot war over water between two of the world’s nuclear powers,” McGuire observes.Methane bombs Produced by wetlands, cattle and termites, methane is 86 times more potent in its power to heat the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, though fortunately it hangs around for much less time. The problem is that much of the world’s methane is trapped in layers of Arctic permafrost. As these melt, more methane will be released and our world will get even hotter. Losing the Gulf Stream As the ice caps melt, the resulting cold water pouring from the Arctic threatens to block or divert the Gulf Stream, which carries a prodigious amount of heat from the tropics to the seas around Europe. Signs now suggest the Gulf Stream is already weakening and could shut down completely before end of the century, triggering powerful winter storms over Europe.Calorie crunch Four-fifths of all calories consumed across the world come from just 10 crop plants including wheat, maize and rice. Many of these staples will not grow well under the higher temperatures that will soon become the norm, pointing towards a massive cut in the availability of food, which will have a catastrophic impact across the planet, says McGuire. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
At least eight people were killed Monday after a record 15 inches of rain were unleashed in less than 24 hours on Seoul, in the latest evidence of how climate change has made extreme weather events more common.The unprecedented rate of rain, which the Korea Meteorological Administration had warned would reach 2 to 4 inches per hour, turned roads into rivers and lakes, knocked out service to the subway system and submerged entire neighborhoods. The deluge triggered landslides and flooded basement apartments in the Gwanak district, where two adults and a child reportedly drowned.People clean up debris at a traditional market damaged by flood after torrential rain in Seoul on Tuesday. (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)"The intense, heavy rain that broke the record for hourly precipitation in Korea's meteorological history is believed to be due to abnormal weather conditions caused by climate change," South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said at a press conference, according to Reuters. "The government should review the current disaster management system from scratch, taking into account these abnormal weather conditions caused by climate change."Yoon himself was trapped Monday night in his high-rise apartment, the Washington Post reported, the ground floor of which was flooded. As the flooding receded, the extent of the devastation was revealed, with cars strewn on sidewalks like discarded toys, a blanket of mud lining roadways and shops, and heaps of belongings piled up in intersections.The video footage posted to social media sites of the flooding had an eerily familiar feeling to it, coming during a year in the Northern Hemisphere that has obliterated rainfall records in several locations around the world.More than 9 inches of rain fell in just seven hours in Lahore, Pakistan, last month, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people. At least 37 people were killed in eastern Kentucky in late July when a record 12 inches of rain fell over the area just 48 hours after St. Louis, Ky., set its own record with more than 9 inches of rain in 24 hours. Those totals, and many others like them this summer, have overwhelmed local infrastructure.A worker clears water from her shop at the historic Namseong Market in the Gangnam district of Seoul on Tuesday. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images)"We’re seeing more of these intense precipitation events, where there’s a lot of water dumped on an area in a short amount of time. And the infrastructure wasn’t designed to handle that amount of precipitation," Janey Camp, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Vanderbilt University, told Yahoo News.As the Earth's temperatures have risen due to the greenhouse effect caused by the burning of fossil fuels, so too has the amount of moisture in the atmosphere. For every 1°C of warming, studies have found, 7% more moisture is added, in large part due to increased evaporation rates. Globally, precipitation rates have also edged up."On average, total annual precipitation has increased over land areas in the United States and worldwide," the Environmental Protection Agency says on its website. "Since 1901, global precipitation has increased at an average rate of 0.04 inches per decade, while precipitation in the contiguous 48 states has increased at a rate of 0.20 inches per decade."A man with a bicycle walks along a street that was still draining after heavy rainfall in Seoul on Tuesday. (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)But that increase in rainfall has not been evenly distributed. Climate change also worsens drought conditions in some areas, and has been shown to alter weather patterns. When conditions are right, however, that excess moisture in the atmosphere can unload at unprecedented rates."Extreme precipitation events have produced more rain and become more common since the 1950s in many regions of the world, including much of the United States. In the U.S., the Midwest and Northeast have seen the strongest increases in heavy precipitation events," the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions says on its website.Touring the devastation in Kentucky on Monday that was left behind by last month's historic flooding, President Biden, like President Yoon, blamed climate change.People clean up debris at a traditional market damaged by flood after torrential rain in Seoul on Tuesday. (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)"As you all know, we've suffered the consequence of climate change, a significant number of weather catastrophes around the nation," Biden said.White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre echoed that sentiment Monday."The floods in Kentucky and extreme weather all around the country are yet another reminder of the intensifying and accelerate impacts of climate change and the urgent need to invest in making our communities more resilient to it," Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force Once.As for South Korea, more heavy rainfall is forecast for the coming days. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
More than 1 million homes have been destroyed because of flash floods.Seventy-five people have died and 59 have been injured in Pakistan over the last 24 hours due to severe weather, further devastating a country that's experiencing historic rain and flooding, according to the country's National Disaster Management Authority.About one-third of Pakistan is under water, the country's federal minister for climate change, Sherry Rehman, wrote on Twitter Monday, saying in an interview that Pakistan is experiencing a "climate catastrophe."Residents wade through a flood hit area following heavy monsoon rains in Charsadda district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Aug. 29, 2022.Abdul Majeed/AFP via Getty ImagesRehman said that Padidan, in Pakistan's Sindh Province, received an "unheard of" nearly 70 inches of rain in one day.In the last day, 59 people were injured and more than 58,000 homes destroyed due to monsoon rains and flooding, the National Disaster Management Authority said. Since June 14, 1,136 people have died, 1,634 people have been injured and more than 1 million homes have been destroyed because of flash floods, the agency said.The monsoon rains occurred a month early this year, causing rivers and dams to overflow and impacting all four of Pakistan's provinces.Residents arrive in a boat to a safer place after being evacuated following heavy monsoon rainfall in the flood affected area of Rajanpur district in Punjab province, Aug. 24, 2022.Shahid Saeed Mirza/AFP via Getty ImagesThis combination of handout satellite pictures shows an overview of homes and fields in Rojhan, Pakistan, on March 24, 2022 (L), and homes and fields in Rojhan, Pakistan, during flooding on Aug. 28, 2022.Maxar Technologies/AFP via GettyA displaced child sleeps under a mosquito net in a tent at a makeshift camp after fleeing from flood hit home following heavy monsoon rains in Charsadda district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Aug. 29, 2022.Abdul Majeed/AFP via Getty ImagesIn a statement, the climate minister called the flooding a "climate-induced humanitarian disaster of epic proportions.""Frankly, no one has seen this kind of downpour & flooding before, and no one country can cope alone with the multiple, cascading effects of extreme weather, climate events," Rehman wrote.The rains have impacted 33 million people in Pakistan and have forced thousands of people to evacuate.Pakistan's government deployed soldiers to help with search-and-rescue operations, with army helicopters airlifting people to safety.Displaced people wait to receive relief food box in a flood hit area following heavy monsoon rains in Dera Ghazi Khan district of Punjab province, Aug. 29, 2022.Afp Contributor#afp/AFP via Getty ImagesArmy troops evacuate people from a flood-hit area in Rajanpur, district of Punjab, Pakistan, Aug. 27, 2022.Asim Tanveer/APABC News' Mariam Khan, Ines de la Cuetara and Christine Theodorou contributed to this report. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Wildfires broke out across the UK as families fled for their lives as their homes which they tried to save with buckets of water were engulfed amid blazes across the country in record 40.3C heat - and police are now probing whether some were caused intentionally. Firefighters have described blazes tearing through homes and buildings in London as 'absolute hell' - with residents evacuated after homes were destroyed, two people taken to hospital for smoke inhalation, and 1,600 calls for assistance.Elsewhere in the country hundreds of fire crews are out battling raging infernos in Wales, Scotland and the rest of England as 'tinderbox' dry conditions in the UK caused wildfires to threaten homes, animals and people and a children's nursery was destroyed along with most of a street in Yorkshire amid police fears some of the fires could have been deliberate. Fire services in London, Hertfordshire, Bucks, South Yorkshire, Suffolk and Leicestershire declared major incidents as they were hit with tens of thousands of calls and 'significant fires' meaning automatic fire alarms will not prompt a response and people are asked to refrain from calling unless it's an emergency. Officers and fire chiefs also think deliberate blazes were set on scrubland, trees, fields, rubbish, buildings on a residential street and at a nature reserve during the heatwave since Saturday. Temperature records were shattered as sweltering Britons turned to beaches lakes and even fountains in Trafalgar Square in a desperate bid to cool off. Heathrow was first to reach the 40C barrier – breaking the old record of 38.7C (102F) measured in Cambridge in 2019. But hottest of all yesterday was Coningsby in Lincolnshire, which recorded 40.3C (104.5F). At least 34 parts of the country broke the UK's previous national record of 38.7C, the Met Office said stretching from West Yorkshire to Surrey. Staggeringly, meteorologists calculated that Britain was hotter than 98.9 per cent of the Earth's surface.Scotland also recorded its hottest day ever as temperatures climbed to 34.8C (94.64) at Charterhall and Wales set its record yesterday of 37.1C in Hawarden, Flintshire.But a band of thunderstorms moving across England and Wales from the Isles of Scilly spelt the end of the punishing temperatures for some.And tomorrow, the weather will cool somewhat, with parts of eastern England under a yellow warning for more thundery showers yesterday afternoon with temperatures down over 10C on yesterday – although still in the high 20s. The 'extreme heat' also led to almost 15,000 homes in the North East being left without power at about 2pm as electrical equipment overheated during the record temperatures. Roads were also closed as fires broke out alongside major motorways including the M25 and M1. Emergency call centres were hit with tens of thousands of pleas for help. Ambulance services said they are under 'extreme pressure' from sunstroke patients with 999 and 111 handlers getting hundreds of calls an hour. This is all while public transport was cancelled in much of the country with trains and London Underground services suspended as tracks continued to buckle and combust. Greater Manchester Police said four fires were deliberate on moorland at Dovestone Reservoir near Oldham. Superintendent Phil Hutchinson said: 'This is being as arson which, following conviction, can result in a lengthy prison sentence.'The UK is also being warned these temperatures could soon be the 'new normal' as Britain starts to see wildfires, extreme heat and pressure on the water supply which has long plagued Europe.Families now homeless in Wennington, where the worst of the wildfires has been seen, were at first sent to a Premier Inn before that lost power and they were directed to go to Hornchurch Sport Centre to sleep on air mattresses as their 'worst nightmare' came true. A major incident has been declared due to a fire surge near Twickenham Golf Course between Feltham, Teddington, Richmond and Hounslow in West London on Tuesday, July 19, 2022. Police arrived, along with London Fire Brigades, arrived at the scene and started evacuating residents. Temperatures have reached more than 40C for the first time This pictures show how the dramatic fire in the village of Wennington engulfed a row of homes as the blaze spread from the grass A row of houses on fire in the village of Wennington in East London yesterday afternoon as temperatures soar again tod Families now homeless in Wennington, where the worst of the wildfires has been seen, were at first sent to a Premier Inn before that lost power and they were directed to go to Hornchurch Sport Centre to sleep on air mattresses as their 'worst nightmare' came true Shocking pictures show a huge bush fire raging on the Dartford marshes, Kent on Tuesday Geographic information system software Esri shows on this map where wildfires have broken out and in red where there has been strong thermal hotspots for serious blazes. In this picture you can see most are in England and the south with a few in the very north of England In this aerial view, smoke from fires in a residential area being fought by fire services are seen on Tuesday in Wennington Hundreds of fire crews are out battling raging infernos in Wales, Scotland and the rest of England as 'tinderbox' dry conditions in the UK caused wildfires to threaten homes, animals and people and a children's nursery was destroyed along with most of a street in Yorkshire. Pictured: A fire at Hatch End on Tuesday afternoon. A fire burns the Kiddi Caru nursery in the Walnut Tree area of Milton Keynes down to the ground as blazes take hold of areas across England The fire at Wennington is shown yesterday (left) and the area is also pictured before the blaze (right, file picture) A woman is given water and comforted close to the blaze in the village of Wennington, east London, where 100 firefighters are tackling a fire This picture shows homes on fire as a huge heath fire ravages at least three houses near Rotherham, South Yorkshire Fires sparked by lightning at Zennor Head, West Cornwall pictured burning on Tuesday evening Around 100 firefighters are tackling a blaze in the village of Wennington in East London as the heatwave continues People remove gas canisters from Lennards pub as firefighters tackle a blaze in the village of Wennington yesterday afternoon A huge black smoke cloud spreads as round 100 firefighters tackle a blaze in the village of Wennington yesterday afternoon as the heatwave continues Around 100 firefighters are tackling a blaze in the village of Wennington in East London as the heatwave continues A man attempts to damp down the smouldering field with a hose pipe as fire services tackle a large blaze in WenningtonThe remains of a fire near Dartford Heath on the A2 coastbound, Crayford is seen as smoke spreads throughout the area Firefighters attend a gorse bush fire during the heatwave near Zennor in Cornwall yesterday afternoon Firefighters attend a blaze on Dartford Marshes in Kent after temperatures reached 40C for the first time on record Residents of Yorkshire queued for more than two hours to gain entry into Ilkley Lido The Dartford fire is seen raging yesterday as firefighters rushed to tackle the flames A thunderstorm is seen to rage in Thanet, Kent (left) while a major incident has been declared due to a fire surge near Twickenham Golf Course (right) between Feltham, Teddington, Richmond and Hounslow in West London Firefighters attend a gorse bush fire during the heatwave near Zennor in Cornwall yesterday afternoon A firefighter tackles a grass fire in a park in New Brighton in Merseyside yesterday afternoon amid the heatwave Firefighters attend a gorse bush fire during the heatwave near Zennor in Cornwall yesterday afternoon Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service issued this picture of firefighters attend to a grass fire in Rixton, Warrington The area surrounding Twickenham Golf Course was filled full of smoke as a fire raged and creeped closer to a Shell garage A gorse bush fire during the heatwave near Zennor in Cornwall yesterday afternoon amid the very high temperatures The burnt out remains of parkland in Skellow, Doncaster, yesterday morning after a grass fire came within feet of homes Firefighters rest as they attend a gorse bush fire during a heatwave near Zennor in Cornwall yesterday afternoon The burnt out remains of parkland in Skellow, Doncaster, yesterday morning after a grass fire came within feet of homes Drone footage of the aftermath of a field fire by Cheshunt Park in Hertfordshire pictured yesterday A gorse bush fire during the heatwave near Zennor in Cornwall yesterday afternoon amid the very high temperatures The burnt out remains of parkland in Skellow, Doncaster, yesterday morning after a grass fire came within feet of homes A fire in Upminster, Essex, as the hot weather continues amid a series of extreme weather warnings The burnt out remains of Lickey Hills parkland in Birmingham yesterday morning where fire crews are still on the scene Tinderbox Britain: Where have fires broken out? GREATER LONDONPea Lane, Upminster Uxbridge Road, PinnerGreen Lanes, SouthgateOaks Road, CroydonBallards Road, DagenhamThe Broadway, Wembley Sunningfields Crescent, HendonChapel View, CroydonSidcup Road, Eltham Western Avenue, Uxbridge Staines Road, Twickenham ENGLAND Joyce Green, Dartford Nare Head, Zennor New Brighton, MerseysideGroby, LeicestershireWalnut Tree, Milton KeynesWales village, Rotherham, South YorkshireHamels Lane, Buntingford M1 in Hertfordshire Rushden, Hertfordshire Hemel Hempstead, HertfordshireCodicote, Hertfordshire Bradgate Park, LeicestershireField Road, DenhamWhitehouse Lane, WycombeWoodland Avenue, BarnsleyNewton Arms pub, Sprotbrough Road, Doncaster Strauss Crescent, MaltbyKiverton Park, Clayton London Road, BostonSCOTLAND Hadden Farm, KelsoWALES Llanishen park, Cardiff People were seen being carried out by police as a golf course in Twickenham caught fire in the latest wildfire which firefighters were called to at 7.23pm.Two hectares of trees and undergrowth are alight, the London Fire Brigade confirmed while residents reported that they were evacuated from their homes.MP Munira Wilson tweeted: 'Very concerned to see reports of big fire in Twickenham at the golf course near David Lloyd. My thanks to all those from [the fire service] working hard to bring it under control. Please stay away from the area.' In one of the most dramatic incidents, at least eight houses were engulfed by flames in the village of Wennington, in the east London borough of Havering.Dramatic aerial footage showed an entire row of semi-detached homes in grave peril, with almost half of them alight as apocalyptic plumes of smoke rose above the scene and rear gardens reduced to cinders.Terrified residents were ordered out as 100 firefighters tried to halt a lethal wall of flame spreading from home to home, fanned by warm winds. One firefighter at the scene branded it 'absolute hell'.Amid the scramble to evacuate, one woman said her uncle was trapped – and was 'digging a trench' around his house to thwart the flames. Police later rescued him.With its Norman church, Wennington features in the Domesday Book, and it seemed an apt description last night amid the smouldering ruins of charred homes. Local councillor Susan Ospreay said: 'Wennington Village has been completely devastated by fire.' The inferno appears to have been sparked by a burning compost heap around 1pm in parched grassland adjacent to Wennington fire station – which meant firefighters were immediately on the scene.But they fought in vain to stop it rapidly spreading on to tinder dry scrubland and incinerating back gardens. As homes were gutted, residents said they could hear the sound of panicked horses whinnying in a surrounding field.Lorry driver Gary Rouel, 64, told how he raced back from work after a phone call from his wife Debbie, 64, saying: 'She just said, 'The house has gone up in flames.'Mrs Rouel, a dinner lady, tried to round up the couple's three cats and their dog as firefighters ordered her to evacuate.Mr Rouel said: 'It's terrible. I've just finished paying off the mortgage two months ago. It's heartbreaking. My wife has [the lung condition] COPD and the fireman was just telling her 'Get out, get out!'.'The couple's son William, 33, who lives in Halstead, Essex said: 'My mum sent me a picture of the fire outside the home from the bathroom. She was still in there when it was coming up to the house.'It started in the field, then came into the garden, then it was up to the decking and the conservatory. We think the neighbour's house has gone too. It's awful, I watched on TV as the house went up in flames.' Distressed residents could be seen carrying buckets of water to the Lennards Arms pub where the community had gathered. Others were hurriedly removing gas canisters from the pub.Others were hurriedly removing gas canisters from the pub. As the blaze drew nearer, police evacuated the building. Landlord Walter Martin, 60, said: 'I've never seen anything like it. It's awful. People are devastated.' Pensioner Lynn Sabberton said: 'The police came to our house and told us to get what we could.' Brian Brazier, 75, added: 'The fire has burnt my stables out. It started as a little fire around the back of the houses and if someone had been there to put it out we wouldn't have had all this trouble.' Resident Janet Hickey, 70, who has terminal pancreatic cancer, said she was forced to leave all her cancer drugs behind as they were evacuated. She said: 'I've got all my cancer drugs in the fridge.' As buildings surrounding the Grade II-listed medieval St Mary and St Peter's Church caught fire, vicar Rev Elise Peterson called for people to pray for the community.The scorching heat smashed the previous British record of 38.7C (102F). Properties faced unprecedented threats on a day when millions of people were working from home. Boris Johnson paid tribute to firefighters and frontline workers keeping the country safe. Black smoke billowed across traffic on the A2 near Dartford, Kent, as bone dry heathland next to the busy route led to a series of fierce blazes. Flames up to 30ft high spread to create a half-mile-long sheet of fire The fires came within yards of Spirits Rest, a horse and animal sanctuary. Owner Christine Bates, 63, said: 'I was just terrified for the animals. We got the horses into the back field, and local residents have now got chickens in their gardens and other people are looking after our kittens. The fire brigade were here so quickly and fought it back maybe four times – but it just kept springing up again.' One blaze at Lickey Hills Country Park near Birmingham spread to 50,000 square metres and forced 15 people to flee their homes. London's Labour mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted that the situation was 'critical' – but he was criticised for using the day's events as a way to promote his controversial car control measures, the ULEZ low-emission zone. In Yorkshire this evening, six houses were reported to be on fire in Barnsley. In Skellow, near Doncaster, grass fires came within feet of homes, while in Manchester, actress Faye McKeever – who appeared in the Sky 1 sitcom Trollied – tweeted a photo of her back garden fence ablaze. South Yorkshire firefighters in Maltby after a fire started on scrubland before spreading to outbuildings, fences and homesGrasses to ashes: Fire erupts as if from nowhere and rips through fencing and part of TV actress Faye McKeever's back garden Picture shows a serious fire in Wennington, Essex, where a number of homes have been destroyedHouses on fire in the Kingstone area of Barnsley in Yorkshire at around 4pm yesterday. Police evacuated residents and closed roads to tackle the fire The burnt out remains of parkland in Skellow, Doncaster, yesterday morning after a grass fire came within feet of homes The burnt out remains of parkland in Skellow, Doncaster, yesterday morning after a grass fire came within feet of homes Garden furniture and the inside of homes were gutted in the blaze in MaltbyIn Charlwood, Surrey, beat the previous all-time UK high of 38.7C (101.7F) in Cambridge in July 2019. In third place is 38.5C (101.3F) in Kent in August 2003, and 38.1C (100.6F) in Suffolk yesterday is fourth.Elsewhere in England yesterday afternoon, by lunchtime the mercury had got up to 39.9C (103.8F) at Charlwood, 39.6C (103.3F) at Kew Gardens in West London, 39.3C (102.7F) at Wisley in Surrey, and 39.2C (102.6F) at both Chertsey in Surrey and Northolt in West London - with all of these readings also beating the all-time UK high from 2019.And smoke drifted over the M25 as almost 200 firefighters and 30 fire engines tried to extinguish a corn field blaze in Upminster. Firefighters in London said they were battling 'several significant fires' including these ten:Residents were evacuated from their homes in the village of Wennington, east London, on Tuesday afternoon, where black smoke billowed into the air, while flames destroyed buildings and ravaged nearby fields.A firefighter at the scene, asked by the PA news agency what conditions were like, replied: 'absolute hell', while those affected by the blaze said it had been spreading 'fast'.Lizzie Pittman, from Aveley in Essex, who works at some stables by the roundabout, said she was looking after the five horses who had been removed from their stables in Wennington, which had burnt down. Ms Pittman said: 'This is your worst nightmare. You can see it getting closer and closer.'People are losing their houses but that's bricks and mortar. People are losing their livestock.'Two people were also taken to hospital suffering smoke inhalation following a fire in Dagenham. London Fire Brigade (LFB) declared a major incident due to 'a huge surge' in blazes across the capital.While London Ambulance Service Gold Commander Peter Rhodes said: 'We are seeing an increase in the number of patients experiencing heat exposure' 'Sustained demand on our 999 and 111 services as a result of the heatwave, and with hot weather set to continue, we are currently at Level 4 of our Resource Escalation Action Plan (REAP) – which is the highest level and represents 'extreme pressure'.'This move allows us to allocate even more staff on the road and in our control rooms and to reprioritise our operational efforts to ensure we provide the best care possible to Londoners.'A huge blaze also broke out on heathland just across the Thames near a housing estate in Dartford. Kent Fire and Rescue Service said 12 fire engines and 100 firefighters were called in to battle the inferno near a housing development on the site of the former Joyce Green Hospital. A technical rescue unit were in attendance, and crews were working to extinguish the flames. There have been no reports of any damage to property in this incident.Firefighters warned people nearby to close their windows and doors as a precaution due to smoke - and drivers travelling on the A2 or surrounding roads were told to take extra care because the smoke may impact visibility. A fire on Dartford Heath next to the A2 in Kent yesterday afternoon, with smoke spreading across the roadA wildfire in Twickenham on David Lloyd golf course is pictured as residents have been evacuated and roads closed. Houses adjacent look like they starting to catch, and there are concerns for the Shell petrol garage further up the road Huge smoke plumes are seen as a fire sparked by lightning at Zennor Head, West Cornwall rages in the afternoon Jonathan Smith, assistant commissioner at LFB, told Sky News many of the fires are spread over wide areas and began because the ground is 'tinderbox dry'.He continued: 'So even a small fire will develop very, very quickly if it's not tackled effectively and efficiently in its early stages. We would also say to people that they don't try and tackle fires themselves.'The situation that you can see is extremely dynamic and these fires can develop very very quickly and we would not want to see members of the public exposing themselves to unnecessary risk.'Ed Miliband, Labour's shadow secretary of state for climate change, said that extreme hot weather like this will become the 'new normal' under climate change.'Reports of fires across the country are deeply distressing. We must do everything we can to support the families and communities affected. I urge everyone to stay safe and salute the courage of our fire services,' he said.'The frightening truth is that in time we will come to see today not as the hottest summer ever but the new normal. Britain is in no way prepared for this new reality because of years of neglect by this Government.' Wennington resident, Lynn Sabberton, who said she was evacuated from her home with her partner who has a lung difficulty, told Sky News: 'We thought it was one of the fields that caught alight over the back of us.'But then a neighbour rang me and said, 'oh no, it's on the green, the green has caught fire'. I saw the black smoke and the helicopters came over and more police came into our neighbourhood and it was really spreading very fast.'It just spread so quickly, I think the wind caused the fire to go our way towards the village.'The record-shattering temperatures yesterday meant staying cool was a day-long challenge for many, with seaside resorts again packed, popular inland swimming spots like Compton Lock in Winchester rammed and shops cleaned out of ice creams.River Swales Waterfalls in Richmond, North Yorkshire, saw crowds flock to its refreshing waters in a bid to beat the heat. Another respite was the caverns of the Peak District, which stayed at 9C (48.2F) despite the sweltering conditions at ground level.Barry Jarvis, a senior tour guide at Peak Cavern in Castleton, Derbyshire, said it was 'a fabulous feeling when it's 35C on the surface'.Devastatingly, the drive to escape the heat also saw another spate of water-related tragedies despite repeated warnings from safety experts. By the evening, the death toll since the start of July's blazing hot weather had risen to as high as 13. The Wennington fire is still seen raging at night as hundreds of firefighters are deployed throughout London to tackle blazes The homes seen destroyed in Barnsley as fires created havoc across the country and families were left homeless The body of a teenage boy was recovered from the River Thames in Richmond at about 3.30pm yesterday. Police said it was believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy who was seen to enter the water on Monday afternoon. On the Isle of Wight, a holidaymaker in his 70s was declared dead after he was found unconscious in the water near Sandown Pier at 5pm on Monday. And 16-year-old Sean Norbert Anyanwu also passed away on Monday after he got into difficulties in Bray Lake amid sweltering conditions near Maidenhead.Another fatality on Sunday afternoon involved a man whose kayak capsized on the River Spey, near Fochabers, Moray, in Scotland. As many schools closed and major railway lines were shut, Boris Johnson warned the country should learn from the pandemic and avoid shutting down.Addressing his final Cabinet meeting on what he described as 'another scorching, sweltering day', the Prime Minister said people once again needed to 'balance risk with the need to keep our country, our society and our economy moving'. He told his ministers that 'as far as possible we should keep schools open and keep our transport system going.'Millions again opted to work from home, with footfall in towns and cities yesterday down another 5.9 per cent compared to Monday, retail analysts Springboard reported.However, it seemed some may have been pining for the air conditioning in their places of work, with a 14 per cent rise in central London office activity day-on-day, it added.People in parts of Kent have been told to use water only for essential purposes as stocks dwindled following months of below-average rainfall.It comes after water companies reported 'unprecedented peak demand', with people encouraged to 'carefully consider' their water usage amid warnings of a summer drought following months of below-average rainfall. Fires sparked by lightning at Zennor Head, West Cornwall continue burning into Tuesday evening A man runs along a street with a hosepipe on July 19, 2022 in Wennington, England Some 15 fire engines and 100 firefighters from the London Fire Brigade are dealing with the Wennington blaze Police were called amid concerns over public safety due to people jumping into the river and lighting portable BBQs at River Swales Waterfalls The huge grass blaze has spread to houses in Wennington, East London, yesterday afternoon amid the extreme heatMeanwhile at the Wennington fire, Freya Gutteridge, 23, from nearby Hornchurch - who works in marketing, said: 'I noticed the fire in Wennington when I went to lunch at two and since then our whole office has just been watching - everywhere we look there's a new one.'We're all really worried, the wind is strong and we're seeing on the news that loads of houses are on fire and there isn't enough fire engines.'It's crazy. Most of us in the office live really locally so we're all worried about families' houses at the moment.'Witness Pierre L'Aimable told Sky News: 'We were driving down the road and we just saw so much smoke, we could see it from Hornchurch just going into the air.'We were going to visit one of my business partners and the fire was just immense.'Mr Smith added that resources would be at the scene into the evening, warning that any spark not dealt with could risk 'reignition'. Emergency services fight fires in a row of houses on July 19, 2022 in Wennington as at least five homes have been gutted This picture shows the fire still burning at a home which has been blackened and its roof torn off amid devastating fires In this aerial view, smoke from fires being fought by fire services seen in Wennington as London's firefighters try to battle the infernos Another house was also destroyed in the Wennington fire yesterday afternoon which was seen from above in this Sky News aerial TEN hottest places as old record is obliterated 40.3C Coningsby, Lincs40.2C Heathrow, London40.0C Waddington, Lincs40.0C Humberside40.0C Robin Hood Airport, Doncaster39.5C Northolt, London39.4C Scampton, Lincs39.3C Woburn, Beds39.2C Watnall, Notts39.2C Cranwell, Lincs---38.7C Previous UK record (Cambridge, July 2019) Distressed residents could be seen on the phones trying to get information, and villagers were also seen carrying buckets of water to the Lennards Arms pub where the community had gathered – but officers then evacuated the pub as the inferno rapidly approached.Walter Martin, 61, landlord of the Lennards Arms, a local pup that has escaped the flames for now, said: 'I got a phone call at about 12:50 and I saw a little smoke, I walked around and saw a small fire and then saw it just go up. I've never seen anything like it. It's awful. People are in shock. People are devastated.'Pensioner Lynn Sabberton told Sky News police came to her home and told her she and her husband who suffers from a lung condition had to evacuate. She said: 'We were told that one of the fields had caught fire. The police came to our house and told us to get what we could like personal belongings.'Lorry driver Gary Ruel, 63, who has lived in the area since 2005 was evacuated from his house and said: 'My house is right next to the fire. All we have heard is the fire is close to the church. I live at number 19 but we can't go down there so no one knows what's going on.'No one will give us any information. I just hope everyone is safe, that's all I can say. I'm really worried about my house. I might have lost three cats, I got the dog out but didn't have time for the cats.'Kent Fire and Rescue Service said 18 fire engines were now at the scene of a grass fire near Durrell Dene, in Joyce Green, Dartford.A blaze started in a field around 4pm but soon spread to a nearby housing estate in the village of Wales, near Rotherham, South Yorkshire as temperatures in South Yorkshire rocketed to 40C as the UK basked in the warmest temperatures on record.Residents tried to put out the flames with buckets of water but fanned by winds and the intense heat, the fire became too intense and soon set alight three terraced homes nearest the field.Two fire crews are at the scene and have largely extinguished the blaze, which has destroyed at least two of the three-floor properties.Other properties are at risk and a cordon has been set up to keep onlookers at a safe distance while fire crews battle to keep the flames under control.A shaken resident of one of the homes, who asked not to be named, revealed her teenage daughter had fled the house as the fire took hold. A blaze started in a field around 4pm but soon spread to a nearby housing estate in the village of Wales, near Rotherham, South Yorkshire. People wait to see if they will get on any trains as services remain cancelled in much of the train network Alton Towers thrill-seekers had to be led down the Oblivion rollercoaster at the Staffordshire theme park on the hottest day of the year The woman, who dashed home from work, said: 'Thankfully my daughter is safe but sadly I don't think my pets are. I had two cats in the house at the time. I don't know what's happened to them but it doesn't look good.'We don't know what's happening at the moment or when we'll be able to return home. It's all a huge shock.'Local Mark Finlay, 43, who lives nearby, was among those who tried to extinguish the fire before it hit the residential area.He told MailOnline: 'A few of us saw the smoke from the field which started to get bigger and bigger.'We could see the fire started to head towards the housing estate. A fence and some trees were set alight.'People we're fetching buckets of water and attempting to douse the flames but in this heat the fire just took hold really quickly.'Before long the end house was on fire and it spread to the neighbouring properties before the fire service arrived and started to put out the flames.'I'm not sure who was home at the time but I do know that when the fire was raging, the houses were all empty fortunately so people managed to get out ok.'Another eyewitness added: 'You could see the top of the houses on fire as the flames licked the sky and thick black smoke billowed into the air.'It was frightening just how quick it took hold but thankfully I don't believe there are any injuries.' Some 15 fire engines and 100 firefighters from the London Fire Brigade are dealing with the Wennington blaze in East London Homes in Wennington can be seen on fire and completely blackened by the raging wildfire amid devastating temperatures The scene of a blaze in the village of Wennington, east London. London Fire Brigade has declared a major incident due to 'a huge surge' in blazes across the capital A view near Dartford heath as fires raged throughout London as unprecedent wildfires raged in the capital People jump and do somersaults on Brighton Beach as some try to cool off during the record breaking temperatures Shocking videos show a huge bush fire raging on the Dartford marshes, KentA spokesman said: 'Firefighters are using a fogging unit, two all-terrain vehicles and a bulk water carrier to bring the fire under control and extinguish the flames.'The technical rescue unit is also in attendance and crews are using a telehandler machine to create a fire break, to stop the fire from spreading further. No injuries have been reported.Members of KFRS' volunteer response team are on-hand to provide welfare and support. People who live or work in the affected area are advised to close their windows and doors as a precaution, due to smoke coming from fire. Drivers travelling on the surrounding roads are also asked to take extra care, as the smoke may impact visibility.One blaze at Lickey Hills Country Park near Birmingham, spread to 50,000 square metres and forced 15 people to flee their homes, while firefighters in Essex said they were receiving three times their average number of calls.There was also a fire near Stonehenge yesterday afternoon, with Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Rescue mobilising crews who used pumping appliances and water carriers to fight 'multiple seats of fire' around fields at Winterbourne Stoke.West Midlands Fire Service received 717 incident calls yesterday - a rise of 280 in the space of a week, while crews in Hereford and Worcester had 54 fires based around fields, undergrowth and woodland. In Nottinghamshire, fire crews saw a 'significant increase' in grass fires over the last month, with numbers up even more this week.Hertfordshire | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
South East Water has announced a ban on hosepipe and sprinkler use for its customers in Kent and Sussex.The ban will start on 12 August, with an end date that has yet to be decided.
It comes just days after Southern Water announced the first hosepipe ban of the year for customers in Hampshire and Isle of Wight. That ban starts on Friday.South East Water said its ban is necessary to make sure there is enough water for essential use and to protect the environment, adding that the ban would reduce the amount of water taken from "already stressed local water sources".It said: "This has been a time of extreme weather conditions across the UK. "Official figures show this is the driest July on record since 1935 and the period between November 2021 and July 2022 has been the driest eight-month stint since 1976.
"During July in the South East, we have only seen 8% of average rainfall for the month, and the long term forecast for August and September is for similar weather." More from Business Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury's are failing to reduce petrol prices in line with falling wholesale costs, RAC says Energy price cap to remain above £3,500 through most of 2023, report warns British Airways stops selling new tickets for short-haul flights from Heathrow - as European airport extends capacity cap It added: "The demand for water this summer has broken all previous records, including the COVID lockdown heatwave.Subscribe to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Spreaker"We have been producing an additional 120 million litres of water a day to supply our customers, which is the equivalent of supplying a further four towns the size of Maidstone or Eastbourne, daily."South East Water supplies 520 million litres of water every day to 2.2 million customers.The water is drawn from more than 250 boreholes, six rivers, and six reservoirs.The company's website said that all customers in Kent and Sussex will be affected by the ban except those on the priority service register.Read more:England experiences driest July for more than a century while UK driest since 1984Where does our water come from, where do we use it most and what happens during a drought?Customers in Berkshire and Hampshire will not be affected, it said, adding: "Whilst demand in our supply areas in Berkshire and Hampshire has also increased considerably, we have not suffered from the same water supply issues as experienced in Kent and Sussex."For the time being, we are in a position that we can continue to ask our customers to apply voluntary restraint on the amount of water they use at home."We are continuing to monitor the situation, and will advise customers if circumstances change."The ban means it is forbidden to use a hosepipe that is connected to a mains water supply, including garden sprinklers.Breaking the rules could result in a fine of up to £1,000.Shuja Khan, chief executive of data company Arqiva, said having a water smart meter can help people control their use.He said: "Most people have no idea how much water they use every day because it can be really hard to conceptualise."For example, for every 10 minutes of use, the average hosepipe uses 170 litres of water, or almost 19 flushes of a toilet in the same timeframe."If people knew that just one hour of hosepipe use was equivalent to the same amount of water that the average family of four consumes over two days, they might reconsider their gardening patterns." | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
'Unprecedented' day ahead as UK temperatures could hit 41CGood morning and welcome to our extreme weather blog.The UK is bracing itself for the hottest day on record on Tuesday, as forecasters said temperatures could reach 41C.The mercury is set to rise higher than on Monday – already the hottest day of the year at 38.1C (in Santon Downham, Suffolk), though slightly short of the all-time UK heat record of 38.7C. That was set in Cambridge in July 2019 but could be broken today.Rachel Ayers, from the Met Office, told PA Media that Tuesday was going to be “unprecedented”. She said: “The temperature will be very hot throughout the day, before rising as high as 40C, maybe even 41C in isolated spots across England during the afternoon.“This will make it the hottest day on record and the first time we have seen temperatures as high as 40C.”Scotland and Wales could also have their hottest days on record. Holyrood minister Keith Brown urged people “to think about whether they need to travel and, if they do, make sure they’re properly equipped and plan their journey in advance”.Travel routes will be affected by the heat and National Rail told customers only to travel if absolutely necessary. The operator said: “There will be delays, cancellations and last-minute changes to train services due to the unprecedented record heat on those days.”There will be no Thameslink or Great Northern trains running anywhere north of London, from London Blackfriars via St Pancras, or from London King’s Cross or London Moorgate on Tuesday.Merseyrail said the number of trains running and journey times will be “seriously affected”, with some routes closed completely. LNER will run no trains from south of York and south of Leeds to London King’s Cross.Southern, South Eastern, South Western Railway and Great Western Railway are among the dozens of train companies running significantly reduced services across the country.Transport for London (TfL) said London’s rail network would also be running a reduced service on Tuesday due to safety restrictions put into place to deal with the heat.My name is Fran Lawther and I’ll be keeping you up to date with the latest weather news, analysis and tips on how to deal with the heat. Please get in touch with any updates from your local area. You can email me at [email protected]. Key events:32m ago'Unprecedented' day ahead as UK temperatures could hit 41CShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureThe ambulance service in London reported a slight increase in 999 calls for fainting and heat exposure on Monday. Brian Jordan, director of 999 operations for London ambulance service, told BBC Radio 4 the service received 6,600 emergency calls yesterday, slightly lower than predicted.“We really hope that’s because the public really have been listening to the messages about how they can look after themselves and only call 999 if it’s a genuine emergency,” Jordan said.“People have been through a very long day yesterday and there’s been high temperatures overnight, and with the even hotter temperatures today I cannot really emphasise enough that people need to continue to do what we were asking them yesterday – to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun, keep hydrated, look after more vulnerable friends, families, neighbours and use sun cream etc.”For tips on how to deal with the temperatures, my colleague Nicola Davis has this guide to keeping cool:The Met Office tweeted this graphic to give details of what to expect on Tuesday:The hot weather has sparked health warnings as there is a higher risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, dehydration as well as breathing problems due to high pollution.People have been urged to stay inside during the hottest part of the day – between 11am and 4pm – and wear sun cream, a hat, stay in the shade and keep hydrated with water.A construction worker digging up a road in the Northern Quarter in Manchester wipes sweat from his face. Photograph: Joel Goodman/The GuardianThere were warnings about swimming in lakes, rivers and reservoirs after three people died in waters in England and a fourth was missing believed drowned.There is a higher risk of wildfires, with people asked not to use barbecues or leave litter that could spark fires in the countryside – while zoos and wildlife parks were closed to protect animals, staff and visitors.Water companies have been experiencing “unprecedented peak demand”, with people encouraged to “carefully consider” their water usage and urged not to waste it.The UK transport secretary, Grant Shapps, was on Sky News this morning to say issues on the rails and roads will continue for decades during extreme heatwaves.Asked how long it will take to upgrade existing rail infrastructure to be more resilient, Shapps said: “Decades, actually, to replace it all. Ditto with Tarmac on the roads.“There’s a long process of replacing it and upgrading it to withstand temperatures, either very hot or sometimes much colder than we’ve been used to, and these are the impacts of global warming.”He said there was no Cobra meeting planned for Tuesday, with the prime minister instead chairing cabinet.Boris Johnson was accused on Monday of having “checked out”, missing an emergency Cobra meeting about the searing heat. He instead attended the Farnborough airshow, where he gave a whimsical speech about completing a loop the loop and a barrel roll in a Typhoon fighter jet.On Tuesday, Shapps denied Johnson was “checked out”. He said: “It’s literally not true, in fact exactly the opposite is the truth.”'Unprecedented' day ahead as UK temperatures could hit 41CGood morning and welcome to our extreme weather blog.The UK is bracing itself for the hottest day on record on Tuesday, as forecasters said temperatures could reach 41C.The mercury is set to rise higher than on Monday – already the hottest day of the year at 38.1C (in Santon Downham, Suffolk), though slightly short of the all-time UK heat record of 38.7C. That was set in Cambridge in July 2019 but could be broken today.Rachel Ayers, from the Met Office, told PA Media that Tuesday was going to be “unprecedented”. She said: “The temperature will be very hot throughout the day, before rising as high as 40C, maybe even 41C in isolated spots across England during the afternoon.“This will make it the hottest day on record and the first time we have seen temperatures as high as 40C.”Scotland and Wales could also have their hottest days on record. Holyrood minister Keith Brown urged people “to think about whether they need to travel and, if they do, make sure they’re properly equipped and plan their journey in advance”.Travel routes will be affected by the heat and National Rail told customers only to travel if absolutely necessary. The operator said: “There will be delays, cancellations and last-minute changes to train services due to the unprecedented record heat on those days.”There will be no Thameslink or Great Northern trains running anywhere north of London, from London Blackfriars via St Pancras, or from London King’s Cross or London Moorgate on Tuesday.Merseyrail said the number of trains running and journey times will be “seriously affected”, with some routes closed completely. LNER will run no trains from south of York and south of Leeds to London King’s Cross.Southern, South Eastern, South Western Railway and Great Western Railway are among the dozens of train companies running significantly reduced services across the country.Transport for London (TfL) said London’s rail network would also be running a reduced service on Tuesday due to safety restrictions put into place to deal with the heat.My name is Fran Lawther and I’ll be keeping you up to date with the latest weather news, analysis and tips on how to deal with the heat. Please get in touch with any updates from your local area. You can email me at [email protected]. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
A provincial capital in south-west China has dimmed outdoor advertisements, subway lighting and building signs to save energy as the area struggles with a power crunch triggered by record-high temperatures.Temperatures rose past 40C (104F) in Sichuan province this week, fuelling massive demand for air conditioning and drying up reservoirs in a region reliant on dams for most of its electricity.Factories including a joint venture with the Japanese car maker Toyota in the provincial capital, Chengdu, have been forced to halt work, while millions in another city, Dazho, grappled with rolling power cuts.“Hot and muggy weather has caused the city’s electricity supply for production and daily life to be pushed to its limit,” Chengdu’s urban management authorities said in a notice on social media on Thursday.Faced with a “most severe situation”, the city, which is home to more than 20 million people, had ordered landscape illumination and outdoor advertising lights to be switched off in notices issued Tuesday, the statement said. Building name signs will also be darkened.Chengdu metro said in a video on China’s Weibo social media platform that it would also turn off advertisement lights and “optimise” the temperature in stations to save energy.Photos circulating on Weibo showed dimmed lights on metro platforms, walkways and in malls, with commuters walking in partial darkness.China has suffered a series of heatwaves and record-breaking temperatures this summer. By Friday, the national meteorological administration had issued red-level heat warnings for eight consecutive days, bringing the total to 30 days since June. The heat is expected to continue in some areas for the next 10 days.On Thursday, the south-western city of Chongqing registered a record high of 45C, state media reported, hitting a record 11 consecutive days above 40C. As of Friday, Hangzhou had also experienced a record 30 days of high temperatures, the national meteorological administration said.Multiple heat records have been broken and a worsening drought has reduced water levels in the country’s largest lake by 75%. On Thursday morning, the total area of Poyang lake in Jiangxi province had reduced by more than 2,200 sq km, to 737 sq km.The drought is also drying up the critical Yangtze River, with water flow on its main trunk about 51% lower than the average over the last five years, state media outlet China News Service reported on Thursday.Sichuan’s power woes could also have ripple effects on the wider Chinese economy – the province is a key supplier of energy generated by hydropower, including to eastern industrial powerhouses like Jiangsu and Zhejiang.China is battling extreme weather on several fronts, with 17 people killed in a flash flood in the north-west of the country on Thursday after torrential rains.Meanwhile, weather authorities in the eastern Jiangsu province warned drivers of tire puncture risks on Friday as the surface temperatures of some roads were expected to hit 68C.The China Meteorological Administration earlier said the country was going through its longest period of sustained high temperatures since records began in 1961.Scientists say extreme weather across the world has become more frequent due to the climate crisis and that urgent global cooperation is needed to slow an impending disaster. The world’s two largest emitters are the US and China.But earlier this month Beijing announced it was freezing its cooperation with Washington on global heating in protest over a visit by the US House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, to Taiwan.With Agence France-Presse | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comISLAMABAD/KARACHI, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Pakistani authorities are struggling to prevent the country's biggest lake bursting its banks and inundating nearby towns after unprecedented flooding, while the disaster management agency on Monday raised its toll of flood deaths by another 24.Record monsoon rains and melting glaciers in Pakistan's northern mountains have brought floods that have affected 33 million people and killed at least 1,314, including 458 children, Pakistan's National Disaster Management Agency said.The floods have followed record-breaking summer temperatures and the government and the United Nations have both blamed climate change for the extreme weather and the devastation it has brought.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comAuthorities on Sunday breached Pakistan's largest freshwater lake, displacing up to 100,000 people from their homes in the hope of draining enough water to stop the lake bursting its banks and swamping more densely populated areas.But water levels in the lake, to the west of the Indus river in the southern province of Sindh, remain dangerously high. read more "The water level at Manchar lake has not come down," Jam Khan Shoro, the provincial minister for irrigation told Reuters.He declined to say if another attempt to drain water from the lake would be made.The floods have led to a growing humanitarian crisis, with officials especially concerned about the wellbeing of pregnant women and young mothers.A girl carries her sibling as she walks through stranded flood water, following rains and floods during the monsoon season in Nowshera, Pakistan September 4, 2022. REUTERS/Fayaz Aziz Over 400,000 pregnant women in badly affected Sindh province have been displaced by the floods, with only 891 making it to relief camps, according to data from the provincial government released on Friday.The relief effort is a huge burden for an economy already needing help from the International Monetary Fund.The United Nations has called for $160 million in aid to help the victims of the floods but Finance Minister Miftah Ismail said the cost of the damage was far higher than that."The total damage is close to $10 billion, perhaps more," Ismail said in an interview with CNBC."Clearly it is not enough. In spite of meagre resources Pakistan will have to do much of the heavy lifting."Nevertheless, help from abroad is arriving.Relief flights from the United Nations and countries including Turkmenistan and the United Arab Emirates arrived on Monday, the foreign ministry said in a statement.Elsewhere in the region, floods are also threatening crisis-hit Sri Lanka, while rains have disrupted life in India's technology hub, Bengaluru.The northern summer is the rainy season across much of Asia.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Asif Shazad in Islamabad and Syed Raza Hassan in Karachi; Writing by Alasdair Pal; Editing by Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Trillions of dollars may be misallocated to deal with the wrong climate threats around the world because the models used by central banks and regulators aren’t fit for purpose, a leading Australian climate researcher says.Prof Andy Pitman, director of the Australian Research Council’s Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes, said regulators are relying on models that are good at forecasting how average climates will change as the planet warms, but are less likely to be of use for predicting how extreme weather will imperil individual localities such as cities, however.The concerns, detailed in a recent report in the journal Environmental Research: Climate, were underscored by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority’s release on Monday of its corporate plan 2022-23. Apra plans to “continue to ensure regulated institutions are well-prepared for the risks and opportunities presented by climate change”.However, Pitman said regulators are still ill-equipped to assess the risks and to regulate the ability of banks and other institutions to cope with them.“Without a shadow of a doubt, we’re overestimating the cost of climate change in some areas and grossly underestimating it in others,” Pitman said. “We need to take this issue seriously – not just access information flying around and think we can package it to do proper economic assessments.” Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning Sign up to receive the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning“If you’re going to throw billions or trillions of dollars around, you need to ensure that you’re getting the right scientific advice on how to interpret the climate information,” he said. “I think that’s a no-brainer but [regulators] are not doing that.”Pitman’s paper, and a separate one he co-authored for Nature Climate Change in 2021, examined the models being used by groups such as the Network for Greening the Financial System. The NGFS advises about 100 central banks and other regulators globally, including Australia’s Reserve Bank and Apra.The climate models underpinning such advice, however, are based on general climate change, such as rising temperatures. In part because their resolution typically covers only 100km-by-100km regions, the models’ coarseness makes them unreliable for predicting how extreme weather events will change, Pitman said.Without their own climate scientists, the RBA and Apra rely on scenarios generated by NGFS to understand how a heating planet will influence economic and financial stability.The RBA referred queries to Apra, where a spokesperson said: “Apra’s focus is not on specifying individual climate risks for different regulated entities but rather on ensuring that entities are making lending, investing and underwriting decisions based on a full understanding of the relevant risks, including climate risks.”“We do not evaluate risks on behalf of the entities that we regulate,” the spokesperson said.Apra recently released the results of a self-assessment survey on members’ approach to those risks. It is also now completing its inaugural climate vulnerability assessment of the five major banks.Pitman, who had contributed to the soon-to-be-released inquiry into the NSW floods earlier this year, said the standard approach must avoid being complacent about the possible changes that may not be well understood.For instance, people should not build on flood plains even if the trend of future climates might result in some regions receiving fewer multi-day rain events but more short-term, intense ones.Decisions needed to be “framed in a deep understanding of uncertainty and chosen very carefully to do no harm” and include greater investment in the science, Pitman said.He said Apra’s corporate plan implied “we can do this well and we’ll continue to do it well, and I think that’s courageous”.For instance, it was clear the flood-prone Hawkesbury River near Sydney would flood “again and again and again”, Pitman said.“You don’t need climate projections to say there’s a vulnerability there,” he said. “Go and look for where there’s vulnerabilities in supply chains, or in the planning for those most at risk, and invest in those because you’re on very sure ground that those risks aren’t going away.” | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Firefighters have tackled a grass fire in a popular London picnic spot while Brits hit the beach to cool off in the sea today as an 'Extreme Heat' warning comes into force - ahead of the 35C heatwave predicted by forecasters this weekend. Fire crews have been battling ferocious wildfires across the capital today amid the sweltering temperatures as a drought could be declared for some parts of England on Friday.The National Drought Group - made up of Government and agency officials, water companies and other groups such as the National Farmers' Union (NFU) - is set to meet tomorrow to discuss the prolonged dry weather.There are expectations drought could be declared for some parts of England such as southern and eastern areas, prompting action by agencies and water companies to manage water resources to ensure supplies and protect the environment.It comes as a double heat warning has been put in place by experts amid increasing heatwave temperatures that are set to soar, with Manchester set to reach 31C (88F), London 33C (91.4F), while Portsmouth will reach a balmy 29C (84F) today - albeit not quite as high as the record-breaking 40.3C blast experienced last month.The Met Office has also raised its Fire Severity Index to exceptional - the highest level - today for much of southern England, and Wales alongside an amber, as the mercury is forecast to climb to 'lethally hot' temperatures of 35C (95F) this weekend. The warning system also been at its second highest level of alert for seven weeks, which is the longest stretch since 1976.Police are looking to step up patrols for wildfires in high risk areas amid reports that tomorrow could see an official drought in the South announced by the Government.It comes as a former NHS doctor warned the health service is 'on the brink of collapse' as it expects an increase in admissions as temperatures continue to increase across the country.The heat is likely to affect health, transport and working conditions, meteorologists said, as water companies are being urged to protect essential supplies heading into a 'likely very dry autumn'. National Highways have also urged Britons to be 'prepared' with bottles of water before setting out amid more train strikes scheduled this weekend. Firefighter battles a wall of flames as he and his crew attempt to put out a grass fire at Hollow Ponds in Leytonstone, East London on Thursday Firefighters put out a grass fire at Hollow Ponds in Leytonstone, East London on Thursday afternoon as parts of the UK have become a tinder box due to the extreme hot weather Sunseeking Brits flock to Bournemouth beach on Thursday as temperatures soar past 30C Pictured: Aung-Bo, a 21-year-old asian elephant is cooled down by a keeper at Chester Zoo during the heatwave on Thursday Pictured: Sunseekers head to Bournemouth beach on Thursday morning to enjoy the sizzling heatwave amid warning from the Met Office Pictured: A woman is seen shading her face from the early morning sun, while commuting through Hyde Park in London this morning Pictured: London Underground Commuters head into work via the Jubilee line on Thursday morning Pictured: West Midlands fire service are warning Britons to stay safe in the heat and keep hydrated throughout the heatwave Pictured: Sunseekers arrive at Bournemouth beach this morning to enjoy an early dip in the sea Pictured: Britons arrive at Bournemouth beach early to secure their spot before crowds arrive as the day progresses A cyclist braves the soaring temperatures across Britain today as the Met Office has also raised its Fire Severity Index to exceptional Wildfires threaten to sweep across the country this weekend posing an 'exceptional risk' to homes, as an 'Extreme Heat' warning comes into force from today with temperatures set to reach at least 33C (91F) in LondonMet Office meteorologist Marco Petagna said: 'The risk is very high across much of central, southern and eastern England. Going into Friday and the weekend, it starts to increase further, going into the highest category of exceptional risk.'Britain has been told to brace for a sweltering heatwave this week as a Level 3 Heat Health Alert also came into effect Tuesday and has been extended until Saturday - with little rain expected to help relieve the threat of drought which has prompted hosepipe bans and fire warnings. Mark Hardingham, the chairman of the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said that he 'can't remember a summer like this' in his entire 32-year career in the fire service.He told The Telegraph: 'We're not going to see temperatures as hot as we saw three weeks ago, but that doesn't matter because the ground couldn't get any drier than it already is.'The wildfires are as prevalent in semi-urban areas as they are in rural communities so it's difficult to know where the next one will be.'London Fire Brigade said its control room had dealt with 340 grass, rubbish and open land fires during the first week of August - an eightfold increase on the 42 during the same week last year. Pictured: An alarming aerial image shows Euston Estate farm's depleted reservoirs, located outside Thetford Pictured: Skyrocketing energy prices, drought and historic heatwaves are all heavily affecting the Euston Estate farm, which is fighting to save its crops Pictured: Bournemouth beach is filled with families enjoying the sweltering temperatures during the summer holidays Pictured: As the scorching heatwave continues, cattle search for drinking water in Dartmoor, Devon, at what until recently was an established watering hole, but is now completely dry Pictured: Britons head to the Bournemouth beach coastline to enjoy the scorching heatwave temperatures amid a Level 3 Heat Health Alert An aerial photograph taken today shows dried out fields at the Euston Estate farm, outside Thetford, as drought is expected to be declared tomorrowAssistant Commissioner Jonathan Smith said: 'This summer has seen an unprecedented long, dry spell with high temperatures, so the grass in London is tinderbox dry and the smallest of sparks can start a blaze which could cause devastation.'Despite our continued warning over the last few weeks, we know there are still people who are barbecuing in parks, dropping cigarettes out of car windows and leaving rubbish lying around.'We really need to prevent a repeat of the situation we saw on July 19, when homes, shops, garages, outbuildings and vehicles were destroyed across London in a number of significant fires.'So please - we are asking Londoners to help us protect the city we all love by doing everything you can to prevent further grass fires. Please don't barbecue in open spaces or balconies, throw your rubbish away safely and put your cigarettes out properly.'Riccardo La Torre, national officer for the Fire Brigades Union, has also warned that services across the UK are 'completely unprepared' for the level of risk posed by the imminent heatwave.Mr La Torre told Sky News: 'These are brutal, brutal fires to fight. The temperature that they burn at, the speed at which they spread at.'The reality is we've been left completely unprepared to do that as a fire and rescue service.'We've had over a fifth of the workforce cut since 2010, that's over 11,500 firefighters cut. Yet we're asking them to deal with these extreme weather events in increasing regularity and increasing severity. The Met Office has raised the Fire Severity Index to exceptional - the highest level - for much of southern England, and stretching as far west as Abergavenny in Wales, for this coming SundayMark Hardingham, the chairman of the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) told The Telegraph that he 'can't remember a summer like this' in his entire 32-year career in the fire service. Pictured: The Met Office's Fire Severity Index (FSI) which shows how the red 'highest risk' is spreading from Thursday (left) to Friday (middle) to Saturday (right) In soaring temperatures ahead of warnings for extreme heat, fire crews attend a large wildfire between St Hilary and St Erth in Cornwall County Durham and Darlington firefighters dealt with multiple grass fires amid increasing temperatures on Wednesday The Met Office has raised its Fire Severity Index to exceptional - the highest level - today for much of southern England, and Wales alongside an amber, as the mercury is forecast to climb to 'lethally hot' temperatures of 35C (95F) this weekend Pictured: The sun rises high above the London skyline on Thursday morning as temperatures are set to reach 36C in parts of England this weekend Pictured: A group of men go for a job along the promenade at Bournemouth beach on Thursday morning Families take shelter under sun umbrellas as they enjoy a day out to Bournemouth beach amid searing temperatures on Thursday Pictured: Families enjoying their summer holidays head to Bournemouth beach on Thursday to make the most of the soaring temperatures Pictured: Brits have been pictured enjoying the sea at Bournemouth beach on Thursday morning as the Met Office's amber 'extreme heat' warning comes into force Pictured: London underground commuters are pictured waiting for the Jubilee line to arrive on Thursday morning Pictured: A woman rides an electric scooter along the promenade at Bournemouth beach on Thursday morning Pictured: Sunseekers head to Bournemouth beach this morning to enjoy the sizzling temperatures Council suspends food and garden waste collections for a MONTH - in the middle of heatwave Waltham Forest Council gave residents just five days notice that their food bins and garden waste bins will not be collected until September 12Some Londoners have been left outraged after being informed by their council that food bins will not be collected from their homes for more than a month despite the next heatwave looming.Waltham Forest Council took to social media to let people know that from August 15, both food and garden waste bins will not be collected until September 12.Furious residents of the north-east London borough have fired back, highlighting that their 'rotting' food will be left uncollected during the UK heatwave. And Waltham Forest deputy group leader for the Conservatives Afzal Akram revealed that him and his colleagues were 'flabbergasted' when they heard about the suspension.Cllr Akram told MailOnline: 'We are flabbergasted by this decision being made and by the way it has been communicated.'We as councillors only heard about it once the council put it out on social media. It's one of those blue sky thinking moments that you think of something and straight away you should throw it in the bin.'But for them to go and implement it is ridiculous. We are in a heatwave and they expect residents to leave food lying their for month - the stench, the stink is going to be unbelievable.'The council believes that the 'temporary' measure will allow it to focus on other services over the summer and reduce unnecessary journeys.It highlighted that less garden waste has had to be collected given the lack of rainfall in the UK this summer.The council has told homeowners to dispose of any garden and food waste in brown bins until collection resumes.'The professionals on the ground have been warning that these conditions are coming and we very much saw the reality of that in these last few weeks. 'Firefighters have been injured, firefighters have ended up in hospital, we've seen families lose their homes, we've seen businesses lost, infrastructure burn to the ground, because we simply can't get to these fires quick enough.'When we do, we simply don't have the resources to deal with them adequately.'Jonathan Smith, assistant commissioner at London Fire Brigade, has said 'we're not out of the woods as far as this heatwave is concerned', as he urged people to avoid using disposable barbecues and take care when extinguishing cigarettes.Mr Smith added: 'We're urging the public to think about and modify their behaviour over the course of the next four days in particular to take that pressure off the emergency services... we're not out of the woods as far as this heatwave is concerned.'Meanwhile, Met Office boss Paul Davies said the increasing heatwave temperatures may now occur once every five years - and annually by the end of the century. He told The Mirror: 'When I started out as a forecaster, if someone had said in your lifetime you'll see 40 degrees, I'd have said; 'No, surely not!'.'We are in uncharted waters. We're entering areas we've never experienced before and it's not just the UK, it's the planet as a whole.'Families across the country are being warned to expect some uncomfortable nights, with temperatures unlikely to drop beyond the mid-to-high teens. It comes as the driest first seven months of the year in decades and hot spells have left parts of the UK facing looming drought, prompting hosepipe bans and warnings about the impact on agriculture, rivers and wildlife.The latest analysis from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) has warned that low or even exceptionally low river flows and groundwater levels are likely to continue for the next three months in southern England and Wales.Mr Petagna said that rain could be on the horizon early next week, adding: 'There are signs that we could get some rain next week, but details at the moment are uncertain,' he said.'What we really need is a few weeks of light rain to soak into the ground. Thunderstorms are more likely to cause some flooding issues because the ground is hard the water can't sink in.'The water industry has said they are doing 'everything possible' to stop leakage but it remains a constant battle.It comes after Tory frontrunner Liz Truss said there needs to be 'tougher action' on water companies as there 'hasn't been enough action to deal with leaky pipes'. Stuart Colville, director of policy at Water UK, has said it is a 'constant battle' to stop water leakage but that the water industry is doing 'everything possible' to do so.Mr Colville said that it is looking 'increasingly inevitable' that the Environment Agency will declare a drought for England, adding this would be the 'right decision given some of the pressure on the environment that we're seeing at the moment.' Pictured: A rare green field gets watered on Thursday at East Fen Farm in Soham, Cambridgeshire as the drought continues Pictured: The East Fen Farm in Soham, Cambridgeshire has its own reservoir but that is now running low after the UK experienced its driest July since 1935 Pictured: A water irrigator at work in a field in Cambridge as the sun rises this morning amid increasing temperatures Pictured: One of Britain's rare green fields gets watered on Thursday morning at East Fen Farm in Soham, Cambridgeshire Pictured: A water irrigator at work in a field in Cambridge on Thursday. Temperatures keep rising this week with some areas expecting to reach in to the low to mid 30s Pictured: A view of the low water levels at the United Utilities, Woodhead Reservoir, in Derbyshire Pictured: Tinderbox Britain's dry conditions continue their alarming effects at Bessom Bridge over Wimbleball Lake on Exmoor in Somerset Pictured: London Underground Commuters on another hot day as people head into the capital on the jubilee line today The sun rises behind The Shard skyscraper as a second heatwave is predicted for parts of the country on Thursday Our leaks shame: Thames Water is wasting 635m litres A DAY through leaky pipes... but bosses are STILL threatening to impose hosepipe ban Britain's biggest water company is threatening to impose a hosepipe ban despite failing to stop millions of litres of water leaking from its pipes.Thames Water confessed yesterday to letting nearly a quarter of all water it supplies leak through cracks – but the firm's strategy director said we needed to 'be more efficient' – like the Germans and Danes.It said it is preparing to impose a hosepipe ban in the 'next couple of weeks', affecting 15million customers in London and the South East.Environment Secretary George Eustice called in water company bosses yesterday to discuss the water crisis amid reports a state of drought could be declared.Yorkshire Water confirmed it was also considering bringing in a hosepipe ban. Sources at the Environment Agency confirmed that Yorkshire, Anglian and South West Water are all considering hosepipe bans – which would place water restrictions on more than 32million people in England and Wales.South East Water in Kent and Sussex, Southern Water in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and Welsh Water have declared bans.But Thames was forced to admit that while it was seeking a hosepipe ban it wastes more than 635million litres of water a day.Cathryn Ross, strategy and regulatory affairs director at Thames Water told Radio 4's Today: 'In all probability we'll be moving to introduce the hosepipe ban in the next couple of weeks.'She confirmed leaks were endemic across Thames's network.She added: 'We totally accept we need to do better on fixing leaks, that's why we're fixing more than 1,100 leaks every week. We are not where we need to be, we have a lot of work to do to fix Thames Water.' She admitted it was likely that households would have to cut water use due to climate change.'We're going to have to look at all the tools in the toolkit to make sure that we keep customers with taps flowing.' But high usage of water was partly to blame.'We use 150 litres of water per person per day in England,' she said. 'In Germany it's 120, in Copenhagen, where they've had a big push on this, it's down to nearly 100.'Water companies in Germany and Denmark are publicly owned. Germany also has a much better record of tackling leaking pipes than in the UK – with around 5 per cent of all water lost to leaks, compared with 20 per cent in the UK.The Government wants leaks cut to 10 per cent by 2050. Yorkshire Water confirmed it was considering a hosepipe ban after reservoir levels fell below 50 per cent, 20 per cent lower than usual.The Environment Secretary met water company bosses yesterday.Mr Eustice said: 'All water companies have reassured me that water supplies remain resilient across the country. Each company has a pre-agreed drought plan which they are following.'He added: 'We are better prepared than ever before.'The Angling Trust wants water companies to stop dragging their feet and order hosepipe bans.Trust policy chief Martin Salter said: 'Millions of gallons of scarce water is being wasted keeping golf courses and lawns green rather than helping rivers survive and our wildlife and economy protected.'An Oxfordshire village has also become the first in Britain to run dry, with residents forced to rely on deliveries of bottled and tanker water.Northend, on the Buckinghamshire border, usually gets its water from the now dried-up Stokenchurch Reservoir.Thames Water had to send water tankers and bottles to its residents, struggling after high demand on the natural resource in recent hot weeks. The company has also recently announced it will be issuing a hosepipe ban for 15million customers across London, Surrey and Gloucestershire in the coming weeks.A Thames Water spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We're sorry to customers in the Stokenchurch area who are experiencing lower pressure than normal due to technical issues with our Stokenchurch reservoir. 'We have a team on site working hard to resolve this as soon as possible and the situation is improving and supplies have been restored to customers.'We're using tankers to help boost supplies to customers in Northend to keep up water pressures for these customers so they do not see supply issues as well as delivering water bottles.'Customers may experience lower than normal pressure during periods of higher demand. 'These times are typically in the morning and during the early evening.'We've also identified everyone in the affected area who has pre-registered with us as having special requirements, such as being medically reliant on water, so we can get in touch and make sure we give them the help and support they need.'We realise how inconvenient this is, especially during such hot weather, and appreciate customers' patience as we work to resolve things'Last night Andrew Sells, head of Natural England between 2014 and 2019, accused water companies of selling off reservoirs which could have helped ease drought to housing developers.'Several of our water companies preferred to build houses on some of their reservoirs, and last week we learned that together they have built precisely zero new reservoirs in the past 30 years', he wrote in the Daily Telegraph.'No doubt some reservoirs had reached the end of their working lives, but in abandoning this infrastructure, without any replacements, they have again put short-term profits ahead of long-term supply.'The Met Office also predicted the extreme heat will become more commonplace in the coming years as global warming continues.Professor Hannah Cloke, Professor of Hydrology at the University of Reading, said: 'The warnings for extreme heat from both the Met Office and the heat health alert issued by the UK Health Security Agency are another reminder that this summer in the UK is proving to be lethally hot.'Compared to the July record-breaking heat, this event will be less intense but last longer, which could actually have a greater impact on people's health.'This heatwave might not break any records for maximum temperatures, but it might actually cause more deaths.'Climate change is making heatwaves more intense, frequent and likely, with last month's record temperatures made at least 10 times more likely because of global warming and 'virtually impossible' without it, research shows.Scientists also warn the likelihood of droughts occurring is becoming higher due to climate change, driven by greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels and other human activities.Government minister Paul Scully said it is 'always sensible' for people to conserve water, when asked about the possibility of a hosepipe ban for London.He added: 'But we'll look carefully because the whole point about London and the South East is that the more development you have and the less rainfall there is, then obviously there's less to go around and we've got to be careful.'Saharan Britain: Aerial views of England show scorched earth as parts of the UK resemble a desert after fields and trees turn brown in heatwave Shocking aerial shots have revealed the impact of the sizzling heatwave leaving farmers with parched crops as half of the UK population could be facing a hosepipe ban within weeks. These alarming photographs showed vast desert-like landscapes in areas that would normally be filled with swathes of greenery as the country endured its driest July since 1935 and record-breaking temperatures of 40C (104F).Patches of scorched grass could be seen right across the countryside in photographs taken surrounding East Midlands Airport as concerns grow over water shortages thanks to rising temperatures.The Met Office has also raised its Fire Severity Index to exceptional - the highest level - today for much of southern England, and Wales alongside an amber, as the mercury is forecast to climb to 'lethally hot' temperatures of 36C (97F) this weekend. The warning system also been at its second highest level of alert for seven weeks, which is the longest stretch since 1976. It comes as several households in parts of Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire are facing water shortages after a pipe burst on Thursday and the Stokenchurch Reservoir dried-up. Thames Water confessed yesterday to letting nearly a quarter of all water it supplies leak through cracks – but the firm's strategy director said we needed to 'be more efficient' – like the Germans and Danes.It said it is preparing to impose a hosepipe ban in the 'next couple of weeks', affecting 15million customers in London and the South East. These alarming aerial photographs showed vast desert-like landscapes in areas that would normally be filled with swathes of greenery as the country endured its driest July since 1935 and record-breaking temperatures of 40C (104F) Brits in Oxfordshire (pictured) and Milton Keynes were pictured using umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun on Wednesday while they played golf on a bone dry course An image of scorched Britain was captured yesterday and showed how the ongoing drought conditions have effected the country Patches of scorched grass could be seen right across the countryside in photographs taken surrounding East Midlands Airport as concerns grow over water shortages thanks to rising temperatures Pictured: Golfers are seen playing on a scorched course as the UK enters another sizzling heatwave Pictured: Cows are pictured eating straw and grass silage, which is normally a winter feed, at a farm in Harpole, near Northampton Pictured: An alarming aerial view of a dried out grass outfield during a T20 Last Man Stands cricket matchEnvironment Secretary George Eustice called in water company bosses yesterday to discuss the water crisis amid reports a state of drought could be declared.Yorkshire Water confirmed it was also considering bringing in a hosepipe ban. Sources at the Environment Agency confirmed that Yorkshire, Anglian and South West Water are all considering hosepipe bans – which would place water restrictions on more than 32million people in England and Wales.South East Water in Kent and Sussex, Southern Water in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and Welsh Water have declared bans.But Thames was forced to admit that while it was seeking a hosepipe ban it wastes more than 635million litres of water a day.Cathryn Ross, strategy and regulatory affairs director at Thames Water told Radio 4's Today: 'In all probability we'll be moving to introduce the hosepipe ban in the next couple of weeks.'She confirmed leaks were endemic across Thames's network.Andrew Sells, head of Natural England between 2014 and 2019, accused water companies of selling off reservoirs which could have helped ease drought to housing developers.'Several of our water companies preferred to build houses on some of their reservoirs, and last week we learned that together they have built precisely zero new reservoirs in the past 30 years', he wrote in the Daily Telegraph.'No doubt some reservoirs had reached the end of their working lives, but in abandoning this infrastructure, without any replacements, they have again put short-term profits ahead of long-term supply.' Pictured: Sunseekers walk near the low water levels at Baitings Reservoir in Ripponden, West Yorkshire as water company bosses are being urged to impose a England-wide hosepipe ban to avoid the worst effects of drought on rivers and wildlife Pictured: Arid areas of land in South East London as the hot weather continues and threats of hose pipe bans may come into force Pictured: Dried out ground in a park, following a long period of little rainfall and hot weather in St Albans Firefighters bring a field fire under control near Ashford in Kent as the Met Office raised its Fire Severity Index to exceptional - the highest level - today for much of southern England, and Wales The sports grounds at a Cambridge University college remain dry and dusty following weeks of exceptional hot weather in Britain. Drone photos show the parched cricket pitch and tennis courts Scorched fairways at the Links Golf Club in Newmarket, as Britain is braced for another heatwave that is set to last longer than July's record-breaking hot spell An aerial view of the historic Iron Age hill fort of Maiden Castle at Dorchester in Dorset where the grass has been scorched by the hot summer sunshine and drought conditionsThe companies which have sold off decommissioned reservoirs in recent years include Thames Water, Severn Trent and Southern Water. Meanwhile, the Woodhead Reservoir in the Peak District has seen a drop in water levels over the last few days.Photos taken at the Dernford Reservoir near Cambridgeshire also show low water levels as water companies struggle to meet demand.Nearby, the River Granta is still flowing but at much lower levels than usual.Last month it was reported that the river was at a lowly 5cm, despite previously sitting at more than one metre. More than SIXTY per cent of Europe is under drought warning as the Rhine runs dry and is set to become impassable to crucial coal barges with Europe on course to suffer worst drought in 500 YEARS By Charlotte McLaughlin and Jack Newman for MailOnline More than half of Europe is now under a warning for drought that is on course to become its worst in 500 years as Germany's most-important river is running dry.The latest European Drought Observatory data, published today, shows that a total of sixty-four percent of the land in the EU and United Kingdom is now under a drought warning or alert.According to the latest map of the Combined Drought Indicator, which is based on July data, 47 per cent of the territory is in 'warning' conditions which means there is a deficit of moisture in the soil, and 17 per cent is in alert conditions where vegetation is stressed.The map shows that the places that are experiencing the most drought include the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Poland and Romania. While the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology predicts 'exceptionally low' flow levels in rivers until October.The news comes as water levels in the Rhine are now so low that it could become impassable to barges later this week, threatening vital supplies of oil and coal. Wildfires are also spreading again throughout France, torching an area that was already badly-hit as temperatures soared to record levels last month, and there have also been fears food production will fall well below average. Bone dry: Almost half of EU land is currently under a drought warning or worse because of a combination of heatwaves and a 'wide and persistent' lack of rain, experts have warned. A map (pictured) reveals the countries most at risk. Areas in orange are under 'warning' conditions, while 15 per cent of land has moved into the most severe 'alert' state (shown in red) The Rhine river - Germany's most-important waterway - is running so low that it may soon become impassable to barges, threatening huge economic damage Transport vessels cruise past the partially dried riverbed of the Rhine river in Bingen, Germany, amid the ongoing droughts House boats are perched on a drying side channel of the Waal River due to drought in Nijmegen, in the Netherlands Boat houses are seen on the banks of the Waal River in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, as Europe suffered through a drought Europe has seen lower-than-average rainfall for the past two months, with rivers across the continent - including in Nijmegen, the Netherlands (pictured) - running very low Firefighters work to contain a fire in Belin-Beliet, as wildfires continue to spread in the Gironde region of southwestern France, this evening The droughts are not only affecting Germany, with Spain, southern France, Portugal and most of Italy suffering from the shortages The ongoing hot weather and lack of rain have caused water levels on the Rhine and several other German rivers to fall Barges navigate the Waal river amid the ongoing drought and the recurring heat waves which have cut operation capacities by half along the lower Rhine A firefighters tries to extinguishe a wildfire in the Sameiro village near the town of Manteigas in Portugal today which has been raging since Saturday The Rhine - which carries 80 per cent of all goods transported by water in Germany, from its industrial heartlands to Dutch ports - are now so low that it could become impassable to barges later this week, threatening vital supplies of oil and coal that the country is relying upon as Russia turns off the gas tap.The river is already lower now than it was at the same point in 2018, when Europe suffered its last major drought. That year, the river ended up closing to goods vessels for 132 days, almost triggering a recession. Costs to transport goods by river this year have already risen five-fold as barges limit their capacity to stay afloat.Economists estimate the disruption could knock as much as half a percentage point off Germany's overall economic growth this year, with experts warning the country was facing recession due to an energy crisis even before the drought hit.Andrea Toreti, senior researcher at the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, said: 'We haven't analysed fully [this] event, but based on my experience I think that this is perhaps even more extreme than in 2018.'2018 was so extreme that looking back at this list of the last 500 years, t | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
SummaryHomes and campsites evacuated, livelihoods threatenedFlames tear down hillside near Portugal's PombalBlaze rages near tallest sand dune in EuropeEurope is a 'heatwave hotspot', says scientistLEIRIA, Portugal/RASLINA, Croatia, July 14 (Reuters) - Wildfires raged across tinder-dry country in Portugal, Spain, France and Croatia on Thursday, burning homes and threatening livelihoods, as much of Europe baked in a heatwave that has pushed temperatures into the mid-40Cs in some parts.Nations across southern Europe - experiencing the second heatwave in as many months - have been hit by a series of wildfires over the last few weeks.In Portugal's central Leiria district, tired firefighters battled to control blazes that have been fanned by strong winds. Footage from the area on Wednesday showed smoke darkening the sky and billowing across a highway, while flames licked around the roofs of houses in one small village.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com"Yesterday was a very tough day," Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said as he attended a briefing with the national meteorological institute IPMA."It is absolutely crucial we avoid new events because it leads to the exhaustion of firefighters and all others ... who are doing their best to control the situation."The most concerning blaze was near the town of Pombal, where on Thursday aircraft and helicopters dropped water on flames that were tearing down a hillside lined with highly flammable pine and eucalyptus trees."When it gets to the eucalyptus it's like an explosion," Antonio, an elderly resident of the nearby village of Gesteira, said as he anxiously watched the approaching flames.Across the border in western Spain, a fire that started in the Extremadura region on Tuesday swept into Salamanca province in the region of Castile and Leon, forcing the evacuation of 49 children from a summer camp on Thursday.Regional authorities said more than 4,000 hectares (9,900 acres) of land had been burned.Spain's meteorological agency AEMET expected the heatwave to reach its peak later on Thursday, with temperatures likely to exceed 44 degrees Celsius (111 Fahrenheit) in large parts of southern Spain.THOUSANDS EVACUATEDOn Croatia's Adriatic Coast, firefighting planes swooped low to dump water over burning forests, and troops were called in to help firefighters battling to contain three major wildfires around Zadar and Sibenek.Arndt Dreste, 55, had moved to the village of Raslina, near Sibenik, this year, after selling his property in Germany. His house was severely damaged by the fire."I bought this house in January ... I (am) cut off from Germany and this is my life here ... it was here," Dreste told Reuters, showing the charred walls of his home.A fire fighting helicopter works to contain a wildfire in Leiria, Portugal July 13, 2022. REUTERS/Rodrigo AntunesIn southwestern France, more than 1,000 firefighters, supported by nine water-bombing planes, were battling two wildfires that started on Tuesday. The fires have burnt 5,300 hectares, a figure that has doubled over the past 24 hours."The situation on the ground is unfavourable, there is the scorching heat and the wind," Fabienne Buccio, prefect of the Gironde department, told local media, adding the fires were still not under control. "And, as night is about to fall, we will not be able to use our aerial means."She also urged tourists planning to vacation in the region to avoid the area for a few days or weeks.One of the two Gironde fires was around the town of Landiras south of Bordeaux, where 2,4000 hectares have been burnt, roads closed and 500 residents evacuated.The other blaze, now the biggest, was along the Atlantic Coast, close to the "Dune du Pilat" - the tallest sand dune in Europe - in the Arcachon Bay area, above which heavy clouds of dark smoke were seen rising into the sky.Around 6,000 people were evacuated from surrounding campsites on Wednesday, and another 4,000 people early on Thursday.'HEATWAVE HOTSPOT'Thousands of people were also evacuated from homes on Turkey's southwestern Datca peninsula, as a fire that started on Wednesday was fanned by strong winds overnight and threatened residential areas.The forestry minister said the fire had been brought under control on Thursday after seven firefighting aircraft and 14 helicopters were deployed to contain it. read more Scientists blame human-caused climate change for the increased frequency of extreme weather such as heatwaves, which have also hit parts of China and the United States in recent days.A study in the journal Nature last week found the number of heatwaves in Europe has increased three-to-four times faster than in the rest of the northern mid-latitudes, such as the United States and Canada, due in large part to the jet stream air current splitting into two parts for longer periods."Europe is very much affected by changes in atmospheric circulation," co-author Kai Kornhuber, a climate scientist at Columbia University, told Reuters. It's a heatwave hotspot."Some Europeans welcomed the heat, however. In Catania, on the east coast of Italy's Sicily, tourists and locals thronged cafes to eat granita, a frozen dessert, and jumped into the sea to cool off."The heat here is a bit tiring, but I think it's the least tiring thing we face this year, I put up with it gladly," said Catania resident Pierpaola.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comAdditional reporting by Emma Pinedo in Madrid, Benoit Van Overstraeten in Paris, Gloria Dickie in London, Ali Kucukgocmen and Yesim Dikmen in Istanbul, Oriana Boselli in Rome and Reuters TV; Writing by Alex Richardson; Editing by Janet Lawrence and Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Another extreme weather event, another trial for Texas’ infamous electrical grid. As temperatures have soared above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, residents have cranked up their air conditioners, forcing the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (Ercot), which runs the state’s grid, to ask customers to limit power usage, lest the system crash.And what a singular grid it is. The United States actually has three distinct grids: The ones in the west and east roughly cut the country in half. But Texas divorced itself from all that, opting to run its own operations to avoid regulation. That means power providers don’t face penalties for failing to deliver electricity, as they do in regulated states. And because it’s not intricately connected to its neighbors’ energy grids, Texas can’t import lots of power from elsewhere when demand spikes, like during this heat wave or a cold snap. That isolationist stance has left it ill-prepared to weather the extremes of climate change. “Texas, once again, is in a unique position where basically they’ve isolated themselves from the rest of the grid,” says Gernot Wagner, a climate economist at Columbia Business School.This has caught the state up in an increasingly nasty feedback loop: As summers warm, people need to run more AC to avoid discomfort and heat illness. But that requires more energy, which results in more emissions that further heat the planet and ultimately increase demand for air conditioning. “The hotter it gets, the more we run the AC, and the less reliable the grid becomes,” says Wagner. This will be a problem all over the world, especially in economically developing nations, where more people are joining the middle class and are able to pay for technologies like air conditioning. “AC is really critical—it’s absolutely life-saving,” says University of California, Los Angeles’ Edith de Guzman, director and cofounder of the Los Angeles Urban Cooling Collaborative. “We’re entering into an unprecedented period: Not only is the frequency of heat waves increasing, but the intensity, of course, is also increasing.” That’s making it more critical than ever for people to have access to air conditioning—and have the electricity to run the machines—especially those with preexisting conditions. Asthma, for instance, can be exacerbated by the formation of ozone when temperatures rise. And the bodies of elderly and very young people aren’t as efficient as cooling themselves, putting them at more risk. “Heat is the biggest weather-related killer in an average year in the United States,” says de Guzman. “It's an underreported problem. Illnesses and deaths that are caused by heat may not be diagnosed as such.” For example, heat stress may make a heart attack more likely, but heat won’t necessarily be fingered as the culprit.But the ancient electrical grids in the US remain woefully unprepared. The Texas grid, like any other, needs to constantly balance supply and demand, which varies wildly throughout the day. “From my point of view, more interesting than the rising demand is that the demand happens at coincident peaks,” says David Victor, a political scientist at the University of California, San Diego, who coauthored a major report on the US grid last year. “Not only is there a higher demand, but it’s at exactly the time that’s already the critical point for the grid.”The solution is to either reduce or time-shift some of that demand, Victor says. In Texas right now, demand is spiking in the late afternoon, when people return home from work and crank up the AC. That’s why Ercot has asked customers to cut energy use between 2 pm and 8 pm to bring the demand in line with the supply. In a statement to WIRED, an Ercot spokesperson wrote that “ways to reduce electricity use during peak times include turning up your thermostat a degree or two, if comfortable, and postponing running major appliances or pool pumps during the requested time frame.”With the proliferation of smart thermostats, utilities can also remotely turn down customers’ temperatures to reduce demand. (This actually happened in Texas last summer, confusing customers who didn’t realize they’d opted in to such a program.) Another strategy, called precooling or preheating, encourages customers to turn on their AC units or heaters before peak demand so that their home reaches a comfortable temperature sooner and only has to be maintained later.Unfortunately, American homes often lack sufficient insulation to keep the heat out and the cool in. This makes precooling less efficient—no point in switching on the AC before demand spikes if your house is just going to heat back up in an hour. Swaths of structures in the US were built with cheap energy in mind: Why waste time and money sealing a house when you can just crank up the air conditioning? “We are in a world where we rely basically almost exclusively on air conditioning to cool wooden shacks,” says Wagner. “The sort of more systemic change is, in fact, insulation. Yes, you still have AC available, sure. But you’ll run it much, much less.” While we’re at it, we should also paint roofs white, explore reflective pavement coatings to bounce the sun’s energy back into space, and deploy an appliance cherished among climate nerds: the heat pump. This highly efficient device runs entirely on electricity, extracting heat from outdoor air to warm a home and then reversing that flow in the summer to act like an air conditioner. Scientists are also researching how residents of high-rises might grow crops under their rooftop solar panels, simultaneously generating power and food while cooling the building. Energy experts envision a future in which customers will become more active participants in the grid—not just users of electricity, but generators and distributors of it. For example, rooftop solar panels might charge up home batteries and electric cars sitting in garages, creating a sort of distributed network a utility could tap into when it needs more power to send to other homes. Instead of a spike in demand bringing the grid to its knees, a utility could use batteries all over a city to supply on-demand power.City officials can also fix the spaces around homes. The “urban heat island effect” is the result of structures like buildings and pavement absorbing the sun’s energy during the day and releasing it slowly at night. With each passing day of a heat wave, the temperature inches up. “Staying hotter into the night means that the human body is not always able to recover,” says de Guzman, of UCLA. On a hot day in Los Angeles, for example, officials can expect an 8 percent rise in mortality above normal levels. “But occasionally, we see that when it’s multiple days—you’ve got 3-, 4-, 5-day heat waves—that number can go up to 30 percent. So escalating back-to-back extreme heat days are much more devastating,” she continues.The heat island effect can be mitigated by creating more green spaces, in which plants “sweat” to cool the local air. Growing trees around buildings also provides shade, which makes sequential days of heat more bearable and allows the occupants to cut down on AC use. These local and homeowner-led changes will help, but the bigger fixes will need to happen at the state and national levels. The US was oh so close to getting some of these fixes on a large scale. Last year the Biden administration requested $10 billion to create a Civilian Climate Corps, which among other things would have put Americans to work insulating homes and retrofitting cities to withstand extreme heat. But like much of the Democrats’ climate agenda, the proposal has stalled. In Texas, grid operators could better connect their grid to their neighbors’. “If they want to have more interconnections with the rest of the country, then they probably would have more stability in the Texas grid,” says Victor. But that would open the state up to more regulation. If Texas officials want to continue to go it alone, they can keep up their momentum when it comes to deploying renewables. In the first quarter of this year, wind and solar accounted for a record 34 percent of the power Ercot transmitted, according to a report from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. The growth of solar power is what has in large part kept the grid alive during this heat wave.There’s also a bigger-picture grid problem: As utilities adopt more renewables, the supply-demand calculus gets extra complicated because the wind doesn’t always blow and the sun doesn’t always shine. The ideal grid could shuttle energy over vast distances, for instance from the sunny Southwest in the late afternoon to the Midwest, where it’s two hours later and may already be dark. But at the moment, the national grid just isn’t equipped to handle that. Although the price of renewables has dropped enough that it’s now economically feasible to site solar and wind all over the place, not just where it’s sunniest and windiest, these installations can’t yet supply enough power to outright replace fossil fuels. Operators still rely on natural gas to fill the gaps when renewable energy isn’t available. A future all-green grid will need lots of long-distance high-voltage lines that connect regions to make sure power can be ported where it’s needed, without having to fall back on gas.Texas is a bright-red warning light, showing how climate change is already making American summers miserable. Extreme heat will only get worse from here, but there are local, national, and global ways to adapt. “I would say there’s no silver bullet,” says de Guzman. “We really need to diversify that portfolio for cooling in as many ways as possible.” | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
A sprinkler irrigates a corn field to mitigate the impact of drought brought by high temperatures, in Xiliangshi village of Boai county in Jiaozuo, Henan province, China June 20, 2022. Picture taken June 20, 2022. China Daily via REUTERS Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comBEIJING, July 5 (Reuters) - Heatwaves are predicted to sweep through northern China in the next two weeks, with more than 250 million people expected to grapple with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in some regions.For four to six days, the regions of Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and Ningxia, and the provinces of Hebei, Henan, Gansu and Shaanxi, will see temperatures of more than 40°C, said Fang Xiang, deputy head of the National Meteorological Center (NMC).As of 5:40 p.m. (0940 GMT), the meteorological centre had issued 184 heatwave alerts across northern, northwestern and southwestern China.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comChina has faced extreme weather contrasts this summer, with heatwaves in the north and heavy rain and floods in the south. The government has blamed climate change, which it says will increasingly affect the economy and society. read more In June, heatwaves affected nearly half of China's population. Part of northern China's power grid load saw new highs last month, affecting energy supply, Fang said."The lasting high temperatures will cause a marked impact on production and life, such as increased pressure on power supply," Fang said.The risk of forest fires and harm to the stable growth of crops such as rice, cotton, and corn can also be expected, he told a news conference.Drought-like conditions are expected to affect crops in Shandong, Anhui, Henan, Shaanxi and Gansu, Fang warned.In June, China's average temperature was the highest since 1961, Wang Yawei, a weather official, said.It was also 0.9 degree Celsius higher compared with the same period in previous years, he said.Last month, the provinces of Henan and Jiangsu, which have a combined population of more than 180 million, set new daily power usage records. read more "It'd take magic to defeat magic - only a big storm can break the 40-degree spell of warm weather," wrote a netizen from Zhengzhou, provincial capital of Henan.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Albee Zhang, Ella Cao and Ryan Woo, Editing by Gerry Doyle and Angus MacSwanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comCULLERA, Spain, Aug 13 (Reuters) - One person was killed and dozens were injured when high winds caused part of the main stage to collapse at a dance music festival near the Spanish city of Valencia early on Saturday, emergency services said.Other infrastructure was also damaged when gusts battered the Medusa Festival, a huge electronic music festival held over six days in the east coast town of Cullera.Thirty-two people were taken to hospital and three remained there on Saturday afternoon, regional health authorities said.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comOrganisers said they were cancelling the rest of the festival for the safety of attendees."We are completely devastated and saddened at what happened this morning," organisers said earlier on the festival's Facebook page, adding that "extreme" weather conditions had caused damage to various infrastructure on the festival site."At around four in the morning unexpected and violent strong winds destroyed certain areas of the festival, forcing management to make the immediate decision to vacate the concert area to guarantee the safety of attendees, workers and artists," organisers said.The festival, where French DJ David Guetta was due to play on Saturday, had DJs scheduled to play throughout the night on Friday across five stages. DJ Miguel Serna was on the main stage for his 3 a.m. to 4 a.m set when the incident occurred.A view shows the venue of Medusa Festival, an electronic music festival, after high winds caused part of a stage to collapse, in Cullera, near Valencia, Spain, August 13, 2022. REUTERS/Eva Manez"It was a tense few minutes, I've never experienced anything like it before," he wrote on Instagram."The tragedy happened just at the end of my session on the main stage, just below it, which was the most affected (area). It was a few moments of horror, I am still in shock."National weather agency AEMET said there had been "strong gusts of wind and a sudden rise in temperatures" during the night, with gusts of 82 kph (51 mph) recorded at Alicante airport in the Valencia region."Suddenly there was a lot of wind, very hot air, all the sand started to move, we saw tents flying," one festival attendee, named only as Laura, said."People started to come from the concerts and according to what they told us, parts of the stage, wood, were blown away, it was chaos."National broadcaster TVE showed images of strong gusts of wind battering against people's tents and festival awnings in the middle of the night, as people shielded their eyes from the sandstorm-like conditions."We are in a state of shock because we were 30 metres away (from the stage). It could have been me, it could have been anyone," Jesus Carretero, who was at the festival with his brother, told TVE.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comAdditional reporting by Jessica Jones and Elena Rodriguez
Writing by Jessica Jones
Editing by Kirsten Donovan, Ros Russell and Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
By Justin RowlattClimate editorImage caption, David Barton says it's been a dry winter, spring and summer on his farmDavid 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.Experts warn that the extreme weather like the hot and dry conditions in July will inevitably lead to smaller harvests in the UK. This in turn will make the food we buy in the supermarkets even more expensive.Image caption, This shrivelled seedling should have been feed for David's cows for next winterDavid, aged 54, is the third generation of his family to work on his farm in Cirencester. He's now resorted to feeding his cattle the food reserved for winter."This is fast approaching the worst we've seen," he explains. What he needs is rain, but he has no idea when it will come and waiting is an agony, he says.The Met Office says the weather is expected to become cooler next week but there's no guarantee that it will rain across the country. July was the driest in England since 1935, with many areas seeing far less rainfall than average. After a "fairly dry winter", there was some rain in March but not enough for the spring crops, David explains.It was June when it began to get desperate. Holding a withered turnip seedling, he explains: "It can't sustain itself. There's just not enough moisture, so this crop will probably fail now."His priority is to keep the livestock shaded and happy, but soon the financial costs will start to "mount dramatically".Smaller harvests from the UK's farms will push up the price of food, particularly meat, says Kyle Holland, an analyst at market research company Mintec.Extreme weather globally is affecting agriculture, meaning essential crops are in shorter supply and are more expensive on world markets, too.The war in Ukraine, which is normally the world's fourth-largest grain exporter, has also caused shortages, pushing prices up yet further."It's almost a perfect storm," he says. And there's little sign of the pressure lifting soon, he explains, adding that rain in September will be too late for the corn crop that's used to feed farm animals.Climate scientists warn that heatwaves are likely to become more common and more extreme globally. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
The record-breaking heatwave that scorched swathes of Europe in recent months will become an "average" summer as soon as 2035, even if countries stick to their current climate targets, new research suggests.The Met Office's Hadley Centre has forecast an average summer in central Europe will be more than 4°C hotter by 2100 than it was before humans started burning fossil fuels at scale.
Researchers said they are confident in their analysis because they found a "very satisfactory" alignment between recorded average temperatures since 1850 and the figures that were predicted by computer models.The Climate Crisis Advisory Group (CCAG), which commissioned the research, called the data an "urgent reminder" of the need for countries to go "well beyond" their climate plans, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs), which together aim to limit global warming to ideally 1.5°C.The analysis shows that "even if countries meet their commitments to reduce emissions they have made so far, the situation is still set to get worse, with weather in Europe predicted to become even more extreme than seen this summer," said former government chief scientific advisor and CCAG chair Sir David King.
Almost two-thirds of Europe and much of England is currently enduring a drought that is hitting food and power production, driven in part by hot weather. The extreme heat in July broke records in England, Scotland and France."This data doesn't fully account for the instability of the Arctic, which we now know is a global tipping point that could have major cascading consequences for the entire planet," Sir David warned. More on Europe EU countries agree deal to cut use of gas this winter as they brace for reductions in Russian supply Thousands forced to flee homes as wildfires spread across heatwave-hit Europe Heatwave in pictures: Wildfires across Europe, droughts and ice pops He said it was "abundantly clear" that countries need to not only meet their NDCs, but consider increasing them. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Rhine close to running dry His warning comes as countries prepare to discuss international climate action at a series of diplomatic meetings this autumn, including the United Nations General Assembly and the group of 20 developed and emerging economies. At the COP27 climate summit in Egypt in November, countries will scrutinise each other's progress since COP26 in Glasgow last year, and whether they are implementing their climate plans.The CCAG argues mitigative action must include three things: reducing emissions, removing existing emissions in vast quantities and repairing "broken parts of the climate system, starting with the Arctic".Read more:Switzerland's glaciers melt by half in less than a centuryDid nearly 900 people die due to the July heatwave?It reiterated its calls from last year to refreeze the Arctic, which is warming much faster than the rest of the world, exacerbating other extreme weather events around the globe."It is only through the mitigative measures of Reduce, Remove and Repair, pursued with equal vigour and urgency, that we can hope to move away from the path to disaster we're currently set on and achieve a manageable future for humanity," Sir David added.Today's warning coincides with another study that predicts countries in the mid-latitudes - including the UK, the US and most of the European Union and central Asia - will experience deadly heatwaves every year by 2100. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Flooded homes and structures near Quicksand, Kentucky, on Thursday.Ryan C. Hermens/AP Facts matter: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter. Support our nonprofit reporting. Subscribe to our print magazine.At least 16 people have been confirmed dead as a result of flooding in Kentucky, the New York Times reports. That number is “going to get a lot higher,” Gov. Andy Beshear warned about the death toll on Friday. Beshear said that it may be several weeks before the full scale of the damage is known.
Close to 300 people have been rescued so far. Search and rescue efforts are still ongoing. Many survivors of the flood are expected to “lose just about everything,” the governor said. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear discusses damage he's seen from severe flooding in his state, says it's "devastating." https://t.co/uLSHyF4acm pic.twitter.com/dYlSI3U4O9
— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 29, 2022 The flooding began after parts of Kentucky received more than 9 inches of rain over the course of 12 hours on Wednesday night and Thursday morning. The damage was concentrated in eastern Kentucky, where President Joe Biden has declared a major disaster in 13 counties. “We had to swim out and it was over my head. It was scary.” The death toll in the devastating flash floods that hit Kentucky this week has risen to 16 and is expected to increase as rescue efforts continue. Follow live updates. https://t.co/FclssI11Xk pic.twitter.com/JzXMXn4nFr
— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 29, 2022 A record-breaking flood also hit St. Louis earlier this week, leaving one person dead. Both the Missouri and Kentucky floods resulted from what the Washington Post called “1-in-1,000 year rain events.” They are representative of the kind of extreme weather events that are becoming more common as a result of climate change.
The Times has highlighted a number of groups working to help flood victims that are accepting donations:
“The Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund, which was established by Mr. Beshear, is accepting tax-deductible donations online and by mail to help people who were affected by the floods.
The American Red Cross in Kentucky said it was working with local emergency management officials to assess needs in about nine counties. The organization is taking donations to help in the recovery.
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture is accepting donations of bottled water, toiletries and nonperishable food. The collection site is 105 Corporate Drive, Suite A, in Frankfort, the state capital. The department is accepting donations from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays through Aug. 5.
The Appalachian Regional Healthcare Foundation Flood Relief Fund is accepting monetary donations online to help provide victims with generators, transportation, food, water and access to health care and medicine. The organization is also accepting donations of cleaning supplies, nonperishable food and water at its office at 2260 Executive Drive in Lexington.
The Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, a nonprofit community group in Hazard, Ky., said it was accepting donations through its Crisis Aid Fund.” | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Torrential rain and thunderstorms hammering Britain have seen streets turn to rivers and a huge mudslide block a country road - with another two inches of rain on the way in three hours today as the heatwave ends with a bang.The A358 in Somerset was closed at Combe Florey after the mudslide last night which saw workers remove more than 50 tonnes of mud and potatoes – and it was still shut this afternoon due to the amount of debris. Diversions were put in place, and council workers joked they were 'working hard to ensure no chips on drivers' windscreens'.Families braced themselves for traffic chaos and power cuts as forecasters warned of dangerous flash floods - while authorities told people to prepare an emergency bag of vital belongings in case their homes are damaged.But while the heatwave has now technically ended after eight days today, it remains very warm in much of the UK with highs of 27C (81F) expected this afternoon, before 25C (77F) tomorrow and Thursday, and 24C (75F) on Friday.Dramatic videos showed fast-flowing floodwater cascading down steep roads and deluging junctions in Devon and Cornwall - while Londoners hid under trees, blankets and bin lids to avoid sudden bouts of torrential rail.The whole of England and Wales has been put under a thunderstorm warning for today, with a separate rain alert in place for Scotland. There is also a further thunderstorm warning covering all of southern England tomorrow.The Met Office said some places will stay dry today, but others will see thunderstorms with torrential rain - and flooding could happen quickly, with damage to buildings from water, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds.Forecasters said fast 'flowing or deep floodwater is possible, causing a danger to life' and that the conditions could cause delays to trains and along with difficult driving conditions as well as some road closures.Speed restrictions were imposed on some rail routes in Scotland today due to the heavy rain - with train services affected between Glasgow and Inverness, Perth, Dundee and Aberdeen. Flooding was also seen near Perth. The Met Office said thunderstorms and areas of heavy rain will develop quite widely across much of England and Wales throughout today, and the extent of these thunderstorms will be more widespread than yesterday.Up to 1.2in (30mm) of rain is possible within an hour, but where areas of thundery rain become slow-moving, some places could see 2in (50mm) in less than three hours – and even higher totals in a few spots over the whole day.The stormy weather comes after weeks of soaring temperatures – with at least 30C (86F) recorded for eight days in a row up to and including yesterday, and an unprecedented 40.3C (104.5F) last month. The official heatwave threshold varies around the country, but for London it is three consecutive days of 28C (82F) temperatures.Meanwhile experts warned that the drought is far from over as the country needs weeks of rainfall to replenish supplies. It comes after the country's driest July on record and the driest first half of the year since 1976. The A358 in Somerset has been closed at Combe Florey today after a huge mudslide that has caused chaos for local motorists Heavy downpours and thunderstorms move northwards into southern England this morning amid warnings over flooding Vehicles drive along the very wet M25 near Swanley in Kent today as heavy rain creates surface spray and reduces visibility Tourists walk along the South Bank in London during heavy rain in the capital today as the heatwave comes to an end A couple go for a walk in the sea under an umbrella off the almost deserted beach of Weymouth in Dorset this morning A man tries to clear a drain grid during flooding in Winchester today as parts of the country are hit by heavy rain Commuters walk over London Bridge this morning as heavy rain hits the capital following the heatwave People queue up outside Westminster Abbey during heavy rain in London today as thunderstorms hit the capital Two young women shelter under an umbrella as they walk over Millennium Bridge in London during heavy rain this afternoon Vehicles drive along the very wet M25 near Swanley in Kent today as heavy rain creates surface spray and reduces visibility A vehicle drives through a large puddle during heavy rain at Greenwich in South East London this morning Three people take a selfie under umbrellas as they stand on Millennium Bridge in London during heavy rain this afternoon People walk over London Bridge this morning as heavy rain hits the capital following the heatwavePeople walk through London in the rain today - and while some of them came prepared with umbrellas, others did not Flooding on rail lines near Perth in Scotland today, where speed restrictions have been imposed on routes due to heavy rain A bride and groom shelter from the rain under an umbrella during their wedding photos in Central London this afternoon Tourists wearing rain ponchos walk through Westminster today during heavy rain after the prolonged dry spell Christine Colvin, from the Rivers Trust, warned there is a risk that people will not take the drought seriously in the coming days, adding: 'We want people to keep this rainfall event in context and as part of the bigger picture.'The bigger picture is that we've actually still had an incredibly dry year as well as a dry summer and it's going to take sustained rainfall to replenish our supplies. Just because it rains, it doesn't mean the drought is over.' 'Devastating' incident as body of girl, 14, is recovered from water The body of a 14-year-old girl has been recovered from water in Greater Manchester after a 'devastating' incident, prompting police to urge people to keep safe while enjoying the warm weather.Emergency services were called to reports of a person getting into difficulty in the water in Stalybridge, Tameside, shortly before 6.30pm yesterday.Today, Greater Manchester Police announced that her body had been recovered overnight. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and North West Ambulance Service also attended the scene. The teenager has been formally identified and her family are being supported by specially trained officers, GMP said. The scene in Stalybridge, Tameside, today, after the body of a 14-year-old girl was recovered from the water overnight Inquiries continue, but officers from Tameside Criminal Investigation Department said at this stage they are confident there are no suspicious circumstances, and a file is being prepared for the coroner.Detective Inspector Steven Horton said: 'Yesterday evening's events are nothing short of devastating and my thoughts are with the friends and family of the young girl who lost her life in such awful circumstances. Flowers at the scene in Stalybridge, Tameside, today'We are doing all we can to support the girl's family at this incredibly difficult time, and we are focused on ensuring they get the answers they deserve as to how this tragedy occurred.'From our inquiries so far, we are confident that there are no suspicious circumstances and that this is such a sad reminder of the dangers of entering open water, whatever the weather. 'We remind the public to avoid being tempted to cool off in reservoirs, rivers, canals or ponds. 'We all want to enjoy the warm weather - please make sure you do so in a safe way. Think of your family, look out for your friends.' Fire crews at the scene in Stalybridge yesterday eveningShe added: 'It's going to take sustained rain to replenish the supplies we actually use, which are the aquifers and the managed storage in our reservoirs.'The Environment Agency had ten flood alerts in place for England today, including two on the north Norfolk coast, four in Derbyshire, three in Nottinghamshire and another in Leicestershire. There were also 16 flood alerts from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, covering the likes of Aberdeenshire, Skye and the Scottish Borders.The heavy downpours over a short period will not soak into the earth – baked almost as hard as concrete by the heat – and are instead flooding streets in towns and cities. The Met Office warned that people who live in 'low-lying properties' should make sure their valuable items are 'ready to go', or 'on a higher level of your house', due to the current high flood risk.Speaking to Sky News this morning, Met Office meteorologist Clare Nasir said: 'For low-lying properties, which perhaps have been built on a floodplain, yes, there is a risk of flooding in properties.'Get all your documents, whether it's your mobile phone, your passport, etc, all those things you don't want to be damaged by floodwater and make sure they're ready to go or on a higher level of your house'.She added that the downpours overnight and into this morning are 'the wrong kind of rain which we need for the ground', as the ground is too hard to absorb it.'What we're looking for is sort of continuous rain, moderate rain, rather than this incredibly intense burst, which currently is moving up across more southern areas of England. So we're not out of the woods yet.'And London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: 'I have written to tens of thousands of Londoners who live in homes that could be affected by flash flooding. 'My message to Londoners is to please contact Floodline, go to your local authority's website to see what you can do to reduce the chances of you being flooded and also to minimise the consequences on you.'Referencing flash floods last July – when two months' worth of rain fell in two hours – he added: 'We learned a lot from last year [when] people's homes, businesses and public transport were flooded.'Patrick Goulbourne, the London Fire Brigade's Assistant Commissioner, added: 'It is really important that Londoners – particularly those living in basement properties – are prepared and know what to do should a flood occur.'Pay attention to weather alerts and prepare a flood kit or grab bag. People can use sandbags to limit the water flow and move belongings to a higher level.'A flooding 'grab bag' should contain insurance and other important documents, mobile phones and chargers, emergency cash, and any medication, according to the National Flood Forum charity.For parents with young children, it should also include nappies, a favourite toy, clothing, wipes, milk and baby food.In Cornwall yesterday, motorists battled their way through flooded roads including in Truro, while shoppers in the North West prepared for up to two inches of rain. Another video showed floodwater running down a steep street in the Devon village of Clovelly.In Dorset – which saw thousands of sunseekers on the seafront over the weekend – beaches were almost deserted.The National Flood Forum warned today that the UK is still 'reactive and not proactive' about flood risk even though flooding has become a 'regular pattern' for the country,Speaking to Nick Ferarri on LBC this morning, Heather Shepherd said: 'Flooding has definitely increased and certainly the length of time that I've been working in flood risk, and we see it now as a regular pattern, don't we, every year.'However, she added: 'I still think we are quite reactive and not proactive. As soon as it's not in the headlines, flooding, we tend to be a bit too laid back.' A tractor works to clear A358 in Somerset today after it was closed at Combe Florey following the mudslide last nightWorkers have had to remove more than 50 tonnes of mud and potatoes today following the mudslide on the A358 in Somerset A tractor works to clear A358 in Somerset today after it was closed at Combe Florey following the mudslide last night Emergency services workers at the scene of the A358 mudslide in Somerset today amid the torrential rain and thunderstorms ) Pedestrians shelter under umbrellas in Westminster during heavy rain this afternoon following the prolonged dry spell A woman looks across to the Houses of Parliament while shielding under an umbrella during a rain shower in London todayMs Shepherd expressed concern about the Government's 'cost criteria' regarding the accessibility of funding for flooded communities, saying: 'There are people, particularly in rural and deprived areas, that repeatedly are flooded and can't access any funding to do anything about that.' Now a drought is also declared in YorkshireA drought has been declared in Yorkshire, the Environment Agency has said.The region joins eight areas of England which were moved into drought status last Friday.The last drought in Yorkshire was in autumn 2018.Baitings Reservoir in Ripponden, West Yorkshire, where water levels are significantly low, is pictured last FridayVictoria Slingsby, environment planning and engagement manager for the Environment Agency in Yorkshire, said: 'The high temperatures we are experiencing have exacerbated pressures on wildlife and our water environment in Yorkshire. 'These extreme weather conditions become more likely with climate change.'We are experiencing some much-needed rain this week, but it will not be enough to correct weeks of dry weather, and it will take more prolonged rainfall to wet up soils and replenish rivers, reservoirs and groundwater levels.'It's important for everyone to manage the amount of water they are using in this exceptionally dry period.'She also warned that 'building like mad everywhere' was increasing flood risk, as 'a lot of that is on places where water had space and it no longer has. It overwhelms our drainage infrastructure. And we're seeing more and more urban flooding'.Last week a drought was declared in eight areas of England including Devon and Cornwall, Kent and south London.Several water firms – including Welsh Water, Southern Water and South East Water – have already imposed hosepipe bans to tackle the shortage.South West Water was the latest company to announce restrictions in Cornwall which will kick in on August 23.Yorkshire Water's ban will start on August 26 and Thames Water has said it is planning one but has not confirmed the date.A £1,000 fine could be imposed on anyone who breaks the ban but water companies have not said if they have pressed for prosecutions in the past. Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said that thunderstorms and heavy rain is likely to hit parts of Scotland as well as areas of the South West and East of England.He added that up to two inches of rainfall – almost a month's worth of rain – could fall in just three hours in some parts.He added: 'That being said, it is quite hard to pinpoint exactly where these thunderstorms will crop up. Some areas will miss the showers completely.'But, where they do come down, there could be some impacts like surface water flooding – with the rain obviously hitting dry land –travel disruption and power cuts affecting homes and businesses.'And Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said: 'Temperatures will be lower, looking at highs of around 27C as a maximum temperature, but it will still be on the humid side (today).'Thundery showers across central and southern parts of England on Wednesday and temperatures will be around 26C as a maximum.'Mr Dewhurst warned that the bad weather conditions could pose difficulties for those hoping to travel and urged people to stay up to date with developments in their local area.'We'll see some very heavy showers develop over the coming days, hail, frequent lightning, some flash flooding is possible like we've seen in places today so our advice is to stay tuned to latest forecasts and local radio stations as well, to get the latest information,' he said.'It is worth being aware that there could be disruptions or delays to travel.'People walk through London near Tower Bridge in the rain this morning as the capital is hit by downpours Two people look at Tower Bridge in the rain under an umbrella this morning as downpours return to the capital People walk through London near Tower Bridge in the rain this morning as the capital is hit by downpours An autumnal feel to Hyde Park in London this morning as the heatwave finally ends with a series of thunderstormsHe added: 'It will be in turns fairly breezy as we end the week, with some showery rain, particularly across the north of the UK, so temperatures generally around average for many but could possibly be a bit above for the far south, which is the mid-20s. Now London is set for a hosepipe ban: Thames Water will tell 15million people not to water gardens or wash their cars in days - bringing UK total to 24million The year's biggest hosepipe ban yet is set to be confirmed for London and the Thames Valley later this week, before coming into force from next week – affecting 15million people across the Thames Water region.Thames Water had already warned last week that it was planning a ban in the 'coming weeks', and this is now set to be confirmed by the end of this week. It will be the year's biggest temporary usage ban so far in population size.Meanwhile another hosepipe ban was announced yesterday, with Cornwall and parts of Devon becoming the next area of the UK to face temporary restrictions when South West Water brings in the policy in a week's time.Four water companies – Manx Water, Welsh Water, Southern Water and South East Water - have already imposed bans, while Yorkshire Water said one will start on August 26. It comes after a drought was declared for parts of England following the driest summer for 50 years that has almost completely deprived some areas of rainfall.The hosepipe bans will soon cover a total of more than 24million people - including 5million in Yorkshire (Yorkshire Water) 2.2million in Kent and Sussex (South East Water), around 1million in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight (Southern Water), another 1million in Cornwall and part of Devon (South West Water), 200,000 in Pembrokeshire and a small part of Carmarthenshire (Welsh Water) and 80,000 on the Isle of Man (Manx Water). South West Water yesterday announced that it will be imposing its own 'temporary use ban' restrictions from midnight on August 23, with bosses saying this will be the firm's first ban in more than a quarter of a century.The ban means customers cannot use any hosepipe including sprinklers, dripper hoses and automatic irrigation systems for watering the garden or plants; cleaning a car, walls, paths or patios; or filling a pool, pond or fountain.However they can still do any of these activities if they use mains water from a bucket or watering can, or use water that is not sourced from the mains such as greywater or rainwater from a water butt through a hosepipe.'It looks probably most likely from late Wednesday to Thursday onwards it will become fresher for everyone.'Professor Hannah Cloke, an expert in hydrology at the University of Reading, warned that the parched soil increased the risk of 'dangerous' flooding.She said: 'The ground is really dry and when it is so dry it acts a little bit like concrete and that water can't get in so it drains straight off. There is the damage to homes and businesses these floods can cause, and inconvenience with transport disruptions –but if it is very heavy in one place it can also be very dangerous.'On how it could affect cities like London, she said: 'If you get heavy rain in a city, the drainage system can cope up to a point. But if there is really heavy rain it can overwhelm the system – the rain cannot run away quick enough.'Water tends to find the lowest pathway – that is why it is so dangerous for cities with these surface area floods. That is why it is of concern to the Tube and underground car parks and things like that.''If we are in London and the parks are really, really dry, there is nowhere for the water to run so it is exacerbating the risks we already have in cities.'In rural areas, Professor Cloke said flooding often hits low points in roads and under bridges.Also today, Ofwat chief executive David Black has defended targets set for water companies as 'challenging but achievable'.Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme and asked if the targets set for leaks are tough enough, Mr Black said: 'Yes, we set challenging but achievable targets for water companies, leakage being one of them.'So at the last price review we challenged the sector to reduce leakage by 16 per cent and the latest information we have shows that 13 out of 17 companies (are) on track to deliver that in the first two years.'He added: 'I can point elsewhere in the (targets) regime where fewer companies are succeeding, so for example on pollution incidence less companies are successful.'So we have set challenging targets and in fact at the last price review four out of 17 companies appealed our determination. So they thought the determination was too tough, and one of their contentions was that the targets were too challenging.'Mr Black also said that overall, the water supplier sector 'has underperformed against the price review'.He told the BBC: 'Where companies are falling short on leakage they will incur penalties on that. It may be that they are outperforming the regime elsewhere. But overall the sector as a whole has underperformed against the price review thus far into the period.'Mr Black added: 'So far to date the sector hasn't succeeded in earning the - if you like - these standard rates of return.'He said: 'We certainly agree that customers should get better service and expect better service and that's why we have set performance targets that aim in every case to drive better performance from companies.'There are some companies like Thames Water which have been repeated poor performers and we have taken action against them and other companies.'Asked if he thinks there is nothing wrong with the system, Mr Black said: 'No, I think that companies like Thames and Southern really need to up their game. I think it's very concerning that other companies that may be performing better in the sector it casts a long shadow when we see poor performance.' | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Americans are changing their views on the need for climate change action as severe weather events caused by global warming are landing in their backyards with more frequency, according to a new report.The vast majority of adults in the U.S. have reported being personally affected by extreme weather events in recent years, according to new research released Tuesday by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.Of the more than 2,600 Americans polled earlier this year, 78% reported experiencing severe events -- such as heat waves, freezing cold temperatures, hurricanes, major flooding and wildfires -- in the past five years.Of the group that reported being personally affected by severe weather, 24% reported experiencing serious health problems as a result of those extreme weather events, with 51% being of Native American descent, 31% Latino, 30% Asian, 29% Black and 18% white, according to the report.The fire is still burning in the hills and mountain above the scorched areas burnt by the Sheep Fire near Wrightwood, Calif., June 13, 2022.Etienne Laurent/EPA-EFE/ShuttersThe research shows that communities of color, lower-income communities and residents in rural areas feel the harmful effects of extreme weather and climate change "first and worst," epidemiologist Alonzo Plough, vicepresident of research, evaluation and learning at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, told ABC News."The health impacts that are happening, they're immediate, and they're getting worse," Plough said, adding that the "major mechanism" is the extreme weather events.Health issues people are experiencing range from heat changing the ecological zones of certain vectors, which then infect and spread among new populations, or exacerbating the presence of particulate matter, making air quality and living conditions worse for those with asthma, Plough said. In the West, it's drought and heat. In Texas, it's "incredible" heat. On the Gulf and East coasts, hurricanes will become more of a threat.All of these regions are experiencing weather and climate events that are "very, very different from the historic pattern," Plough said."The fact that large percentages of Americans in many different parts of the country are beginning to see this relationship between climate change and extreme weather events and their health and well-being -- that's a very important shift," Plough said. "We talk about climate change and health as an amplifier of some of the structural inequities that plagued the nation in terms of unequal health outcomes."Car line up at a Shell gas station in Miami, June 17, 2022.Marta Lavandier/APOf those who reported being affected by severe weather events, 17% reported serious financial problems as a result, according to the report. Of those who experienced financial problems, 14% reported having to evacuate their homes, and 14% reported major home or property damage.Another issue is that, for most households that have had either serious financial problems, or who have had major property damage after extreme weather, most households either do not have renters or homeowners insurance, and those who do reported that insurance did not cover most of the costs of repairs, or most of their losses, Mary G. Findling, assistant director of the Harvard Opinion Research Program at the university's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told ABC News.Also among the households that experienced extreme weather events in recent years, 37% reported now seeing climate change in the U.S. as a "crisis" and 40% now see it as a "major problem."The polling shows that Americans who have personally experienced the effects of climate change support government action to combat global warming at higher rates, including enacting policies for stricter federal fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks, regulations to make the electricity grid more resistant to extreme weather, increased state government spending to prepare for future weather disasters and lower support for the federal government allowing more oil drilling aimed to lower future gas prices, according to the report."There's unbelievable support," Robert J. Blendon, co-director of the survey and political analysis emeritus at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public, told ABC News. "People are saying, 'Please spend money and protect my area, geographically, whatever can be done in the future.'"The sun sets behind EV charging stations in Leonia, N.J.,June 17, 2022.View Press/Corbis via Getty ImagesPrior to the survey, little was known about the views and attitudes of people who experienced an extreme weather event over the past five years, Blendon said.The findings are alarming because not only do they show that climate change is already here, but the experiences people have as a result of an increased frequency of extreme weather events -- especially those in low-income communities -- will continue to get worse, Findling said."We've seen that the human toll is already much bigger than than we expected it to be," Findling said. "We would only expect that to get worse and to widen in the future, as this happens to more people."ABC News' Tracy Wholf contributed to this report. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Risk management strategies for floods and drought may not reduce the effects of unprecedented extreme weather events as they become more frequent due to climate change, researchers are warning.In the past, even with effective risk management efforts that reduced global vulnerability to floods and drought, the regions affected still suffered dire consequences, researchers at the German Research Center for Geosciences stated in a study published Wednesday in Nature.Those events are already increasing in severity in many parts of the world. If the planet warms by 2 degrees Celsius since the Industrial Revolution started, the worst-case scenario presented in the Paris Agreement and many climate change studies, flooding events may double globally and even triple in some places, according to the study.The planet has already warmed a little more than 1 degree Celsius, according to scientists.The researchers analyzed a dataset of 45 pairs of flood or drought events that occurred in the same area at different time points -- about 16 years apart on average -- and found that, in general, risk management reduced the impact of floods and drought.Susana Segura, with Bread and Blankets Mutual Aid, gives out water, bananas and hats to ward off the sun to unhoused people and others in need during a heat advisory in San Antonio, July 21, 2022.Lisa Krantz/ReutersHowever, when the events were at magnitudes that have not been previously experienced, the effectiveness of the risk management strategies may not as successful, regardless of the approaches taken and whether they had worked in the past, the researchers found.This may be due to aging infrastructure that was designed to manage a hazard much less menacing than the extreme weather events that are occurring today, such as levees or water reservoirs being exceeded, according to the study.A person fills an ice chest with neighbors outside of their family's home on July 21, 2022 in Houston.Brandon Bell/Getty ImagesIn addition, flaws to human risk perception, especially for rare extreme events, might hinder efforts to anticipate them and lessen their effects, the researchers said.In the past two weeks, the U.S. has experienced heat waves in regions that had rarely reached triple-digit temperatures, such as the Pacific Northwest, and back-to-back devastating flooding events in regions that are not built or equipped to handle such an influx of precipitation that modern day storm systems are carrying, such as the record flooding that occurred in Missouri and the catastrophic flooding that claimed dozens of lives in eastern Kentucky.The researchers did note successful responses from two events in which the second event was more hazardous but the effects were less than those of the first event -- flooding in Barcelona in 1995 and 2018 and Danube catchment floods in Austria and Germany in 2002 and 2013.They hypothesized that the lessened damage from the second event was due to improved risk management investment and integrated management approaches, which then led to improved early warning and emergency responses.Members of the Tennessee Task Force One search and rescue team wade through the debris-filled Troublesome Creek, after a search dog detected the scent of a potential victim in Perry County, Kentucky, on July 31, 2022.Jeff Faughender/USA Today Network via ReutersThe findings highlight the difficulty of managing such extreme events as warming global temperatures increase the frequency and intensity of not just floods and drought but storm systems and wildfires as well, the researchers said.The successful responses can serve as an example for risk management efforts for future unprecedented weather events, the authors concluded. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
France was bracing on Monday for the peak of the heatwave gripping the country, with crushing temperatures expected from the Mediterranean, as wildfires continued to rage across Europe. Forecasters have put 15 departments in France on the highest state of alert for extreme temperatures, including Gironde in the south-west, where wildfires have already wrought havoc.It comes as firefighters battled to contain blazes across south-west Europe on Sunday as a heatwave showed no sign of abating, and Britain was poised to set new temperature records this coming week.Blazes in France, Greece, Portugal and Spain have destroyed thousands of hectares of land and forced thousands of residents and holidaymakers to flee.It is the second heatwave to engulf parts of Europe in weeks. Scientists blame climate change and predict more frequent and intense episodes of extreme weather such as heatwaves and drought.In France in the Landes forest, in the south-west Aquitaine region, temperatures would be above 42C (107F), according to forecaster Olivier Proust.And Brittany, which until recently has escaped the worst of the heat, could register temperatures as high as 40C (104F), say experts, which would be a record for the region.By late Sunday, the fires in Gironde, which have been raging since Tuesday, had already destroyed 13,000 hectares (32,000 acres), driven by high winds and forcing the evacuation of 16,200 holidaymakers, fire service officials said.Black smoke rise from wildfires in Landiras, France. Photograph: Jérôme Gilles/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock – The blaze at the Teste-de-Buch forest in south-western France had arrived at the beach and was moving south, the local prefecture said. Video shot by people at the scene showed the massive fire consuming the beach at La Lagune, near the famous the Dune of Pilat – Europe’s tallest sand dune.France’s interior ministry announced it was sending three more firefighting aircraft to reinforce the six already operating in the region, as well as 200 more firefighters and more equipment.But the crews fighting the blaze will have to contend with soaring temperatures on Monday. It is one of the regions on a “red alert” heatwave warning.“In certain zones in the south-west, it will be an apocalypse of heat,” forecaster Francois Gourand of Meteo-France told AFP.Temperatures across France are expected to be over 30C (86F) but between 38 and 40 degrees in the western half of the country.Officials in several regions, meanwhile, have also issued pollution alerts because of the high concentrations of ozone.French cyclist Mikael Cherel, taking part in the Tour de France’s 15th stage between Rodez and Carcassonne in southern France on Sunday, described “very, very difficult conditions”.“I’ve never known such a hot day on a bike. It really was no picnic.”Blazes rage near Landiras in south-western France on Sunday. Photograph: APIn Spain, authorities reported about 20 wildfires still raging out of control in different parts of the country from the south to Galicia in the far north-west, where blazes have destroyed about 4,500 hectares of land.The fires have already killed several emergency personnel since last week, most recently a firefighter who died late on Sunday while battling a blaze in the country’s north-west.Firefighters managed to stabilise a wildfire that ravaged 2,000 hectares of woods and bushes in the southern region of Andalusia, regional leader Juan Manuel Moreno said.The blaze started on Friday in the Mijas mountain range inland from the southern coastal city of Málaga and it spurred the evacuation of about 3,000 people.About 2,000 people had since returned home and now that the blaze has stabilised, Moreno said the remaining evacuees may do the same.A firefighter died from burns on Sunday while battling a blaze in Spain’s northwestern province of Zamora, the regional government said.Firefighters battle blazes in Catalonia, Spain. Photograph: Eric Renom/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/ShutterstockSpanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his “condolences and affection” to the man’s family and colleagues.“There are no words to express thanks to those who fight fires without rest for their immense work. RIP,” he added in a tweet.Sanchez is due to visit the hard-hit eastern region of Extremadura on Monday where various fires have been raging for days.The firefighter’s death comes after a pilot was killed last week when his plane crashed in northern Portugal, and two crew members died in Greece when their helicopter fell into the sea.The extreme heat also claimed the lives of two men in Spain over the weekend.A 50-year-old man in Torrejon de Ardoz just outside Madrid died on Sunday after suffering heatstroke while out for a walk, local emergency services said.And on Saturday, a 60-year-old street cleaner in Madrid died after suffering heatstroke while working the previous day.In Portugal, almost the entire country remained on high alert for wildfires despite a slight drop in temperatures, after hitting 47C - a record for the month of July - on Thursday.Only one major fire was burning on Sunday in the north.The fires have killed two, injured about 60 and destroyed between 12,000 and 15,000 hectares of land in Portugal.In the United Kingdom, the weather office issued a first-ever “red” warning for extreme heat, cautioning there was a “risk to life”.The Met Office said temperatures in southern England could exceed 40C on Monday or Tuesday for the first time, leading some schools to say they would stay closed next week.Organisers of a four-day march in the Netherlands cancelled the first day of the mass event due to start on Tuesday because of extreme heat.The mercury is set to reach 38C in parts of the Netherlands on Tuesday.Agence France-Presse contributed to this report | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Biden senior adviser defended the president prioritizing his climate agenda on Wednesday's "Special Report," claiming extreme weather is going to "get worse before it gets better unless we take significant action."MITCH LANDRIEU: First of all, you don't get to pick the controversies that are in front of you. The president has to deal with a lot of things at one time. It's not now, it's been with us for quite a long time. Today, 100 million people in the United States of America, if you go outside are suffering from extreme heat. If you think about the wildfires that are coursing across the west, the hurricanes, we're in hurricane season in the southern part of the country, the tornadoes. I think everybody knows that we have a challenge with the consequences of extreme weather. And this is not going to go away. It's going to get worse before it gets better unless we take significant action. And I think the president basically was uttering today that he's going to use the power that's vested in him and the presidency to actually do what needs to be done if Congress will not act or won't act as soon as he thinks they should. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP …Prices in the country are the number one problem, and inflation and the president knows that and he works on that every day. Secondly, the president has been working very hard on crime and is going to talk about this extensively again for the third or fourth time in the last couple of weeks and is working on that. But he's the president and he has to work on everything. If you ask people about climate, that's one thing. But if you ask them about the hurricane that's barreling down on them, the wildfire that's about to bring that home, the heat that's exhausting them and their families, they'll say, you know what, we've got a real problem and we have to fix that, too. And so the president is the president of everybody in America, and he's the president of all the issues, and he's got to deal with them.WATCH THE FULL SEGMENT BELOW: This article was written by Fox News staff. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Local resident Rapuma Tuqio, 67, looks out at seawater flooding around his home at high tide in Veivatuloa Village, Fiji, July 16, 2022. He has lived in the village for around 20 years, including 12 or 13 years in that seaside home. REUTERS/Loren Elliott Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSERUA, Fiji, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Boats moor next to living rooms on Fiji's Serua Island, where water breaches the seawall at high tide, flooding into the village. Planks of wood stretch between some homes, forming a makeshift walkway as saltwater inundates gardens.Village elders always believed they would die here on prized land where their chiefs are buried.But as the community runs out of ways to adapt to the rising Pacific Ocean, the 80 villagers face the painful decision whether to move.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSemisi Madanawa, raising three children who wade through playgrounds, says that given the flooding, erosion and exposure to extreme weather, the village may have to relocate to Fiji's main island to secure a future for the next generation.Village elders are resisting, wondering if land reclamation might stop the sea from taking Serua Island's homes and ancestral burial sites, he says."It takes time for an idea to settle in the hearts of us human beings so we can accept the changes that are coming," says Madanawa, 38. "Climate change is happening and we need to make a decision."Serua Island is one of many coastal villages making difficult decisions about their future, seeking government assistance for expensive projects to adapt or move, say Fiji government officials.Leaders of 15 low-lying Pacific island nations declared climate change their "single greatest existential threat" at a mid-July summit in Fiji's capital, Suva. read more Facing some of the most direct effects of climate change, they want developed nations, who contributed the most to global warming, not only to curb their emissions but to pay for the steps that islanders must take to protect their people from rising sea levels. The push has become a key battle at United Nations climate conferences.Building seawalls, planting mangroves and improving drainage are no longer enough to save villages in many cases, says Shivanal Kumar, a climate-change adaptation specialist in Fiji's economy ministry."A lot of communities are in genuine crisis, they've been trying to survive," he says. "The impacts of climate change have been felt for many years and there came a time where they gave up and said it's now time to move."Relocation aims to preserve human rights by protecting people from rising seas, bigger storm surges and more extreme cyclones, Kumar says.But the funds pledged by developed nations at U.N. climate conferences do not cover relocation, only adaptation, such as building a seawall, officials say.At last year's global climate conference, called COP26, developed nations agreed only to keep talking about compensation for the unavoidable impacts of climate change, including migration, suffered by vulnerable societies.The Pacific leaders at their summit called for developed nations to show meaningful progress at COP27 on a new goal - swift funding for such "loss and damage".The president of COP26, British politician Alok Sharma, said in Suva on Wednesday he understood the disappointment of Pacific villagers on the front line of climate change."You are forced to deal with the consequences of greenhouse gas emissions generated largely by the biggest emitting countries, who are a long way from here. This is not a crisis of your making," he said in a speech."We are going to have to find a way of having a substantive discussion on loss and damage at COP27."Fiji, an archipelago of hundreds of islands some 2,000 km (1,200 miles) north of New Zealand, in 2014 became the first Pacific island nation to relocate a community because of rising sea levels.Six villages have moved or plan to with government support, but a new process to prioritise the most urgent relocations is still under development.A further 795 will need to move, says climate youth activist Salote Nasalo, who says she loses sleep thinking about where they can go. Pacific youth will continue protesting against inaction on financing by the big emitters, says Nasolo, a University of South Pacific student.The first community to relocate was Vunidogoloa, after villagers invited officials to see how they lived with water up to their knees. Saltwater had destroyed the ability of the 150 residents to grow crops, taking away livelihoods and food security, says former village headman Sailosi Ramatu.In the new village 1.5 km (1 mile) inland on Vanua Levu Island, children now sit outside their homes, dry feet planted firmly on the ground.Ramatu, 63, says it took time to persuade the elders to move, but the village came together and listened to experts."We can also make a decision in the world if the leaders come together," he says. "They should help us, they should pay for our loss and damage."Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Kirsty Needham in Suva and Loren Elliott in Serua; Writing by Kirsty Needham; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
A day after a “1-in-1,000-year” storm dumped up to 15 inches of rain in Dallas, triggering flash floods that submerged vehicles along a highway and left at least one person dead, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday said that the state is prepared to handle “extreme weather.”But he wouldn’t use the term climate change.At a press conference alongside Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson and other city officials, Abbott was pressed by a reporter about the impact climate change is having on Texas, including record heat, wildfires and historic drought.“At what point do you ever discuss or have a conversation about climate change?” the reporter asked.“So we have constant conversations about what we categorize as extreme weather,” Abbott replied. “We are dealing with more extreme weather patterns.”Abbott noted the period between April through the end of July was the hottest on record in the history of Texas, and said that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which operates the state’s power grid, was able to handle it.Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas at a news conference in Dallas on Tuesday. (Shelby Tauber/Bloomberg via Getty Images)“They were able to deal with a dozen record usage demands with ease,” he said.“We’re constantly looking at what extreme weather may lead to, whether it be power demand, extreme heat, extreme cold, heavy water or even drought,” the governor added. “We constantly focus on issues related to extreme weather, and we want to be prepared for whatever type of weather may be coming our way.”"Can you even say climate change?" the reporter asked.Abbott did not respond.An abandoned car sits in floodwaters on a highway in Dallas on Monday. (AP Photo/LM Otero)Despite the governor’s assertions, ERCOT has not always been ready to handle the extreme weather stemming from climate change.In February 2021, when extremely cold temperatures arrived in much of Texas, the utility was unable to keep pace with surging demand.“Nearly 4 million Texas customers — representing more than 11 million people — lost power during the Arctic blast,” as 38 of Texas’ 176 gas processing plants shut down due to weather conditions, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas reported. Hundreds of Texans died from lack of access to heat or water.More intense cold spells are, counterintuitively, an effect of climate change. A paper published in the journal Science last year found that climate change is leading to more extreme winter weather in the United States because Arctic warming distorts the jet stream, a band of air flowing west to east, and the polar vortex, a wintertime area of cold air near the North Pole. When the jet stream dips further south than is normal, it brings unusually cold air to places like Texas, scientists say. That’s also why Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina experienced an unusual snow and ice storm, causing blackouts, this January.Texas is also suffering from more extreme summer heat waves. On one day in July, over a dozen municipalities in Texas set record-high temperatures, some reaching 113 degrees. That event was caused by a “heat dome,” another consequence of jet stream disruption. Essentially, it is the inverse of what happens in the winter: In such cases, the jet stream moves unusually far northward.Much of the state, like the rest of the West, is in the throes of an epic drought.A buoy normally used to mark "No Wake" zones sits on dry land on June 18 at Medina Lake near San Antonio, Texas, amid a severe drought. (Jordan Vonderhaar/Reuters)“Texans across the state are facing water restrictions as the state experiences its worst drought since 2011,” the Texas Tribune reported last Friday. “Almost the entire state of Texas is experiencing a severe level of drought, and only a few corners of the state, such as El Paso, are not ‘abnormally dry’ amid this year’s particularly hot summer.”Climate change is causing more frequent and severe droughts, because warmer air causes more evaporation and reduces the reserve water held in snowpack.Climate change is also partially responsible for the recent spate of overwhelming rains. Since climate change disrupts the water cycle and pushes precipitation to extremes — both to drought and to more intense storms —Texas is the fourth state in recent weeks to experience a rainfall event that would normally only occur once every 1,000 years. Within the last month, southern Illinois received 8 to 12 inches of rain in 12 hours, record-breaking rainfall caused flash flooding in the St. Louis area and parts of eastern Kentucky were flooded after receiving as much as 14 inches of rain.Academic studies have shown that extreme rainfall and flooding will become more frequent and severe if climate change continues to worsen. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Published June 15, 2022 8:52AM Updated 9:19AM Bridge Swept Away as Severe Flooding Hits Yellowstone National Park A bridge on the Yellowstone River in Montana was swept away as severe flooding from "unprecedented rainfall" caused the waterway to rage. (Credit: Ryan Schrope via Storyful) The forces of fire and ice shaped Yellowstone National Park over thousands of years. It took decades longer for humans to tame it enough for tourists to visit, often from the comfort of their cars. In just days, heavy rain and rapid snowmelt caused a dramatic flood that may forever alter the human footprint on the park's terrain and the communities that have grown around it. The historic floodwaters that raged through Yellowstone this week, tearing out bridges and pouring into nearby homes, pushed a popular fishing river off course — possibly permanently — and may force roadways nearly torn away by torrents of water to be rebuilt in new places. RELATED: Yellowstone National Park: 10K evacuate as floods wash away homes, bridges "The landscape literally and figuratively has changed dramatically in the last 36 hours," said Bill Berg, a commissioner in nearby Park County. "A little bit ironic that this spectacular landscape was created by violent geologic and hydrologic events, and it’s just not very handy when it happens while we’re all here settled on it." In this aerial view, flooding is seen on June 14, 2022 in Livingston, Montana. The Yellowstone River hit has a historic high flow from rain and snow melt from the mountains in and around Yellowstone National Park. (William Campbell/Getty Images) The unprecedented flooding drove more than 10,000 visitors out of the nation’s oldest national park and damaged hundreds of homes in nearby communities, though remarkably no was reported hurt or killed. The only visitors left in the massive park straddling three states were a dozen campers still making their way out of the backcountry. The park could remain closed as long as a week, and northern entrances may not reopen this summer, Superintendent Cam Sholly said. "I’ve heard this is a 1,000-year event, whatever that means these days. They seem to be happening more and more frequently," he said. RELATED: Major flooding, rockslides force closure of all entrances to Yellowstone National Park Sholly noted some weather forecasts include the possibility of additional flooding this weekend. Days of rain and rapid snowmelt wrought havoc across parts of southern Montana and northern Wyoming, where it washed away cabins, swamped small towns and knocked out power. It hit the park as a summer tourist season that draws millions of visitors was ramping up during its 150th anniversary year. Businesses in hard-hit Gardiner had just started really recovering from the tourism contraction brought by the coronavirus pandemic, and were hoping for a good year, Berg said. "It’s a Yellowstone town, and it lives and dies by tourism, and this is going to be a pretty big hit," he said. "They’re looking to try to figure out how to hold things together." RELATED: Yellowstone closed after historic floods; some areas cut off Some of the worst damage happened in the northern part of the park and Yellowstone’s gateway communities in southern Montana. National Park Service photos of northern Yellowstone showed a mudslide, washed out bridges and roads undercut by churning floodwaters of the Gardner and Lamar rivers. In Red Lodge, a town of 2,100 that’s a popular jumping-off point for a scenic route into the Yellowstone high country, a creek running through town jumped its banks and swamped the main thoroughfare, leaving trout swimming in the street a day later under sunny skies. Residents described a harrowing scene where the water went from a trickle to a torrent over just a few hours.The water toppled telephone poles, knocked over fences and carved deep fissures in the ground through a neighborhood of hundreds of houses. Electricity was restored by Tuesday, but there was still no running water in the affected neighborhood. Heidi Hoffman left early Monday to buy a sump pump in Billings, but by the time she returned her basement was full of water. "We lost all our belongings in the basement," Hoffman said as the pump removed a steady stream of water into her muddy backyard. "Yearbooks, pictures, clothes, furniture. Were going to be cleaning up for a long time." At least 200 homes were flooded in Red Lodge and the town of Fromberg. The flooding came as the Midwest and East Coast sizzle from a heat wave and other parts of the West burn from an early wildfire season amid a persistent drought that has increased the frequency and intensity of fires. Smoke from a fire in the mountains of Flagstaff, Arizona, could be seen in Colorado. While the flooding hasn't been directly attributed to climate change, Rick Thoman, a climate specialist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, said a warming environment makes extreme weather events more likely than they would have been "without the warming that human activity has caused." "Will Yellowstone have a repeat of this in five or even 50 years? Maybe not, but somewhere will have something equivalent or even more extreme," he said. Heavy rain on top of melting mountain snow pushed the Yellowstone, Stillwater and Clarks Fork rivers to record levels Monday and triggered rock and mudslides, according to the National Weather Service. The Yellowstone River at Corwin Springs topped a record set in 1918. Yellowstone's northern roads may remain impassable for a substantial length of time. The flooding affected the rest of the park, too, with park officials warning of yet higher flooding and potential problems with water supplies and wastewater systems at developed areas. The rains hit just as area hotels filled up in recent weeks with summer tourists. More than 4 million visitors were tallied by the park last year. The wave of tourists doesn’t abate until fall, and June is typically one of Yellowstone’s busiest months.Mark Taylor, owner and chief pilot of Rocky Mountain Rotors, said his company had airlifted about 40 paying customers over the past two days from Gardiner, including two women who were "very pregnant." Taylor spoke as he ferried a family of four adults from Texas, who wanted to do some more sightseeing before heading home. "I imagine they’re going to rent a car and they’re going to go check out some other parts of Montana — somewhere drier," he said. At a cabin in Gardiner, Parker Manning of Terre Haute, Indiana, got an up-close view of the roiling Yellowstone River floodwaters just outside his door. Entire trees and even a lone kayaker streamed by. In early evening, he shot video as the waters ate away at the opposite bank where a large brown house that had been home to park employees before they were evacuated was precariously perched. In a large cracking sound heard over the river's roar, the house tipped into the waters and was pulled into the current. Sholly said it floated 5 miles (8 kilometers) before sinking. The towns of Cooke City and Silvergate, just east of the park, were also isolated by floodwaters, which also made drinking water unsafe. People left a hospital and low-lying areas in Livingston. In south-central Montana, 68 people at a campground were rescued by raft after flooding on the Stillwater River. Some roads in the area were closed and residents were evacuated. In the hamlet of Nye, at least four cabins washed into the Stillwater River, said Shelley Blazina, including one she owned."It was my sanctuary," she said Tuesday. "Yesterday I was in shock. Today I’m just in intense sadness." Whitehurst reported from Salt Lake City. Associated Press writers Amy Beth Hanson in Helena, Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska, R.J. Rico in Atlanta, and Brian Melley in Los Angeles contributed to this report. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Topline
Flash floods inundated St. Louis streets as the city broke the record for daily rainfall in just five hours Monday night, as the U.S. continues to experience extreme storms, heat, and fires throughout the country this summer. St. Louis broke century-old rainfall record between Monday night and Tuesday morning. (Photo by ... [+] Scott Olson/Getty Images) Getty Images Key Facts Between Monday night and Tuesday morning, St. Louis recorded over 8 inches of rain, breaking the previous August 1915 record of 6.85 inches and causing flash flood warnings and road closures, according to the National Weather Service. Meanwhile, hundreds of millions of Americans in dozens of states have been under heat warnings and advisories in recent weeks, with temperatures in the 90s in some eastern and southern cities over the weekend, following a separate bout of record-high temperatures in many American cities last month. Between 2,000 and 3,000 cattle in Kansas–the third-largest cattle producing state–died from excessive heat this week, Reuters reported Tuesday. Hot and dry temperatures have also helped fuel the Oak Fire near Yosemite National Park in California, which started Friday and has burned about 18,000 acres. KEY BACKGROUND
Some 33% of Americans told Gallup in April they’ve been impacted by extreme weather conditions in the last two years, as the country faced droughts, wildfires and major hurricanes. This summer, many states have recorded record-breaking heat. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports June was the 15th-warmest and 12th-driest June on record in the contiguous United States, tied with 1930, and 44.6% of the United States is under drought conditions this week. Most scientists believe human activity has led to a warming global climate as carbon dioxide emissions hasten the greenhouse effect, and fear that extreme weather will worsen if greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced. TANGENT
Other countries have also faced extreme weather in recent weeks. The U.K. recorded its hottest temperature ever (104.4 degrees Fahrenheit) earlier this month. In June, floodwaters hit a 50-year-high in the Chinese province of Guangdong, forcing hundreds of thousands of evacuations and killing just over 100.
FURTHER READING
Heat Wave Watch: Here’s Where It Will Be Dangerously Hot In The U.S. This Week (Forbes)
Week Of Heat: These Major Temperature Records Were Shattered In Scorching Heat Waves (Forbes) | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Hottest day on record: How did the UK cope? As the UK sweltered in a record-breaking heatwave this week, schools closed, runways melted and train tracks buckled.And on the day the country recorded a temperature above 40C for the first time, fires destroyed homes and buildings across Greater London. What more will need to be done so the country's infrastructure can cope in future heatwaves?On the Sky News Daily with Niall Paterson, our science correspondent Thomas Moore outlines how climate change will make our summers hotter, Kevin Groves, chief spokesperson for Network Rail, explains how the trains and tracks coped in the heat, and Stephen Arundell, vice-chair of the Emergency Planning Society, talks about how we should think about extreme weather events in future.Follow the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or Spreaker People urged to stop releasing Chinese Lanterns in Northamptonshire Residents in Northamptonshire have been urged to stop releasing floating lanterns this evening due to a "huge" fire risk.Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue released the message for those in the Earls Barton area after receiving "unbelievable" reports of the displays.It said: "These pose a HUGE fire risk all year round but tonight, it is quite frankly reckless and endangering life, wildlife, crops & property. PLEASE STOP!" It was like night fall at the Wennington fire By Laura Bundock, correspondentThe smoke could be seen for miles, growing thicker and darker as we approached Wennington.It was like night fall near the fire, with winds moving the flames at a terrifying speed. You could see the smoke spreading though fields, fuelled by brittle dry ground, which crunched underfoot.As the fire grew, we saw emergency services running through the village to evacuate homes.Lynn Sabberton lives with her husband who has COPD. Her neighbour knocked on their door and told them they had to leave. Lynn says she's still in shock, leaving without her medicines in the rush.One man told me he didn't know if his house had survived, and it was impossible to find out. If his whole home has gone, the heatwave has left him homeless.The local church is possibly destroyed. I met a man who said his mum was buried there and he couldn't find words to describe his sadness.We met other residents with livestock in the surrounding fields, desperately driving through to try and save them.The local pub is now a makeshift evacuation centre.Inside we found mum of two Blessing Egwame and her youngest, named Believe, just two months old. Blessing said she heard loud bangs outside and saw the police shouting out. She left so quickly she didn't even bring spare clothes for her baby.The police are counting residents inside the pub and offering help. Some have left for nearby hotels still unsure when they'll be back, and what they'll find when they return. Most startling UK heatwave pictures - from wildfires to warped roads and lightning As the temperature jumps above 40C for the first time, the country has been forced to adapt to the heat over the last few days.While some people have ventured out to enjoy it, many more have stayed indoors to shade away from the heat, while transport infrastructure buckles and grasslands burn.Below are the best pictures from up and down the UK as it records its highest ever temperature... Major incident stood down in Leicestershire Leicestershire Fire and Rescue has stood down a major incident in the region this evening.It said: "We are now standing down from a major incident. "We have sufficient level of resources back in the organisation to respond business as usual. "We would like to thank everyone for their support, it has been much appreciated."The major incident was declared this afternoon when demand for the fire service reached overwhelming levels due to the heatwave. Patel urges Britons to follow safety advice Home Secretary Priti Patel has paid tribute to fire services after the sweltering heat fuelled blazes across the UK.She said in a statement: "I have just been updated on the national fire situation. With dangerous fires burning across the country, I continue to urge the public to follow all safety advice from their local fire service, and stay safe."I pay tribute to the professionalism and skill of our fire services, who are working in difficult conditions to protect lives and communities."Please continue to follow all advice from your local emergency services." Human-caused climate change 'intensifying' UK heatwaves, expert says A climate professor has warned "human caused climate change is intensifying heatwaves, droughts and flooding events", amid what is likely to be a record-breaking day for heat in the UK tomorrow.Professor Richard Allan from the University of Reading says: "Heating from greenhouse gas emissions make the atmosphere warmer and more thirsty for water which can parch and scorch one region and deluge the larger amounts of moisture in storms elsewhere. "When weather patterns produce intense rainfall, droughts or heatwave events, like the one currently being experienced in the UK this July, the severity of these extremes are intensified by the human caused warming of climate."His colleague at Reading, Professor Hannah Clarke, a natural hazards researcher, adds: "This unprecedented red warning for extreme heat is a wake-up call about the climate emergency. "We have had heatwaves in the UK before, but the intensity of heat that has been forecast, which will either break UK records or at least get very close, is enough to kill people and animals, damage property, and hobble the economy."Even as a climate scientist who studies this stuff, this is scary. This feels real. At the start of the week I was worried about my goldfish getting too hot. Now I'm worried about the survival of my family and my neighbours." Met Police to patrol open spaces to ensure Londoners avoid BBQs and bonfires The Metropolitan Police has released a statement in the last few minutes in response to a major incident declared by the London Fire Brigade today.The high temperatures have fuelled a number of fires across Greater London, including a significant blaze in Wennington which is still being tackled.The Met said: "We are providing vehicle support to transport firefighters to and from incidents to ensure fire engines can stay where they are needed most. We will continue to work closely with our partners to provide whatever further support we can."Officers will also be patrolling open spaces in the coming hours to ensure that Londoners are following the LFB advice tokeep us all safe."This advice includes:Do not have a barbecue or bonfire tonight;Do not leave broken bottles or glass on the ground;Dispose of cigarettes safely. Major incident declared by Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue has declared a major incident this evening.It says: "The service has received a very high volume of 999 calls, leading to crews attending more than 240 emergency incidents so far today, in part due to the extreme weather."These incidents include crop fires, field fires, and road traffic collisions on major roads. Firefighters have continued to work hard in very difficult conditions."It follows the same decision by fire services in London and Leicestershire. Woman forced to leave vital medication behind when fleeing fire Janet Hickey, 70, who has terminal pancreatic cancer, was forced to leave all her cancer drugs behind as she was evacuated from Wennington, Greater London, today.Fires erupted in the region amid record temperatures on Tuesday, with up to 100 firefighters battling the blaze into this evening.The highest temperatures recorded today are understood to be 40.3C in Lincolnshire.Ms Hickey said: "I've got all my cancer drugs in the fridge."Her husband Patrick Hickey, 71, said: "We had to leave everything. We're hoping against hope that our house is still there."Mrs Hickey said they are feeling "devastated", adding: "We've been living there 50 years. I'm terminally ill so it's not great to lose all that. I'm also an artist and all my paintings are there." | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
A sign reading "Welcome to Luton" is seen from an aircraft on arrival to Gatwick Airport, London, Britain, May 23, 2022.Tom Nicholson | ReutersExtreme heat in the U.K. on Monday caused runway damage and disrupted military and civilian flying, airport officials said.A heat wave has engulfed much of Western Europe, with temperatures in London forecast to rise to about 100 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday and possibly higher on Tuesday before breaking midweek. The aviation industry is wrestling with the effects on infrastructure of extreme weather including storms, floods and high temperatures. "Following today's high temperatures, a surface defect was identified on the runway," representatives for the London Luton Airport said in a statement. "Engineers were called immediately to site and repair works are currently in progress to resume operations as quickly as possible. We would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused."The airport is used by budget carriers including easyJet, Ryanair and Wizzair.At Brize Norton Royal Air Force base in Oxfordshire, flying was halted after a similar report of runway damage."During this period of extreme temperature flight safety remains our top priority, so aircraft are using alternative airfields in line with a long established plan," a RAF spokesperson said. "This means there is no impact on RAF operations." The RAF didn't specify why it suspended flights, but a spokesperson said "the runway has not melted" as early media reports indicated.Heathrow Airport, the country's largest, said it is monitoring the impact of the heat and is so far operating normally. Gatwick Airport outside London also said it has not identified any runway problems due to heat. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
A cyclist rides through Richmond Park at sunrise during a heatwave in London, Britain, July 18, 2022.REUTERS/Hannah McKayRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comLONDON, July 18 (Reuters) - Britain was on course for its hottest day on record on Monday with temperatures forecast to hit 40C for the first time, forcing train companies to cancel services and heath authorities to put more ambulances on standby.Much of Europe is baking in a heat-wave that has pushed temperatures into the mid-40s Celsius in some regions, with wildfires raging across tinder-dry countryside in Portugal, Spain and France. read more Britain's government triggered a "national emergency" alert as temperatures were forecast to surpass the 38.7C (102 Fahrenheit) recorded in the Cambridge University Botanic Garden in 2019 on Monday and Tuesday.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com"We've got a difficult 48 hours coming," Kit Malthouse, a minister in charge of government coordination, told the BBC.London's Underground metro network imposed temporary speed restrictions on the network for Monday and Tuesday, meaning it would run a reduced service with journeys taking longer than normal. It urged commuters to only travel if essential.The national rail network also urged passengers to stay at home, and said some services - including a key route between northeastern England and London - would not run during parts of Tuesday.Jake Kelly from Network Rail said he hoped normal operations would resume on Wednesday, when temperatures are forecast to fall, but that would depend on "the damage that the weather does to the infrastructure over the next couple of days".Some schools were due to close earlier than usual on Monday.The Health Security Agency (UKHSA) raised the heat health warning to Level 4 for England for Monday and Tuesday.Britain' Meteorological Office defines a Level 4 alert as a national emergency, and is used when a heat-wave "is so severe and/or prolonged that its effects extend outside the health and social care system. At this level, illness and death may occur among the fit and healthy, and not just in high-risk groups."The Met Office said "substantial" changes in working practices and daily routines would be required and there was a high risk of failure of heat-sensitive systems and equipment, potentially leading to localised loss of power, water or mobile phone services.Malthouse said the government was prepared for the extreme weather and would seek to learn lessons from it."We definitely need to adapt the way we build buildings, the way we operate and look at some of our infrastructure in the light of what seems to be an increasing frequency of these kinds of events," he told BBC Radio.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Kate Holton
Editing by William SchombergOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
The region joins eight areas in England that moved in to drought station last week A car drives past dry cracked earth at Baitings Reservoir in Ripponden, West Yorkshire, where water levels are significantly low Credit: Danny Lawson
/PA A drought has been declared in Yorkshire, the Environment Agency has said.
The region joins eight areas of England which were moved into drought status on Friday.
The last drought in Yorkshire was in autumn 2018. Victoria Slingsby, environment planning and engagement manager for the Environment Agency in Yorkshire, said: "The high temperatures we are experiencing have exacerbated pressures on wildlife and our water environment in Yorkshire. These extreme weather conditions become more likely with climate change.
"We are experiencing some much-needed rain this week, but it will not be enough to correct weeks of dry weather, and it will take more prolonged rainfall to wet up soils and replenish rivers, reservoirs and groundwater levels.
"It's important for everyone to manage the amount of water they are using in this exceptionally dry period."
This is a breaking news story. More to follow. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Wildfires are continuing to rage across Europe causing thousands of people to evacuate and claiming the life of a pilot of a firefighting plane.Strong winds and hot, dry weather have hampered efforts to battle a huge blaze that is burning through pine forests in Bordeaux, while fires have also burned in Portugal, Spain, Greece, Hungary and Croatia.
Around 3,000 firefighters supported by water-dumping planes battled the wildfire in southern France as they sought to save as many homes as possible.Fire season has hit parts of Europe earlier than usual this year after an unusually dry, hot spring left the soil parched - something authorities have attributed to climate change.In pictures: Wildfires across Europe, droughts and ice pops In Portugal, more than 1,000 firefighters worked alongside ordinary citizens desperate to save their homes on Saturday after a long week of battling multiple blazes around the country.
The fires have been fanned by earlier-than-usual extreme temperatures and drought conditions. More on Climate Change Extreme weather: Britain's cities need radical design overhaul - or they will become unliveable UK heatwave: Revealed - the areas of England that are most vulnerable to hotter weather Extreme weather: Roads close, 'frightening' fires break out and drought sets in as Portugal's temperatures climb towards 46C A pilot of a firefighting plane died on Friday when his plane crashed while on an operation in the northeast of the country, the first fire fatality in Portugal this year. Image: Strong winds and hot, dry weather are frustrating French firefighters' efforts to tackle the flames. Pic: AP Across the border, firefighters in Spain struggled to contain several blazes, including two that burned around 7,400 hectares of land.Around 3,000 people had to be evacuated from villages in southern Andalusia as a fire burned nearby.Read more:Portugal - Roads close, 'frightening' fires break out and drought sets inUK heatwave: Why 'tropical nights' could be deadlyUK heatwave: COBRA meeting called as national emergency declared over soaring temperaturesFor a sixth day, firefighters were also trying to bring under control a fire started by a lightning strike in the west-central Las Hurdes area."All heatwaves studied so far in Europe are getting warmer," said Robert Vautard of the Pierre-Simon Laplace Institute at the Sorbonne University."As long as greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced to zero, heatwaves will continue to intensify, become more frequent and last longer." | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Wildfires continued to spread through France, Spain and Portugal on Thursday as record-breaking heat waves plague Europe, prompting the head of the European Space Agency to demand immediate action on climate change. A "monster" wildfire has destroyed thousands of hectares in the Gironde area of southwestern France just two weeks after another fire tore through the same region. More than 1,000 firefighters have struggled to bring the conflagration, which has forced about 10,000 people from their homes, under control. About 79% of the 250,000 firefighters in France are volunteers, according to data from the French Fire Fighter Service. And 10,000 of them are deployed across the country to battle wildfires, including the Gironde blaze, which has been exacerbated by drastic heat waves and fierce winds. Similar to France, firefighters in Portugal are on their sixth day of fighting a wildfire that has destroyed about 10,500 hectares in the central Covilha region, as well as part of the Serra da Estrela national park. Extreme weather and climate change are widely blamed for the increasingly common heat waves, melting glaciers, and flooding. The head of the European Space Agency, Josef Aschbacher, reported that these extreme climatological events have begun taking a toll on agriculture and other vital industries. "It's pretty bad. We have seen extremes that have not been observed before," Aschbacher said to Reuters. Extreme drought conditions have also taken a toll elsewhere in the European Union, with France and Germany feeling the effects through slow agricultural production and water shortages. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
The public are being urged “to do as little as possible” and try not to use public transport as temperatures get set to hit 42C during the dayVideo LoadingVideo UnavailableUK weather: Met Office issues red warning amid heatwave Brits are being warned to stay indoors as “ferocious” life-threatening ‘day and night’ temperatures are due to blast the UK for the first time in history. Death-Valley type temperatures of 42C during the day and 30C at night are threatening to double the UK summer average - prompting a Met Office first-ever red warning. The public are being urged “to do as little as possible” and try not to use public transport. Hospitals have cancelled appointments and many businesses have announced two day closures including restaurants, bars, zoos and wildlife centres - while millions will work from home. The chief executive of the College of Paramedics has warned that the “ferocious heat” the UK is predicted to experience over the next few days could result in people dying. Vulnerable and elderly people are at risk (
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PA) She told Sky: “We could see people who are vulnerable, young people, elderly people, people living with dementia who really do suffer. “This is serious heat that could actually ultimately end in people’s deaths because it is so ferocious. We are just not set up for that sort of heat in this country. The weather will be 'ferocious' (
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Asadour Guzelian) “This isn’t like a lovely hot day where we can put a bit of sunscreen on, go out and enjoy a swim and a meal outside." Recent figures revealed how one in ten people waited 10 hours for an ambulance and the average waiting times for a heart attack was more than 50 minutes. “It’s difficult not to call it a crisis but it has been a stealth crisis,” she added. Ministers are expected to hold a fourth Cobra meeting tomorrow after a national emergency was declared. Joe Wicks found inventive ways to keep cool Outgoing PM Boris Johnson didn’t attend the last meeting on Saturday and went to Chequers instead. Labour’s Angela Rayner blasted him for “partying while Britain boils" and described him as "grotesque". He snubbed the meeting as one large water company supplying Essex warned “urgent action” was needed while others said they were monitoring the situation. Outdoor pools have been filling up (
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PA) But despite universal pleas for the public to stay safe from health chiefs, not to travel and stay indoors, the Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, decided to tell the public to “enjoy the sunshine” on Sky News. His comments were blasted on social media with one saying: “Dominic Raab...brushing off the impending record breaking, earth burning temperatures and saying people should ‘enjoy the sunshine’. Heaven help us all!” Another added: “I vote to put @DominicRaab in an office with no air con during the heatwave so he can enjoy the summertime” and another said: “He should try enjoying it in a white suit, respirator mask and goggles while resuscitating someone’s Nan." Temperatures could reach 42C on Tuesday (
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AFP via Getty Images) BBC Weather presenter and meteorologist Simon King has pointed out that temperatures could reach 42°C in the East Midlands on Tuesday – tweeting that this level of heat “just shouldn’t happen.” Affinity Water today said “urgent action” was needed in areas of Essex and Hertfordshire to conserve supplies, revealing demand had surged from 209 million gallons a day to 242 million gallons, due to the hot weather. A field fire threatened a war memorial in Kent (
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PA) It added it was “working around the clock to maintain supplies”. Some areas of Buckinghamshire, Surrey and North London are also affected. Thames Water said they were monitoring the situation all the time but said if they did not see "around or above average rainfall" in the coming months it may result in water restrictions. Two thousand people in east Kent were left with no water or low pressure over the weekend. More travel chaos is expected (
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PA) Southern Water said power issues on Friday evening caused a reservoir which serves the Broadstairs and St Peters areas to fail. Wildfires have already started amid fears for the safety of firefighters with six hectare grass fires in Hayes and a fire at Warsash nature reserve in Hampshire destroying 15,000 square metres of heathland. The rail network is about to go slow at a 20mph crawl, with some routes cancelled and gritters are out with sand to prevent the heat causing roads to “liquefy”. The UK faces it's first-ever red weather warning (
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AFP via Getty Images) The boss of Transport for London has urged Londoners to undertake only necessary travel on Monday and Tuesday. Andy Lord told LBC: “We’re advising all our customers to only travel if their journey is essential, to make sure that they stay hydrated and carry water with them if they do have to travel. “Check before they travel because journey times will be extended. “We will have reduced services across the TFL network because of the safety restrictions we need to put in place due to the heat.” Avanti West Coast has urged passengers to travel only if it is “absolutely necessary” from Sunday until Tuesday. “When the rail temperature gets above 50C, we have to reduce the speed to reduce the risk of damaging the track. In extreme cases, the rails can buckle, we need to avoid that and maintain the safety of the railway,” they said. While London North Eastern Railway has urged people not to travel on Tuesday, warning that trains between London’s King’s Cross and the south of York and Leeds will not be running. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have repeated warnings about cooling off in open water after a 16-year-old died while swimming with friends in a canal in Salford Quays. People have been warned to do as little as possible (
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PA) It is believed he was the fifth to die in the UK’s waterways, with searches ongoing for a male at Ardsley Reservoir in West Yorkshire. Met Office meteorologist, Steve Keates, warned the public to “do as little as possible” in the extreme heat. “Part of the reason the warnings are out is because it’s not just day time but night time temperatures that are a concern,” he told The Mirror. “When you are going to bed on Monday night it could still be 30C or more at bed time or later evening and still high 20s into the early hours. It’s horrible basically.” He said hardest hit areas could be large urban areas such as London where the heat gets trapped in the city, taking longer to disperse. But he said a “fascinating” aspect is that higher up in the atmosphere it will get hotter meaning mountains and hilltops will be unusually “quite a bit warmer”. The heat set to grip Britain shows climate change 'really is a risk to health' (
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Marcin Nowak/LNP) “Even at night it could still be exceptionally hot for the time of day and at places where you wouldn’t necessarily expect it to be,” he said. “Our advice is to do as little as possible in temperatures like this.” Scientist and climate specialist, John Grant, senior lecturer at Sheffield Hallam, warns that the heat could cause power cuts. He said: “High temperatures on the road can damage the tarmac, liquify it. “And the power stations require cooling and in extreme temperatures may reduce the water available or the water might not be cool enough to do the job. “A few years ago some French nuclear power stations had to shut down because the rivers were too warm.” The 40C heat set to grip Britain shows climate change “really is a risk to health”, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer warned. The Mirror's newsletter brings you the latest news, exciting showbiz and TV stories, sport updates and essential political information. The newsletter is emailed out first thing every morning, at 12noon and every evening. Never miss a moment by signing up to our newsletter here. England’s DCMO Thomas Waite warned the “extreme heat” posed a threat to health and said: “The scientific and medical communities are nearly in unanimous agreement that climate change really is a risk to health and we need to take carbon reduction and adaptations seriously. “The thing that means for events like this is that the risk of this extreme heat is going up so we all need to sort of think about the steps we can take during extreme weather for how we avoid getting ourselves into trouble in the first place.” NHS Confederation chairman Lord Adebowale said health staff “are pretty stretched at the moment”. He added: “Ambulances are operating at their peak, the waiting times for ambulances are now getting longer. “We are going to be really, really pushed and it’s not just the red warning, the heatwave - we are dealing with Covid, which is causing sickness in our ambulance crews.” Read More Read More | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Dozens of people have been rescued overnight in the Sydney area, with about 50,000 residents facing evacuation amid severe flooding in Australia. Thousands more residents were ordered to leave their homes on the east coast on Tuesday after rivers swiftly rose past danger levels.
The latest wild storm cell brought a year's worth of rain in three days to some areas of the country.Torrential rain has caused dams to overflow and waterways to break their banks, bringing a fourth flood emergency in 16 months to parts of the city of five million people.Footage on social media showed submerged roads and bridges, while emergency crews rescued stranded people from partially submerged vehicles that became stuck in rising waters. Emergency response teams made 100 rescues overnight of people trapped in cars on flooded roads or in inundated homes in the Sydney area, state emergency service manager Ashley Sullivan said.
New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet said evacuation orders and warnings to prepare to abandon homes were given to 50,000 people, up from 32,000 on Monday. More on Australia Sydney floods: Families need boats to leave home as deluge of floods hits city suburbs Tennis star Nick Kyrgios charged with assault of former girlfriend, report says Sydney floods: Tens of thousands told to evacuate He added that "this event is far from over" and warned drivers to be careful as there are still "substantial risks for flash flooding".Although the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said the storm cell is likely to ease in Sydney from Tuesday, the risk of flooding could remain throughout the week.Some regions have received 800mm (31.5 inches) of rain since Saturday, eclipsing Australia's annual average rainfall of around 500mm (20 inches). Experts say the severe rainfall in the country has been worsened by climate change.The federal government has declared the floods a natural disaster, helping flood-hit residents receive emergency funding support.Emergency crews also continued rescue operations battling rough seas to tow a bulk carrier ship that lost power off Sydney's coast after tow lines broke in severe weather, officials said. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player A man paddles a kangaroo to safety in Windsor in New South Wales Officials previously warned that the floods could be worse than the others that have hit the city's suburbs in the last 18 months.In recent years Australia has seen more extreme weather with droughts, bushfires, and floods becoming more common and intense as global weather patterns change. Watch the Daily Climate Show at 3.30pm Monday to Friday, and The Climate Show with Tom Heap on Saturday and Sunday at 3.30pm and 7.30pm. All on Sky News, on the Sky News website and app, on YouTube and Twitter.The show investigates how global warming is changing our landscape and highlights solutions to the crisis. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Several towns and cities in France have recorded their highest-ever temperatures as nearly 2,000 firefighters continued to battle huge blazes in the south-west and a searing heatwave gripping much of western Europe moved north and east.Nantes, near the Atlantic coast, recorded 42C on Monday, beating a previous high of 40.3C set in 1949, while Brest, in Brittany, hit 39.9C, more than four degrees higher than its 2002 record of 35.1C.Night-time temperature records were also set, including at La Hague in Normandy where 32.8C was recorded at 3am on Tuesday. Officials said France’s entire west coast, from Landes in the south to Finistère in the north, was affected.Records were expected to be smashed again on Tuesday, meteorologists said, as the mass of hot air, the second to engulf large parts of the continent in recent weeks, moved north and east into eastern France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. Britain was also set to record its highest ever temperature.The Dutch KNMI weather service said temperatures could top 38C on Tuesday, issuing a code orange extreme weather warning of risk to life in the centre and south of the country, while officials in Belgium warned of 40C-plus temperatures. As the European Commission announced that drought warnings were in place in 46% of the bloc’s territory, with 11% at alert level, wildfires in France, Spain and Portugal continued to ravage bone-dry forest and heathland.People take refuge at an evacuation centre amid wildfires across the province of Zamora, amid the second heatwave of the year, in Spain. Photograph: Isabel Infantes/ReutersThe worst of the fires were in south-west France in the Gironde department near Bordeaux, where firefighters were struggling to contain two week-old blazes at La Teste-de-Buch and Landiras and a third, at Vensac, that broke out on Monday night.Officials said on Tuesday the night had been “extremely difficult”, with a changeable, gusting wind hampering firefighting efforts. A total of 19,000 hectares of mainly pine forest have been burned and 37,000 people have been evacuated from the region.Five campsites from which 6,000 holidaymakers were evacuated last week near the Dune du Pilat, Europe’s highest sand dune and a major tourist site, had been almost completely destroyed, a local government official said.Police said a man was arrested late on Monday in their investigation into the Landiras blaze, which has burned nearly 13,000 hectares of land. Evidence showed the fire had been started as “an act of voluntary malevolence”, they said.An area 9km long and 8km wide was still ablaze near the dune and was “blowing things up”, such was its ferocity, Marc Vermeulen, the head of the local fire service, said. “Pine trunks 40 years old are bursting.”Man dramatically escapes Spanish wildfire with clothes ablaze – videoElsewhere in France, a blaze that started last Thursday near Avignon in the south-east revived on Monday, local firefighters reported, while a separate fire broke out in Brittany.No deaths have so far been reported in France, but in Spain, a fire burning in the north-western province of Zamora claimed the life of a 69-year-old shepherd after a firefighter died in the same area on Sunday.Later on Monday, an office worker in his 50s was reported to have died from heatstroke in Madrid. The country’s Carlos III Health Institute has reported more than 510 heat-related deaths.Near the northern town of Tábara, a wildfire raced across a field, engulfing an excavator and forcing the driver – who had been trying to dig a firebreak – to run for his life as flames burned the clothes off his back. He was airlifted to hospital.A firefighting helicopter flies over burning forest near Bustelo village in Amarante, in Portugal. Photograph: Patrícia de Melo Moreira/AFP/Getty ImagesSpanish authorities have reported about 20 wildfires still raging from the south to Galicia in the far north-west, where blazes have destroyed about 4,500 hectares of land, while in Portugal, 1,000 firefighters were battling 10 wildfires in the north.Portugal’s death toll from the fires doubled to four on Monday after a car careered off the road while trying to escape a fire zone near Vila Real in the north, officials said. Sixty people have also been wounded in more than a week of fires across the country.“We found the car and these two people, aged around 70 years, completely burnt,” the mayor of Murça, Mário Artur Lopez, said. Half the municipality was on fire, the mayor said late on Monday.Sign up to the daily Business Today email or follow Guardian Business on Twitter at @BusinessDeskIn the UK, temperatures nudged 38C in southern England on Monday and are forecast to hit a record-breaking 40C (104 F) on Tuesday, according to the Met Office. Train companies cancelled services and some schools closed.Forecasters in the UK have for days said the national record of 38.7C, registered in 2019, would be broken on Tuesday. The night of Monday to Tuesday was the country’s warmest ever, with temperatures remaining above 25C in most places. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Temperatures likely to reach at least 33C for four days straight The Met Office has warned the extreme heat will stick around for four consecutive days from tomorrow. Temperatures could climb to at least 33C on each of these days. Forecasters previously warned some areas could hit 36C on Saturday. Got a weather story? Get in touch As the UK braces itself for yet more intense weather, let us know how conditions are affecting your area.Are your local roads bearing up? How is the wildlife and landscape faring in your community? Have your neighbours come up with innovative ways to keep cool? It's easy to get in touch and share your news with us via Sky News apps, using the links below.:: Your Report on Sky News apps:: WhatsApp:: Email Wildfire warning for parts of Scotland Parts of East and South Scotland are under a "very high" warning for wildfires from today until Monday. Extended periods of hot and dry weather have left fields and parks parched and prone to setting alight. 'Situation improving' as Thames Water deals with water pressure issue People in the Stokenchurch area have been experiencing lower pressure than normal due to a technical issue with the nearby reservoir, Thames Water has said."We have a team on site working hard to resolve this as soon as possible and the situation is improving and supplies have been restored to customers," the water company said. Meanwhile, people in Northend are being hand delivered water bottles and Thames Water is using tankers to boost supplies to homes in the area.Some 68 customers were without water for a period of time, Thames Water said. "We realise how inconvenient this is, especially during such hot weather, and appreciate customers' patience as we work to resolve things," it said. Devastating floods kill at least nine people in South Korea It's not just Europe that is being hit by extreme weather this summer. Clean-up and recovery efforts are under way in South Korea's greater capital region following severe flooding. Seoul had seen two days of record-breaking rainfall that unleashed flash floods, damaging thousands of buildings and, as you can see, roads. Seven people are missing in Seoul and nearby Gyeonggi Province, while nine people have died - including four who drowned in their homes.South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said in a disaster response meeting that he apologises on behalf of the government for the deaths and disruption. Firefighters tackle forage harvester set alight Dramatic pictures show firefighters from Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service tackling a forage harvester that had set on fire in Chipnall, near Market Drayton. Fire caused by disposable barbecue cost fire service £250,000 Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service has revealed the immense cost spent on tacking a moorland fire at Win Hill last month. The fire was started by a disposable barbecue found at the site. As we reported earlier, one council - Nottingham City - has banned the products from being used at local parks and open spaces because of the risk. The difference a few months makes... Jamie Marshall, from Twickenham, sent us these photos of London's Richmond Park. One was taken in May, and the other yesterday - after an exceptionally dry July. Watch moment police officers rescue dog from inside sweltering car A distressed dog that had collapsed has been rescued from a boiling hot car by police officers in Nottingham. The small black Shih Tzu had been left alone inside the vehicle on Monday afternoon, and was found barking and panting. Officers called to the incident arrived just in time to save his life, smashing the car's window to get to him. They then rushed him into the shade and doused him with a bottle of water.He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where his temperature was recorded as 39.1C.The dog is now making a good recovery and his owner has been invited to attend a police interview, with the case also referred to the RSPCA.People are being warned not to leave their dogs in cars in the heat. If you see a dog in distress in a hot car, call 999. Canals closed due to low water levels Numerous canals across the Midlands have been forced to close as parts of the UK suffer from low water levels.Almost a tenth of waterways are currently shut, according to the Canal and River Trust. Part of the Chesterfield Canal in the East Midlands will close later this week, while a stretch of Cauldon Canal in Staffordshire has been closed.At Foxton in Leicestershire, restrictions on when boats can move are in placeBoaters are also being asked to save water by sharing locks. One boat hire company said its water levels are so low that boats are hitting the bottom of canals. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Brits have headed to the beach to cool off in the sea ahead of the 35C heatwave that has been predicted by forecasters this weekend, as an 'Extreme Heat' warning comes into force from today.A double heat warning has been put in place by experts amid increasing heatwave temperatures that are set to soar, with Manchester set to reach 31C (88F), while Portsmouth will reach a balmy 29C (84F) - albeit not quite as high as the record-breaking 40.3C blast experienced last month.The Met Office has also raised its Fire Severity Index to exceptional - the highest level - today for much of southern England, and Wales alongside an amber, as the mercury is forecast to climb to 'lethally hot' temperatures of 35C (95F) this weekend. The warning system also been at its second highest level of alert for seven weeks, which is the longest stretch since 1976.Police are looking to step up patrols for wildfires in high risk areas amid reports that tomorrow could see an official drought in the South announced by the Government.It comes as a former NHS doctor warned the health service is 'on the brink of collapse' as it expects an increase in admissions as temperatures continue to increase across the country.The heat is likely to affect health, transport and working conditions, meteorologists said, as water companies are being urged to protect essential supplies heading into a 'likely very dry autumn'. National Highways have also urged Britons to be 'prepared' with bottles of water before setting out amid more train strikes scheduled this weekend.Met Office meteorologist Marco Petagna said: 'The risk is very high across much of central, southern and eastern England. Going into Friday and the weekend, it starts to increase further, going into the highest category of exceptional risk.'Britain has been told to brace for a sweltering heatwave this week as a Level 3 Heat Health Alert also came into effect Tuesday and has been extended until Saturday - with little rain expected to help relieve the threat of drought which has prompted hosepipe bans and fire warnings. Mark Hardingham, the chairman of the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said that he 'can't remember a summer like this' in his entire 32-year career in the fire service. Pictured: Sunseekers head to Bournemouth beach on Thursday morning to enjoy the sizzling heatwave amid warning from the Met Office Pictured: Britons arrive at Bournemouth beach early to secure their spot before crowds arrive as the day progresses County Durham and Darlington firefighters dealt with multiple grass fires amid increasing temperatures on Wednesday Wildfires threaten to sweep across the country this weekend posing an 'exceptional risk' to homes, as an 'Extreme Heat' warning comes into force from today with temperatures set to reach at least 33C (91F) in London Pictured: A woman is seen shading her face from the early morning sun, while commuting through Hyde Park in London this morning Pictured: London Underground Commuters head into work via the Jubilee line on Thursday morning Pictured: West Midlands fire service are warning Britons to stay safe in the heat and keep hydrated throughout the heatwave Pictured: Sunseekers arrive at Bournemouth beach this morning to enjoy an early dip in the sea A cyclist braves the soaring temperatures across Britain today as the Met Office has also raised its Fire Severity Index to exceptionalHe told The Telegraph: 'We're not going to see temperatures as hot as we saw three weeks ago, but that doesn't matter because the ground couldn't get any drier than it already is.'The wildfires are as prevalent in semi-urban areas as they are in rural communities so it's difficult to know where the next one will be.'Riccardo La Torre, national officer for the Fire Brigades Union, has also warned that services across the UK are 'completely unprepared' for the level of risk posed by the imminent heatwave.Mr La Torre told Sky News: 'These are brutal, brutal fires to fight. The temperature that they burn at, the speed at which they spread at.'The reality is we've been left completely unprepared to do that as a fire and rescue service.'We've had over a fifth of the workforce cut since 2010, that's over 11,500 firefighters cut. Yet we're asking them to deal with these extreme weather events in increasing regularity and increasing severity. The Met Office has raised the Fire Severity Index to exceptional - the highest level - for much of southern England, and stretching as far west as Abergavenny in Wales, for this coming SundayMark Hardingham, the chairman of the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) told The Telegraph that he 'can't remember a summer like this' in his entire 32-year career in the fire service. Pictured: The Met Office's Fire Severity Index (FSI) which shows how the red 'highest risk' is spreading from Thursday (left) to Friday (middle) to Saturday (right) In soaring temperatures ahead of warnings for extreme heat, fire crews attend a large wildfire between St Hilary and St Erth in Cornwall The Met Office has raised its Fire Severity Index to exceptional - the highest level - today for much of southern England, and Wales alongside an amber, as the mercury is forecast to climb to 'lethally hot' temperatures of 35C (95F) this weekend Pictured: The sun rises high above the London skyline on Thursday morning as temperatures are set to reach 36C in parts of England this weekend Pictured: A group of men go for a job along the promenade at Bournemouth beach on Thursday morning Pictured: Families enjoying their summer holidays head to Bournemouth beach on Thursday to make the most of the soaring temperatures Pictured: Brits have been pictured enjoying the sea at Bournemouth beach on Thursday morning as the Met Office's amber 'extreme heat' warning comes into force Pictured: London underground commuters are pictured waiting for the Jubilee line to arrive on Thursday morning Pictured: A woman rides an electric scooter along the promenade at Bournemouth beach on Thursday morning Pictured: Sunseekers head to Bournemouth beach this morning to enjoy the sizzling temperatures Homeowners' outrage as east London council announces it will suspend food and garden waste collections for a MONTH - in the middle of a heatwave Some Londoners have been left outraged after being informed by their council that food bins will not be collected from their homes for more than a month despite the next heatwave looming.Waltham Forest Council took to social media to let people know that from August 15, both food and garden waste bins will not be collected until September 12.Furious residents of the north-east London borough have fired back, highlighting that their 'rotting' food will be left uncollected during the UK heatwave. And Waltham Forest deputy group leader for the Conservatives Afzal Akram revealed that him and his colleagues were 'flabbergasted' when they heard about the suspension.Cllr Akram told MailOnline: 'We are flabbergasted by this decision being made and by the way it has been communicated.'We as councillors only heard about it once the council put it out on social media. It's one of those blue sky thinking moments that you think of something and straight away you should throw it in the bin.'But for them to go and implement it is ridiculous. We are in a heatwave and they expect residents to leave food lying their for month - the stench, the stink is going to be unbelievable.'Cllr Akram, who revealed that a formal protest is being written to the council, also fears that the years of education into recycling will be halted by this 'stupid' decision that will see residents go back to putting food waste in black bins. The council believes that the 'temporary' measure will allow it to focus on other services over the summer and reduce unnecessary journeys.It highlighted that less garden waste has had to be collected given the lack of rainfall in the UK this summer.The council has told homeowners to dispose of any garden and food waste in brown bins until collection resumes.'The professionals on the ground have been warning that these conditions are coming and we very much saw the reality of that in these last few weeks. 'Firefighters have been injured, firefighters have ended up in hospital, we've seen families lose their homes, we've seen businesses lost, infrastructure burn to the ground, because we simply can't get to these fires quick enough.'When we do, we simply don't have the resources to deal with them adequately.'Jonathan Smith, assistant commissioner at London Fire Brigade, has said 'we're not out of the woods as far as this heatwave is concerned', as he urged people to avoid using disposable barbecues and take care when extinguishing cigarettes.Mr Smith added: 'We're urging the public to think about and modify their behaviour over the course of the next four days in particular to take that pressure off the emergency services... we're not out of the woods as far as this heatwave is concerned.'Meanwhile, Met Office boss Paul Davies said the increasing heatwave temperatures may now occur once every five years - and annually by the end of the century. He told The Mirror: 'When I started out as a forecaster, if someone had said in your lifetime you'll see 40 degrees, I'd have said; 'No, surely not!'.'We are in uncharted waters. We're entering areas we've never experienced before and it's not just the UK, it's the planet as a whole.'Families across the country are being warned to expect some uncomfortable nights, with temperatures unlikely to drop beyond the mid-to-high teens. It comes as the driest first seven months of the year in decades and hot spells have left parts of the UK facing looming drought, prompting hosepipe bans and warnings about the impact on agriculture, rivers and wildlife.The latest analysis from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) has warned that low or even exceptionally low river flows and groundwater levels are likely to continue for the next three months in southern England and Wales.Mr Petagna said that rain could be on the horizon early next week, adding: 'There are signs that we could get some rain next week, but details at the moment are uncertain,' he said.'What we really need is a few weeks of light rain to soak into the ground. Thunderstorms are more likely to cause some flooding issues because the ground is hard the water can't sink in.'The water industry has said they are doing 'everything possible' to stop leakage but it remains a constant battle.It comes after Tory frontrunner Liz Truss said there needs to be 'tougher action' on water companies as there 'hasn't been enough action to deal with leaky pipes'. Pictured: A rare green field gets watered on Thursday at East Fen Farm in Soham, Cambridgeshire as the drought continues Pictured: The East Fen Farm in Soham, Cambridgeshire has its own reservoir but that is now running low after the UK experienced its driest July since 1935 Pictured: A water irrigator at work in a field in Cambridge as the sun rises this morning amid increasing temperatures Pictured: One of Britain's rare green fields gets watered on Thursday morning at East Fen Farm in Soham, Cambridgeshire Pictured: A water irrigator at work in a field in Cambridge on Thursday. Temperatures keep rising this week with some areas expecting to reach in to the low to mid 30s Pictured: A view of the low water levels at the United Utilities, Woodhead Reservoir, in Derbyshire Pictured: Tinderbox Britain's dry conditions continue their alarming effects at Bessom Bridge over Wimbleball Lake on Exmoor in Somerset Pictured: London Underground Commuters on another hot day as people head into the capital on the jubilee line today The sun rises behind The Shard skyscraper as a second heatwave is predicted for parts of the country on Thursday Our leaks shame: Thames Water is wasting 635m litres A DAY through leaky pipes... but bosses are STILL threatening to impose hosepipe ban Britain's biggest water company is threatening to impose a hosepipe ban despite failing to stop millions of litres of water leaking from its pipes.Thames Water confessed yesterday to letting nearly a quarter of all water it supplies leak through cracks – but the firm's strategy director said we needed to 'be more efficient' – like the Germans and Danes.It said it is preparing to impose a hosepipe ban in the 'next couple of weeks', affecting 15million customers in London and the South East.Environment Secretary George Eustice called in water company bosses yesterday to discuss the water crisis amid reports a state of drought could be declared.Yorkshire Water confirmed it was also considering bringing in a hosepipe ban. Sources at the Environment Agency confirmed that Yorkshire, Anglian and South West Water are all considering hosepipe bans – which would place water restrictions on more than 32million people in England and Wales.South East Water in Kent and Sussex, Southern Water in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and Welsh Water have declared bans.But Thames was forced to admit that while it was seeking a hosepipe ban it wastes more than 635million litres of water a day.Cathryn Ross, strategy and regulatory affairs director at Thames Water told Radio 4's Today: 'In all probability we'll be moving to introduce the hosepipe ban in the next couple of weeks.'She confirmed leaks were endemic across Thames's network.She added: 'We totally accept we need to do better on fixing leaks, that's why we're fixing more than 1,100 leaks every week. We are not where we need to be, we have a lot of work to do to fix Thames Water.' She admitted it was likely that households would have to cut water use due to climate change.'We're going to have to look at all the tools in the toolkit to make sure that we keep customers with taps flowing.' But high usage of water was partly to blame.'We use 150 litres of water per person per day in England,' she said. 'In Germany it's 120, in Copenhagen, where they've had a big push on this, it's down to nearly 100.'Water companies in Germany and Denmark are publicly owned. Germany also has a much better record of tackling leaking pipes than in the UK – with around 5 per cent of all water lost to leaks, compared with 20 per cent in the UK.The Government wants leaks cut to 10 per cent by 2050. Yorkshire Water confirmed it was considering a hosepipe ban after reservoir levels fell below 50 per cent, 20 per cent lower than usual.The Environment Secretary met water company bosses yesterday.Mr Eustice said: 'All water companies have reassured me that water supplies remain resilient across the country. Each company has a pre-agreed drought plan which they are following.'He added: 'We are better prepared than ever before.'The Angling Trust wants water companies to stop dragging their feet and order hosepipe bans.Trust policy chief Martin Salter said: 'Millions of gallons of scarce water is being wasted keeping golf courses and lawns green rather than helping rivers survive and our wildlife and economy protected.'Stuart Colville, director of policy at Water UK, has said it is a 'constant battle' to stop water leakage but that the water industry is doing 'everything possible' to do so.Mr Colville said that it is looking 'increasingly inevitable' that the Environment Agency will declare a drought for England, adding this would be the 'right decision given some of the pressure on the environment that we're seeing at the moment'An Oxfordshire village has also become the first in Britain to run dry, with residents forced to rely on deliveries of bottled and tanker water.Northend, on the Buckinghamshire border, usually gets its water from the now dried-up Stokenchurch Reservoir.Thames Water had to send water tankers and bottles to its residents, struggling after high demand on the natural resource in recent hot weeks. The company has also recently announced it will be issuing a hosepipe ban for 15million customers across London, Surrey and Gloucestershire in the coming weeks.A Thames Water spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We're sorry to customers in the Stokenchurch area who are experiencing lower pressure than normal due to technical issues with our Stokenchurch reservoir. We have a team on site working hard to resolve this as soon as possible and the situation is improving and supplies have been restored to customers.'We're using tankers to help boost supplies to customers in Northend to keep up water pressures for these customers so they do not see supply issues as well as delivering water bottles.'Customers may experience lower than normal pressure during periods of higher demand. These times are typically in the morning and during the early evening.'We've also identified everyone in the affected area who has pre-registered with us as having special requirements, such as being medically reliant on water, so we can get in touch and make sure we give them the help and support they need.'We realise how inconvenient this is, especially during such hot weather, and appreciate customers' patience as we work to resolve things'Last night Andrew Sells, head of Natural England between 2014 and 2019, accused water companies of selling off reservoirs which could have helped ease drought to housing developers.'Several of our water companies preferred to build houses on some of their reservoirs, and last week we learned that together they have built precisely zero new reservoirs in the past 30 years', he wrote in the Daily Telegraph.'No doubt some reservoirs had reached the end of their working lives, but in abandoning this infrastructure, without any replacements, they have again put short-term profits ahead of long-term supply.'The Met Office also predicted the extreme heat will become more commonplace in the coming years as global warming continues.Professor Hannah Cloke, Professor of Hydrology at the University of Reading, said: 'The warnings for extreme heat from both the Met Office and the heat health alert issued by the UK Health Security Agency are another reminder that this summer in the UK is proving to be lethally hot.'Compared to the July record-breaking heat, this event will be less intense but last longer, which could actually have a greater impact on people's health.'This heatwave might not break any records for maximum temperatures, but it might actually cause more deaths.'Climate change is making heatwaves more intense, frequent and likely, with last month's record temperatures made at least 10 times more likely because of global warming and 'virtually impossible' without it, research shows.Scientists also warn the likelihood of droughts occurring is becoming higher due to climate change, driven by greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels and other human activities.Government minister Paul Scully said it is 'always sensible' for people to conserve water, when asked about the possibility of a hosepipe ban for London.He added: 'But we'll look carefully because the whole point about London and the South East is that the more development you have and the less rainfall there is, then obviously there's less to go around and we've got to be careful.'Saharan Britain: Aerial views of England show scorched earth as parts of the UK resemble a desert after fields and trees turn brown in heatwave Shocking aerial shots have revealed the impact of the sizzling heatwave leaving farmers with parched crops as half of the UK population could be facing a hosepipe ban within weeks. These alarming photographs showed vast desert-like landscapes in areas that would normally be filled with swathes of greenery as the country endured its driest July since 1935 and record-breaking temperatures of 40C (104F).Patches of scorched grass could be seen right across the countryside in photographs taken surrounding East Midlands Airport as concerns grow over water shortages thanks to rising temperatures.The Met Office has also raised its Fire Severity Index to exceptional - the highest level - today for much of southern England, and Wales alongside an amber, as the mercury is forecast to climb to 'lethally hot' temperatures of 36C (97F) this weekend. The warning system also been at its second highest level of alert for seven weeks, which is the longest stretch since 1976. It comes as several households in parts of Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire are facing water shortages after a pipe burst on Thursday and the Stokenchurch Reservoir dried-up. Thames Water confessed yesterday to letting nearly a quarter of all water it supplies leak through cracks – but the firm's strategy director said we needed to 'be more efficient' – like the Germans and Danes.It said it is preparing to impose a hosepipe ban in the 'next couple of weeks', affecting 15million customers in London and the South East. These alarming aerial photographs showed vast desert-like landscapes in areas that would normally be filled with swathes of greenery as the country endured its driest July since 1935 and record-breaking temperatures of 40C (104F) Brits in Oxfordshire (pictured) and Milton Keynes were pictured using umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun on Wednesday while they played golf on a bone dry course An image of scorched Britain was captured yesterday and showed how the ongoing drought conditions have effected the country Patches of scorched grass could be seen right across the countryside in photographs taken surrounding East Midlands Airport as concerns grow over water shortages thanks to rising temperatures Pictured: Golfers are seen playing on a scorched course as the UK enters another sizzling heatwave Pictured: Cows are pictured eating straw and grass silage, which is normally a winter feed, at a farm in Harpole, near Northampton Pictured: An alarming aerial view of a dried out grass outfield during a T20 Last Man Stands cricket matchEnvironment Secretary George Eustice called in water company bosses yesterday to discuss the water crisis amid reports a state of drought could be declared.Yorkshire Water confirmed it was also considering bringing in a hosepipe ban. Sources at the Environment Agency confirmed that Yorkshire, Anglian and South West Water are all considering hosepipe bans – which would place water restrictions on more than 32million people in England and Wales.South East Water in Kent and Sussex, Southern Water in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and Welsh Water have declared bans.But Thames was forced to admit that while it was seeking a hosepipe ban it wastes more than 635million litres of water a day.Cathryn Ross, strategy and regulatory affairs director at Thames Water told Radio 4's Today: 'In all probability we'll be moving to introduce the hosepipe ban in the next couple of weeks.'She confirmed leaks were endemic across Thames's network.Andrew Sells, head of Natural England between 2014 and 2019, accused water companies of selling off reservoirs which could have helped ease drought to housing developers.‘Several of our water companies preferred to build houses on some of their reservoirs, and last week we learned that together they have built precisely zero new reservoirs in the past 30 years’, he wrote in the Daily Telegraph.‘No doubt some reservoirs had reached the end of their working lives, but in abandoning this infrastructure, without any replacements, they have again put short-term profits ahead of long-term supply.’ Pictured: Sunseekers walk near the low water levels at Baitings Reservoir in Ripponden, West Yorkshire as water company bosses are being urged to impose a England-wide hosepipe ban to avoid the worst effects of drought on rivers and wildlife Pictured: Arid areas of land in South East London as the hot weather continues and threats of hose pipe bans may come into force Pictured: Dried out ground in a park, following a long period of little rainfall and hot weather in St Albans Firefighters bring a field fire under control near Ashford in Kent as the Met Office raised its Fire Severity Index to exceptional - the highest level - today for much of southern England, and Wales The sports grounds at a Cambridge University college remain dry and dusty following weeks of exceptional hot weather in Britain. Drone photos show the parched cricket pitch and tennis courts Scorched fairways at the Links Golf Club in Newmarket, as Britain is braced for another heatwave that is set to last longer than July's record-breaking hot spell An aerial view of the historic Iron Age hill fort of Maiden Castle at Dorchester in Dorset where the grass has been scorched by the hot summer sunshine and drought conditionsThe companies which have sold off decommissioned reservoirs in recent years include Thames Water, Severn Trent and Southern Water. Meanwhile, the Woodhead Reservoir in the Peak District has seen a drop in water levels over the last few days.Photos taken at the Dernford Reservoir near Cambridgeshire also show low water levels as water companies struggle to meet demand.Nearby, the River Granta is still flowing but at much lower levels than usual.Last month it was reported that the river was at a lowly 5cm, despite previously sitting at more than one metre. More than SIXTY per cent of Europe is under drought warning as the Rhine runs dry and is set to become impassable to crucial coal barges with Europe on course to suffer worst drought in 500 YEARS By Charlotte McLaughlin and Jack Newman for MailOnline More than half of Europe is now under a warning for drought that is on course to become its worst in 500 years as Germany's most-important river is running dry.The latest European Drought Observatory data, published today, shows that a total of sixty-four percent of the land in the EU and United Kingdom is now under a drought warning or alert.According to the latest map of the Combined Drought Indicator, which is based on July data, 47 per cent of the territory is in 'warning' conditions which means there is a deficit of moisture in the soil, and 17 per cent is in alert conditions where vegetation is stressed.The map shows that the places that are experiencing the most drought include the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Poland and Romania. While the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology predicts 'exceptionally low' flow levels in rivers until October.The news comes as water levels in the Rhine are now so low that it could become impassable to barges later this week, threatening vital supplies of oil and coal. Wildfires are also spreading again throughout France, torching an area that was already badly-hit as temperatures soared to record levels last month, and there have also been fears food production will fall well below average. Bone dry: Almost half of EU land is currently under a drought warning or worse because of a combination of heatwaves and a 'wide and persistent' lack of rain, experts have warned. A map (pictured) reveals the countries most at risk. Areas in orange are under 'warning' conditions, while 15 per cent of land has moved into the most severe 'alert' state (shown in red) The Rhine river - Germany's most-important waterway - is running so low that it may soon become impassable to barges, threatening huge economic damage Transport vessels cruise past the partially dried riverbed of the Rhine river in Bingen, Germany, amid the ongoing droughts House boats are perched on a drying side channel of the Waal River due to drought in Nijmegen, in the Netherlands Boat houses are seen on the banks of the Waal River in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, as Europe suffered through a drought Europe has seen lower-than-average rainfall for the past two months, with rivers across the continent - including in Nijmegen, the Netherlands (pictured) - running very low Firefighters work to contain a fire in Belin-Beliet, as wildfires continue to spread in the Gironde region of southwestern France, this evening The droughts are not only affecting Germany, with Spain, southern France, Portugal and most of Italy suffering from the shortages The ongoing hot weather and lack of rain have caused water levels on the Rhine and several other German rivers to fall Barges navigate the Waal river amid the ongoing drought and the recurring heat waves which have cut operation capacities by half along the lower Rhine A firefighters tries to extinguishe a wildfire in the Sameiro village near the town of Manteigas in Portugal today which has been raging since Saturday The Rhine - which carries 80 per cent of all goods transported by water in Germany, from its industrial heartlands to Dutch ports - are now so low that it could become impassable to barges later this week, threatening vital supplies of oil and coal that the country is relying upon as Russia turns off the gas tap.The river is already lower now than it was at the same point in 2018, when Europe suffered its last major drought. That year, the river ended up closing to goods vessels for 132 days, almost triggering a recession. Costs to transport goods by river this year have already risen five-fold as barges limit their capacity to stay afloat.Economists estimate the disruption could knock as much as half a percentage point off Germany's overall economic growth this year, with experts warning the country was facing recession due to an energy crisis even before the drought hit.Andrea Toreti, senior researcher at the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, said: 'We haven't analysed fully [this] event, but based on my experience I think that this is perhaps even more extreme than in 2018.'2018 was so extreme that looking back at this list of the last 500 years, there were no other events similar.'The EU's climate monitoring agency Copernicus said on Monday: 'Europe experienced dry conditions during most of July, with much of the continent seeing rainfall and, in particular, soil moisture well below average (see below). 'The month began with conditions already dry, following a drier-than-average June over the UK, Ireland, Italy and most of the Iberian Peninsula, in addition to a large region stretching from the northern Balkans across eastern Europe and to north-western Russia.'It said in the lead up to July's heatwave it' repeatedly warned of increased fire danger due to the lack of rain and the resulting dry vegetation, combined with high temperatures' and this has resulted in wildfire activity records in July being broken. Since Tuesday, the so-called Landiras blaze in Gironde - near Bordeaux - has burned 15,000 acres of pine forest and forced the evacuation of almost 6,000 people.'The fire is extremely violent and has spread to the Landes department' further south, home of the Landes de Gascogne regional park, the prefecture said in a statement. Local authorities of the wine-growing Gironde department said 500 firefighters were mobilised.The prefecture warned the fire was spreading toward the A63 motorway, a major artery linking Bordeaux to Spain.Speed limits on the highway have been lowered to 55 mph in case smoke starts to limit visibility, and a full closure could be ordered if the fire worsens and continues to spread.The Landiras fire that ignited in July was the largest of several that have raged this year in southwest France, which like the rest of Europe has been buffeted by record drought and a series of heat waves over the past two months.Fires were also raging on Tuesday in other parts of the country.One broke out in the southern departments of Lozere and Aveyron, where close to 600 hectares have already burnt and where Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin is due to go later in the day.Another fire is in the Maine et Loire department in western France, where 1,600 acres have been scorched and 500 are threatened, according to local authorities.According to CNN, there are also fears for food production in the EU amid the heat and the war in Ukraine which is already pushing up the cost of good throughout the EU. The Joint Research Centre, the European Commission's science service, said in a recent report that it believe production of grain maize, sunflowers and soybeans will drop by 8-9%, well below the five-year average, due to sweltering conditions. Copernicus Senior Scientist Freja Vamborg said that 'dry conditions from previous months combined with high temperatures and low precipitation rates seen in many areas during July may have adverse effects on agricultural production and other industries such as river transport and energy production.' Weeks of dry weather have turned several of Europe's major waterways into trickles, posing a headache for German factories and power plants that rely on deliveries by ship.'This is particularly the case for the Rhine, whose nautical bottleneck at Kaub has very low water level | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s first-ever extreme heat warning is in effect for large parts of England as hot, dry weather that has scorched mainland Europe for the past week moves north, disrupting travel, health care and schools.The “red” alert will last throughout Monday and Tuesday when temperatures may reach 40 C (104 F) for the first time, posing a risk of serious illness and even death among healthy people, according to the U.K. Met Office, the country’s weather service. The highest temperature ever recorded in Britain is 38.7 C (101.7 F), a record set in 2019.While Monday is likely to bring record highs to southeastern England, temperatures are expected to rise further as the warm air moves north on Tuesday, Met Office CEO Penelope Endersby said. The extreme heat warning stretches from London in the south to Manchester and Leeds in the north.“So it’s tomorrow that we’re really seeing the higher chance of 40 degrees and temperatures above that,’’ Endersby told the BBC. “Forty-one isn’t off the cards. We’ve even got some 43s in the model, but we’re hoping it won’t be as high as that.”Hot weather has gripped southern Europe since last week, triggering wildfires in Spain, Portugal and France. Almost 600 heat-related deaths have been reported in Spain and Portugal, where temperatures reached 47 C (117 F) last week.Climate experts warn that global warming has increased the frequency of extreme weather events, with studies showing that the likelihood of temperatures in the U.K. reaching 40C is now 10 times higher than in the pre-industrial era. Drought and heat waves tied to climate change have also made wildfires harder to fight.Officials in southern France’s Gironde region announced plans to evacuate an additional 3,500 people from towns threatened by the raging flames. More than 1,500 firefighters and water-bombing planes are trying to douse the flames in the region’s tinder-dry pine forests.In Britain, train operators are asking customers not to travel unless absolutely necessary because the heat is likely to warp rails and disrupt power supplies, leading to severe delays. Some medical appointments have been canceled to relieve strain on the health service. While some schools have closed, others are setting up wading pools and water sprays to help children cool off.Britain is unaccustomed to the temperatures forecast this week, and few homes, schools or small businesses have air conditioning. Across the U.K., average July temperatures range from a daily high of 21 C (70 F) to a low of 12 C (53 F).Nightfall will bring little relief from the heat, with the Met Office forecasting temperatures of 29 C (84 F) at midnight in London.Monday night will be “very oppressive” and it will be difficult to sleep, Chief Meteorologist Paul Davies said.“Tomorrow is the day where we are really concerned about a good chance now of hitting 40 or 41C, and with that all the health conditions that come with those higher temperatures,” he said. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Two million more households are hit by ANOTHER hosepipe ban: South East Water announces ban as Britain's dry spell continues Published: 03:02 EDT, 3 August 2022 | Updated: 03:08 EDT, 3 August 2022 A second hosepipe ban hitting millions more households in South East England from next Friday was announced today as Britain's dry spell continues.South East Water has confirmed a 'temporary usage ban' from August 12, meaning the use of hosepipes or sprinklers will be restricted for people in Kent and Sussex.Around 2.2million customers across the counties will be hit by the ban, with the supplier saying the demand for water this summer has broken all previous records.South East Water, which lost 88.7million litres of water a day through leaking pipes last year, is the second UK water firm to bring in a hosepipe ban so far this summer.Last week, Southern Water announced a ban for nearly a million of its customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight that comes into force this Friday. THEN AND NOW: The water level at Bewl Water reservoir (left, in May 2021; and right, last Tuesday) near Lamberhurst in Kent, which is currently measured at 67 per cent of its capacity It will mean hosepipes cannot be used to water gardens or clean cars, and ornamental ponds and private swimming pools must not be filled.Flouting the restriction could lead to prosecution and a court fine of up to £1,000.An internal South East Water briefing on plans for the new ban, seen by the Daily Mail yesterday, noted that other water companies could follow suit as they are 'really thinking hard on their positions'.The firm has already called on its customers to voluntarily turn off their hosepipes and sprinkler systems as the hot, dry weather continues.South East Water said in an announcement today: 'The use of a hosepipe or sprinkler will be restricted from Friday, August 12 for our customers in Kent and Sussex. Very dry grass at Boughton and Eastwell Cricket Club in Ashford, Kent, pictured last Friday'This has been a time of extreme weather conditions across the UK. Official figures show this is the driest July on record since 1935 and the period between November 2021 and July 2022 has been the driest eight-month stint since 1976.'During July in the South East, we have only seen 8 percent of average rainfall for the month, and the long term forecast for August and September is for similar weather.'The demand for water this summer has broken all previous records, including the Covid lockdown heatwave.'We have been producing an additional 120 million litres of water a day to supply our customers, which is the equivalent of supplying a further four towns the size of Maidstone or Eastbourne, daily. Firefighters dampen dampen down dry grass that caught alight at Barton's Point Coastal Park on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent last month'We have been left with no choice but to restrict the use of hosepipes and sprinklers from 0.01am on Friday, August 12 within our Kent and Sussex supply area until further notice.'We are taking this step to ensure we have enough water for both essential use and to protect the environment. This will enable us to also reduce the amount of water we need to take from already stressed local water sources.'Lee Dance, South East Water's head of water resources, had also said last week: 'Clearly, we are in a very dry and warm period and the forecast is that this may continue for a number of weeks.'Mr Dance added: 'We have been looking very closely at the current situation and assessing the likelihood of restrictions and other measures. The Met Office said southern England had seen its driest July since records began in 1836'If our assessment reveals voluntary reduction of water use will not allow us to maintain supplies of water for essential use or to protect the environment, then we may need to impose more formal bans.'The most prominent water company that has hinted it could also bring in a hosepipe ban this summer is Thames Water.The firm said in a statement last week: 'If we do not receive around or above average rainfall in the coming months, this will increase pressure on our resources and may, indeed, result in the need for more water saving measures including restrictions.'This week, the Met Office said southern England had experienced its driest July since records began in 1836. South East Water has confirmed a 'temporary usage ban' in Kent and Sussex from August 12South-East and central southern England saw an average of just 5mm (0.2ins) of rain last month, while East Anglia had only a fraction more with 5.4mm (0.21ins).Most of England – with the exception of the North-West – has moved into a state of 'prolonged dry weather'.This is described by the Environment Agency as 'the first stage of a drought', raising the spectre of restrictions such as hosepipe bans.The Isle of Man also announced a hosepipe ban last week, while Welsh Water has said it may have to bring in a similar restriction in Pembrokeshire. Advertisement | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has developed a new strategy to better engage with hundreds of Native American tribes as they face climate change-related disasters, the agency announced Thursday.FEMA will include the 574 federally recognized tribal nations in discussions about possible future dangers from climate change. It has earmarked $50 million in grants for tribes pursuing ways to ease burdens related to extreme weather. Tribal governments will be offered more training on how to navigate applying for FEMA funds. The new plan calls for tribal liaisons to give a yearly report to FEMA leaders on how prepared tribes are.“We are seeing communities across the country that are facing increased threats as a result of climate change," FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said in a conference call with media. “What we want to do in this strategy is make sure that we can reach out to tribal nations and help them understand what the potential future threats are going to be.”In recent years, tribal and Indigenous communities have faced upheaval dealing with changing sea levels as well as an increase in floods and wildfires. Tribal citizens have lost homes or live in homes that need to be relocated because of coastal erosion. Some cannot preserve cultural traditions like hunting and fishing because of climate-related drought.Lynda Zambrano, executive director of the Snohomish, Washington-based National Tribal Emergency Management Council, said tribes historically had to make do with nobody to guide them. For example, over 200 Native villages in Alaska have had to share one FEMA tribal liaison. Or different tribes were told different things. So, nonprofits like the council tried to fill in gaps with their own training, she said.“The way that I equate it to people is that they built the highway, but they never created the on ramps,” Zambrano said. “If FEMA is just now getting around to building the ramps, well, that’d be a good thing. But there needs to be very clear policy and procedure and direction—and it has to be consistent.”Tribes have historically been disproportionately impacted by natural disasters because they are in high-risk areas and have little infrastructure, she added. They will only continue to be vulnerable.It was only in 2013 under the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act that federally recognized tribes obtained the ability to directly request emergency and disaster declarations. Before, they had to apply for disaster funding through the states.The new strategy emphasizes making sure tribes know of every FEMA grant program and how to apply for it. The hope is this will give them an equitable chance at getting funding. The agency hopes to find ways to get around barriers like FEMA cost share, or the portion of disaster or project funding that the federal government will cover. In some cases, tribes simply can't afford to pay their share.“In those areas where we can’t, what we want to do is to be able to work with the tribes to help them find other funding sources to help them stitch together the different funding streams that might be out there," Criswell said.However, FEMA’s new strategy to engage Native tribes seems specifically aimed at those with federal recognition. That would seem to leave out tribes that only have state recognition or no recognition. In a place like Louisiana that nuance could leave out many Native Americans most affected by climate change.When Hurricane Ida came ashore in 2021, it devastated a large swath of southeast Louisiana that has been home to Native Americans for centuries. With climate change, hurricanes are expected to get stronger and wetter. But the tribes most affected by Ida say not having federal recognition has stymied their ability to prepare for and recover from storms.Cherie Matherne is the cultural heritage and resiliency coordinator for the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe. Upon hearing about FEMA’s announcement, she said she wished the changes would also be applied to tribes without federal recognition like hers.“It’s an oversight if they don’t work with state recognized tribes,” said Matherne, who is living in a trailer next to her gutted home in southeastern Louisiana. “If there are grants for tribal nations and tribal people that would be very helpful information for people to know.”FEMA will continue to work with state and local governments to ensure state -recognized tribes are getting assistance, agency officials said.Another change under the new strategy is more FEMA staff meeting tribes on their land, a request the agency got from multiple tribes. This will include anything from in-person technical assistance in small, rural communities to appearing at large national or regional tribal events.Bill Auberle, co-founder of the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals at Northern Arizona University, said this focus on regular interactions on tribal land is an immense development. More intimate discussions such as workshops, roundtables and webinars are “exceedingly important to tribes.”“It's one thing to send out a notice and say ‘We would like your response,'" Auberle said. “Some of those tribes are small but have very serious needs. FEMA can certainly appreciate that.”In addition to making more funds available to tribes, FEMA could also help by providing things like technical support as tribes prepare for and adapt to climate change, Auberle said.The push to ensure all tribes fully understand how to access FEMA assistance or other related grants will be done with webinars, tribal consultations or regular meetings with FEMA regional staff.Agency workers will get trained as well, learning a historic and legal overview about tribal sovereignty and cultural sensitivities.Zambrano, of the National Tribal Emergency Management Council, hope this leads to every tribal nation getting funding for an emergency management program.“Our tribal nations are a good 30 years behind the curveball in developing their emergency management programs,” she said. “Nobody is better at being able to identify, mitigate, prepare and respond to a disaster in Indian Country than the people that live there.”___Associated Press writer Rebecca Santana in New Orleans contributed to this report.____Terry Tang is a member of The Associated Press’ Race and Ethnicity team. Follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ttangAP | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Steam rises from the cooling towers of the coal-fired power plant at Duke Energy's Crystal River Energy Complex in Crystal River, Florida, U.S., March 26, 2021. REUTERS/Dane Rhys/Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comJune 30 (Reuters) - Here are reactions to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Thursday limiting the federal government's authority to issue sweeping regulations to reduce carbon emissions from power plants. read more U.S. PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN"Today’s decision sides with special interests that have waged a long-term campaign to strip away our right to breathe clean air. We cannot and will not ignore the danger to public health and existential threat the climate crisis poses. The science confirms what we all see with our own eyes – the wildfires, droughts, extreme heat, and intense storms are endangering our lives and livelihoods... I will take action."ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY"We are reviewing the Supreme Court’s decision. EPA is committed to using the full scope of its existing authorities to protect public health and significantly reduce environmental pollution, which is in alignment with the growing clean energy economy."Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWEST VIRGINIA ATTORNEY GENERAL PATRICK MORRISEY"Huge victory against federal overreach and the excesses of the administrative state. This is a HUGE win for West Virginia, our energy jobs and those who care about maintaining separation of powers in our nation."CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM"SCOTUS sided with the fossil fuel industry, kneecapping EPA's basic ability to tackle climate change. CA will lead this fight with our $53.9 BILLION climate commitment. We’ll reduce pollution, protect people from extreme weather & leave the world better off than we found it."UNITED NATIONS SPOKESMAN STEPHANE DUJARRIC"This is a setback in our fight against climate change, when we are already far off-track in meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement.... An emergency as global in nature as climate change requires a global response, and the actions of a single nation should not and cannot make or break whether we reach our climate objectives."YAMIDE DAGNET, DIRECTOR FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE, OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATIONS"Backsliding is now the dominant trend in the climate space. To renew confidence in its leadership, the U.S. will need to swiftly pivot and keep its targets on track, while seeking to raise ambition."MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, U.N. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR CLIMATE AMBITION"This decision marks the second time in a week that the Supreme Court has turned back the clock to darker days that have dangerous implications for public health. The decision to side with polluters over the public will cost American lives and cause an enormous amount of preventable suffering, with the biggest burden falling on low-income communities and communities of color."JODY FREEMAN, HARVARD UNIVERSITY LAW PROFESSOR"This is a lifeline to extending the use of coal."U.S. SENATOR KEVIN CRAMER, NORTH DAKOTA REPUBLICAN"Today’s ruling reaffirms Congress never intended the federal government to regulate greenhouse gas emissions for the states."LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS"This is an outrageous decision that will jeopardize our communities and planet in favor of polluters and their far-right allies."JOHANNA CHAO KREILICK, PRESIDENT, UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS"The very agency that the court has recognized is tasked with the obligation to act has been significantly curtailed in so doing. It defies logic and defies common sense... EPA has no choice. It must make do with the authority it retains to quickly advance as robust a set of power plant standards as it can."NANCY PELOSI, U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER AND CALIFORNIA DEMOCRAT"This devastating decision is the latest in the efforts by extremist and partisan Republican-appointed Justices to take a wrecking ball to the health, liberty and security of the American people. In just two weeks, the Court has acted to erase reproductive health freedom, flood our public places with more deadly weapons and, now, to let our planet burn.”SENATE MINORITY LEADER MITCH MCCONNELL, KENTUCKY REPUBLICAN"Even as energy prices spiral out of control and experts warn of electricity blackouts, the Biden Administration has continued the Left's war on affordable domestic energy and proposed to saddle the electric power sector with expensive regulatory requirements."MATTHEW SAMUDA, JAMAICAN MINISTER FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH AND JOB CREATION, WHO WORKS ON CLIMATE ACTION"Refusal to cut these emissions, by any of the individual nations or by the collective, is sentencing the developing world to continued poverty, increased instability, homelessness and potential death.... we appeal to the greatest emitters amongst us to show common humanity."JUTTA PAULUS, GERMAN GREEN LAWMAKER IN EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT"The arch-conservative U.S. Supreme Court has delivered another radical ruling. This time, however, not only citizens of the USA are affected, but the consequences affect the entire world population... Three months before the UN Climate Change Conference in Egypt, this is a serious setback."Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Washington bureau; Editing by Howard GollerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Leonardo Zamudio, who works for the Long Beach Environmental Services Bureau, takes a break from handling bins of waste to wipe his face. "It's hot inside the cab sitting over the hot engine as well," he said. (Al Seib / For The Times)A delivery driver relies on 15 bottles of water to get him through his route. A beekeeper keeps a portable fan under her veil. A construction worker starts as early as 6 a.m. but still ends the day with a sweat-soaked shirt.This week's triple-digit heat wave has pounded workers across Southern California, particularly those who labor primarily outdoors or whose workplaces, like many warehouses, lack air conditioning. It's yet another way that climate change is contributing to inequality, and it is only going to get worse."We’re seeing temperatures increase, we’re seeing heat waves become more common," said Amir Jina, an assistant professor at the University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy who researches how environmental change affects societal development. "This is really an effect less borne by the person in the high-paying job in an air-conditioned office" and more by people in lower-income jobs, such as warehouse workers and delivery drivers."This is not a problem equally felt across society,” he said.Extreme heat takes a toll on workers' output, limiting how long they're able to work and how effectively they can perform their jobs.It also threatens their health. From 1992 to 2017, about 815 U.S. workers died of heat stress, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. More than 70,000 have been injured.For workers in marginalized groups, the effects of intense heat waves are magnified by preexisting disparities in health and environmental safety, said Michael Méndez, an assistant professor studying environmental policy and justice in UC Irvine's department of urban planning and public policy. "You add another layer, an extreme weather event, and they experience a triple burden of impact,” he said.California is among the states to establish standards for heat exposure, requiring employers to provide access to fresh water and shade, as well as training about heat illness prevention and planning. At a Los Angeles news conference Tuesday, union members, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) advocated for the passage of legislation mandating federal workplace heat stress protections."It hasn’t yet been internalized by people that when the workforce isn’t healthy, when the workforce isn’t productive ... that's not just affecting them and their well-being, it's also affecting your business, your productivity," Jina said.The Times interviewed six workers who had to work in this week's extreme temperatures about what it has been like and how they've tried to keep cool.Leonardo Zamudio, sanitation workerOn the hottest days, "all I can think about is how the sun feels on my body," said Leonardo Zamudio, a refuse operator for the city of Long Beach Environmental Services Bureau. (Al Seib / For The Times)Leonardo Zamudio operates what he calls an “old school” garbage truck for the city of Long Beach.There’s no automated arm, no twiddling of a joystick from an air-conditioned truck cabin. For each bin of steaming trash Zamudio collects, he has to climb out and manually lug the can to the truck. Then he hooks it onto the arms — called "tippers" — attached to the back of the truck, pushes up a lever and dumps the contents in.In theory, Zamudio said, sanitation workers should be able to stay somewhat cool when he’s up in the cabin between stops. But not every truck he operates has working air conditioning. In the mornings, he tests the A/C system: If it fails his informal inspection, he makes sure to file a report. He said he reported his truck earlier this week after finding it was not cooling down properly.Even with functioning air conditioning for much of the last week, the work has been difficult, said Zamudio, 31.All the climbing in and out and walking around to the back means Zamudio gets a blast of the hot air that streams out of the truck’s side while the engine is running. He walks a lot — up to eight miles a day — retrieving trash bins from deep in alleys and behind commercial businesses, he said.“All I can think about is how the sun feels on my body, on my face, on my skin,” Zamudio said. "I try to focus on what I’m doing. Sometimes I make mistakes when [the heat is] starting to get too much. That’s when I know I need to stop for a minute.”He'll signal to his partner that he needs a break. They'll get their water, take a swig, then head back out into the hot air.After a day of collecting garbage in sweltering temperatures, Zamudio said he has no energy."I miss out on just catching up with my family because all I want to do is lay in the room with A/C and take naps,” he said.Robin Jones, beekeeperAs the heat wave began Wednesday morning, beekeeper Robin Jones headed to one of her hives on a Hollywood rooftop.“It might be 90 out there, but on the roof, it’s 120,” said Jones, 47.Jones has an arsenal of strategies to handle the heat when covered from head to toe in her heavy beekeeper’s suit. She wears a portable fan under her veil, a wet scarf around her neck and — if it’s really bad — a frozen water bladder on her back that cools her off as it thaws. To hydrate, she drinks unflavored Pedialyte.She has broken out in hives — the other kind — three times from the heat.On Wednesday, she started her day around 8 a.m. Any earlier would’ve been risky, said Jones, a beekeeper of 15 years.“You want more bees off to work when you open a hive and pull out the honey,” she said. “You don’t want everybody home paying attention to you.”As the sun rose in the sky, Jones harvested five gallons of honey from the hives she installed as part of a rooftop garden for the celebrated restaurant Providence, which grows delicacies such as oyster leaves and edible flowers. A single gallon of honey requires the nectar of about 5,000 flowers, Jones said. Her company, Honey Girl Grows, designs, installs and tends gardens for restaurants and corporations, as well as residential projects.“When you feel that first tickle of sweat, you think, 'Is something in your suit?' Then all of a sudden, you feel it pouring down your spine,” Jones said. “There is no boob sweat like a beekeeper’s boob sweat.”Later that same afternoon, Jones donned her full beekeeping suit at the hottest time of the day to tend a hive of “very defensive” bees on a rooftop in Venice. She duct-taped the ankles of her pants, closing off any entrance points. She put on two pairs of neoprene gloves, which gather pools of sweat inside but have their place: when you get stung, Jones said, the outer pair can be peeled off quickly so you get less bee venom.“Beekeeping suits are like mini saunas, but the Venice rooftop view is nice!” she said.Saul Rubio, construction workerAt 7 a.m., the temperature had already climbed above 80 degrees in Monrovia, and Saul Rubio, 50, was taking his first break from screwing sheet rock panels onto the walls of a five-story hotel project at Myrtle Avenue and Huntington Drive.A construction worker with 30 years of experience, he said he has never worked in such an oppressive heat wave. It’s hard enough lifting 50-pound panels of sheet rock while wearing a 6-pound tool belt, but when the temperatures reach triple digits, Rubio said he longs for winter.“Winter is much easier — cooler,” he said in Spanish.The job site uniform offers no mercy during heat waves: Everyone wears a hard hat, a neon-orange safety vest on top of a long-sleeve shirt, long pants and heavy work boots, preferably with steel-toe protection. The air is filled with the cacophony of pounding hammers and morning traffic.To help the workers cope with the heat, the construction company building the 109-room hotel adjusted the work hours: The crew starts as early as 6 a.m. and works until 2 p.m., with lots of breaks in between. In cooler weather, the shifts can begin as late as 8 a.m. At the start of a recent shift, the foreman dispatched a worker to buy bags of ice to cool the water bottles stored in an ice chest inside a metal storage container.Rubio said the workers catch a small break when they work in the indoor shade, where they keep a 10-gallon cooler of water. He can’t guess how much water he drinks a day but it’s enough that he finishes each shift with his shirt soaking wet.“I go home, take off my wet shirt and put on a dry one and relax,” he said, knowing he will drench another shirt the next day.Juan Rojas, delivery driverBeads of sweat form on Juan Rojas’ face as he trudges down a street on his Hollywood route, arms filled with packages. It’s midday Wednesday, the first day of what forecasters expect to be California’s longest and most intense heat wave of the year, and Rojas has too many deliveries to make.The blue and black reflective vest Rojas, 28, wears marks him as a delivery driver for Amazon. He says he has more than 200 packages stacked in a gray Amazon-branded van, precariously parked on the narrow road some 30 yards behind him."Our dispatch will ask, 'Hey, why are your drivers taking forever?' But you know, sometimes it's hard for us to deliver to a customer — to get inside a building,” Rojas said. "Drivers, they get hurt because they gotta rush everything.”Rojas says he’s lucky today: His van has air conditioning. Usually, Rojas drives bigger trucks, which he says often don’t.“It's hard to look for packages inside" the big trucks, Rojas said. “Outside could be like 90 degrees. Inside, it's going to be like 100 and something, probably could reach 120.”Rojas said he recently has been making sure to pack at least 15 bottles of water. It’s normal for him to finish each of the 16-ounce bottles by the end of the day. Sometimes, he has to do a grocery run to buy more mid-shift.When it's hot, Rojas tries to take his time."I tend to go slow. Because even though I have water, sometimes you just are overworking your body,” he said.Saalika Khan, production assistantIt was around noon and 103 degrees when Saalika Khan nearly passed out. She was working as a production assistant on a set in Sylmar, where a company was shooting a scene in a convenience store.Khan, 32, said she ran around all morning on the hot asphalt of the parking lot, propping up tents and setting up chairs for the actors.Khan said when she bent to pick up two more plastic folding chairs, it hit her. She stumbled and dropped the chairs, her vision went blurry, and she started gagging. On the ground, Khan said her hands burned on the asphalt.The set's medic asked if he could call an ambulance, and when Khan said no, he had her sit in the corner of a tent for two hours, she said."He was like, 'You gotta keep drinking tons and tons of water,' so I was downing several bottles of water periodically."Khan said the medic told her she was the second person to need medical attention on the set, the other being one of the production's truck drivers. Khan declined to identify the company shooting the commercial and other details of the project because she signed a nondisclosure agreement as part of her contract.She called her mom from the medic's tent, and together they decided she should not continue working Thursday and Friday, where she would have had to work on set in Ontario and in Northridge, where temperatures were projected to reach nearly 110 degrees.She said she couldn't afford to forego the $250 a day she was making, and she didn't want supervisors to think she was weak and decide to not hire her for future projects. In the end, she said, she did not feel well enough to work. Khan spent Thursday holed up in her apartment chugging Suero, an electrolyte drink recommended for hydrating after working in heat intensive environments.Khan said she’s been thinking about the effects of climate change a lot. Khan was born in Karachi, Pakistan, which has been ravaged in recent weeks by record-breaking flooding that has killed more than 1,000 people and displaced millions. She has some extended family in Pakistan, but they don’t live in the hardest-hit areas.“I'm living comfortably, safely in America — you know, relatively safe, compared to like, you know, what's going on there,” she said. Pakistan is "getting the brunt of it right now, but it's coming for us all.… Climate change is serious. It's only going to get hotter.”Teodosio Villegas, garment workerBoiling steam from the industrial ironing machines Teodosio Villegas operates on garment factory floors is dangerous enough. Combined with sweatshop-like conditions and Los Angeles’ August heat, there is no relief, he said.Villegas said he burned his arm in early August because his ironing machine wasn't working properly. That same week, he said the machine another worker operated directly behind him blew steam that burned the skin on his back.Many garment factories in downtown Los Angeles are known for their suffocating conditions year-round: the small shuttered windows, locked doors, ambient heat from equipment and no air conditioning, with workers pressured to produce at fast paces.Villegas said a factory at Pico Boulevard and Maple Avenue, where he worked last week was no different. "Everyone was sweating. My clothes were soaking wet,” he said.Very rarely do Villegas’ bosses provide drinking water, he said. When water is available, it’s usually roach-infested, with a yellow tint and a dirty, unchanged filter, he said. He and other workers typically bring to work their own jugs of water, which eats about $1.75 from the $75 he takes home on an average day.He said he confronted his manager last week about the heat, showing his card indicating his membership with the Garment Worker Center, a group that provides resources and services to apparel workers in downtown L.A. “It didn’t help,” Villegas said. “He made an angry face. He looked very upset.”Villegas said he thinks that’s why he hasn’t been assigned work since then, and he is worried that he has not earned money for several days.Asked what measures he takes to mitigate the summer heat, Villegas said he does nothing. “We work like this because of necessity,” he said. “I just deal with it.”This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
China is scrambling to alleviate power shortages and bring more water to the drought-hit basin of the Yangtze river as it battles a record-breaking heatwave by seeding clouds, deploying relief funds and developing new sources of supply.For more than two months, baking temperatures have disrupted crop growth, threatened livestock and forced industries in the hydropower-dependent regions of the south-west to shut down to ensure electricity supplies for homes.China has repeatedly warned that it faces a proliferation of extreme weather events in coming years as it tries to adapt to climate change and rising temperatures that are likely to be more severe than elsewhere.A villager fills up at a water distribution point in Luoping village in south-west China’s Chongqing municipality. Photograph: Xinhua/REX/ShutterstockThe current extreme heat is likely to stem from a “special case” of high pressure from the western Pacific extending over much of Asia, said Cai Wenju, a researcher with Australia’s national scientific research institute, CSIRO.China’s heatwave has run for 64 days, making it the longest since full records began in 1961, state media said, citing data from the national climate centre. High temperatures will persist until 26 August in the Sichuan basin and large parts of central China, according to forecasts.On Wednesday, China’s south-western province of Sichuan said it would ration power supplies to homes, offices and shopping malls, after having already ordered producers of energy-intensive metals and fertiliser to curb operations.In what appears to be an official call to cut electricity use, government offices were asked to set air conditioners no lower than 26C (79F) and use the stairs instead of lifts, the Sichuan Daily said.Fountains, light shows and commercial activities after dark are to be suspended, it added.On Wednesday, the central province of Hubei became the latest to unveil an effort to induce rainfall, by sending airplanes to fire the chemical silver iodide into the clouds.Other regions on the Yangtze have also launched “cloud seeding” programmes, but with cloud cover too thin, operations in some parched areas have stayed on standby.Power shortages have also prompted several companies in the sprawling Chongqing region bordering Sichuan to say they would suspend production.China’s vice premier, Han Zheng, visited the state grid corporation on Wednesday and said further efforts were needed to ensure power supply for residents and key industries, and to prevent power cuts, according to a state media report.China should accelerate projects to improve power load management and promote the joint operation of coal power and renewable energy, Han said.Staff carry out artificial rain seeding operations as part of the drought relief measures in Zigui county of Yichang, Hubei province, on Tuesday. Photograph: China Daily/ReutersHydropower makes up about 80% of Sichuan’s power capacity, but dwindling water flows on the Yangtze and its tributaries led to a struggle to meet mounting demand for air conditioning as temperatures soared to 40C and beyond.Average precipitation in Sichuan is 51% less than that of previous years, according to state news agency Xinhua, which cited the provincial branch of state grid.Some reservoirs have dried up, after water from major rivers reduced by as much as half, it said.Drought throughout the Yangtze river basin was also “adversely affecting” drinking water for rural people and livestock, as well as the growth of crops, the water resources ministry said in a notice.It urged drought-hit regions to make plans to maintain water supply with steps such as temporary water transfer, the development of new sources and the extension of pipe networks.To boost downstream supplies, China’s biggest hydropower project, the Three Gorges dam, will step up water discharges by 500m cubic metres over the next 10 days, it said on Tuesday. Water flows there this week were about half those of a year earlier.Some livestock from drought-hit areas had been temporarily moved elsewhere, the finance ministry said this week, promising disaster relief of 300m yuan ($44m). | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Firefighters in California are battling several news blazes that ignited as the state is sweltering under a grueling heatwave.Flames burned through bone-dry brush in rural areas north of Los Angeles and east of San Diego on Thursday, forcing the closure of a major interstate and prompting evacuations of schools and care facilities.The new fires come amid a prolongued and possibly record-setting heat wave that is engulfing the western US and is expected to last until Labor Day. Temperatures in the mid to upper 90s and lower 100s will likely result in widespread daily temperature records each day, the National Weather Service said on Thursday. Excessive heat warnings are in effect across the desert south-west and California, with heat advisories stretching across much of the central Great Basin.High nighttime temperatures will only increase the heat stress, the service warned, creating potentially dangerous situations for vulnerable individuals.Some areas in California already broke records – on Wednesday, Burbank reported a new August high at 112F. The state’s governor, Gavin Newsom , declared a state of emergency in response to the high temperatures, and warned the heatwave will strain the state’s power grid. The operator of the grid has asked residents to reduce use of electricity to avoid forced outages.Meanwhile, parents in Los Angeles have called for more shade at local schools, where playground asphalt can reach temperatures of 145F, according to the Los Angeles Times.The heat has created particularly difficult working conditions for firefighters. Seven firefighters suffered heat injuries while battling the Route Fire near Castaic and had to be treated at hospitals, said Thomas Ewald, the Los Angeles county fire department deputy chief.Temperatures in the area on Wednesday hit 107F (42C) and winds gusted to 17mph (27 km/h), forecasters said. More heat emergencies are expected, Ewald added, as crews grapple with the extreme weather that is expected to linger until next week.“Wearing heavy firefighting gear, carrying packs, dragging hose, swinging tools, the folks out there are just taking a beating,” he said.The Route fire in north-western Los Angeles county destroyed a home after raging through more than 8 sq miles of hills containing scattered houses. The blaze briefly closed Interstate 5, a key route for big rigs, before authorities reopened some lanes on the highway Thursday morning. Traffic has remained snarled as firefighters try to get a hold on the fire, which currently is estimated to be 12% contained. “The days ahead are going to be challenging,” said Robert Garcia, the Los Angeles national forest fire chief, of the battle against the Route fire.Media reports showed a wall of flames advancing uphill and smoke billowing thousands of feet into the air while aircraft dumped water from nearby Castaic Lake. Authorities planned to lift evacuation orders for a mobile home park and other homes in the area thanks to strong work from ground crews, helicopters and airplanes dropping water and fire retardant on the blaze, Ewald said.A separate fire in eastern San Diego county, near the US-Mexico border, burned at least four buildings and prompted evacuations.The fire swiftly grew to more than 6 sq miles and prompted evacuation orders for at least 400 homes, authorities said. The fire was 5% contained.🔥 Dangerous traffic jam along the 5 Freeway amid triple digit temperatures as a result of the 250 acre #RouteFire near Castaic Lake… Paradise Mobile Estates now under a 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙘𝙪𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧 pic.twitter.com/73DZf9LPmw— Chris Cristi (@abc7chriscristi) August 31, 2022
No injuries were immediately reported, but there were “multiple close calls” as residents rushed to flee, said Capt Thomas Shoots of the California department of forestry and fire protection (CalFire).“We had multiple 911 calls from folks unable to evacuate” because their homes were surrounded by the fire, Shoots told the San Diego Union-Tribune.US Customs and Border Protection announced that the Tecate port of entry with Mexico closed three hours early on Wednesday night because of the fire and would not reopen until conditions improved to ensure “the safety of the traveling public”. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
The toll from extreme weather has devastated vast regions of sub-Saharan Africa which are suffering from the worst drought conditions on record and a food crisis that ranges from severe to catastrophic. Correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro looks at one effort to help farmers impacted by the changing weather patterns. Judy Woodruff: Leaders from African countries are meeting this week in Gabon, trying to come up with strategies to combat climate change. The toll from extreme weather has devastated vast regions of sub-Saharan Africa, suffering from the worst drought conditions on record and a severe food crisis.Correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro looks at one effort to help farmers affected by changing weather patterns.This story is produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center. Fred de Sam Lazaro: Like much of East Africa, South Sudan has suffered scorching droughts. Yet, in an cruel twist, many parts of this country are actually still inundated from flooding late last year. Nhial Tiitmamer, The Sudd Institute: What has happened in the last three years in South Sudan has never been seen in living memory. Fred de Sam Lazaro: Nhial Tiitmamer is a climate scientist based in South Sudan's capital, Juba.This country has been ravaged by war before independence in 2011, civil conflict since then, and erratic weather. Flooding added hundreds of thousands of climate refugees to those fleeing conflict. About two million people live in squalid camps. The country faces an acute hunger crisis.So, the fields, as you can see, are pretty waterlogged already. And we're told that the rains have not really arrived in earnest.Just outside the northern city of Malakal, we visited farmers laboring on and preparing their fields, investing as much in hope as any harvest. Nyanakim Achuiel, Farmer (through translator): We grow okra, collard greens, maize and cassava, but, because of all the water, most of these things are not going to be planted. Fred de Sam Lazaro: Nyanakim Achuiel belongs to a women's garden group organized by the Christian humanitarian group World Vision. Nyanakim Achuiel (through translator): We have seen a lot of changes in the weather compared to the years before. And our output has been very low. Fred de Sam Lazaro: Scientists see a much longer trend. Across East Africa, average temperatures have risen a full degree Celsius, 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit, over the past 50 years, making for hotter dry seasons and wetter rainy ones, the drought-baked soil unable to absorb water fast enough to prevent flooding. Nhial Tiitmamer: Much of the water that is in East Africa here in the region is from the Indian Ocean. The Indian Ocean is one of the most warming oceans in the world. And because of this warming, there is a lot of evaporation that is bringing rain to East Africa. Andrew Youn, Co-Founder, One Acre Fund: From a global perspective, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has noted a one-third reduction in yields as a result of climate change over the last 60 years. Fred de Sam Lazaro: Andrew Youn founded the Kenya-based One Acre Fund, a nonprofit that helps farmers in several African nations produce more and adapt to the changing climate.Small farmers make up the majority of the world's poor, Youn says, yet little is being done to help them. Andrew Youn: Less than 2 percent of climate finance goes to farmers. It's just absolutely crazy that one of the most affected populations in the world, one of the most vulnerable populations in the world, and there's — it's like they don't even exist as part of the climate dialogue.And there's lots of really actionable, scalable, cost-effective things that we can do. Fred de Sam Lazaro: One Acre Fund serves about 1.4 million farmers who've signed up for its program. That size allows it to buy good quality seeds and fertilizers at bulk discounts, which are passed on to farmers, along with credit to purchase these resources.And, if a crop fails, there's limited insurance through loan forgiveness. And the group educates farmers, providing critical expertise. Hundreds of field agents, like Marie Claire Mugeni in Eastern Rwanda, advise on how to space seeds, the right doses of compost and fertilizer, and the best time to plant. Immaculee Mukamana, Farmer (through translator): They taught us how to properly use fertilizers and how to apply lime in the field for acidity. Fred de Sam Lazaro: Fifty-three-year-old Immaculee Mukamana says her maize crop yields doubled when she first joined One Acre Fund two years ago. But after this year's drought, she has very little food left in reserve. Immaculee Mukamana (through translator): I was expecting more than 660 pounds of maize. I got just 88. Fred de Sam Lazaro: To help survive lean years, One Acre Fund is now pushing members to diversify, to grow more than one compatible crop in the same field, for example, or grow specialty crops like vegetables.Protais Barushwanubusa had a poor crop of maize and potatoes this year. But with bumper harvests a year earlier, he had savings. He purchased a diesel pump, which now waters an abundant field of vegetables he will sell in nearby markets insurance, against another sparse grain or potato crop. Protais Barushwanubusa, Farmer (through translator): I'm currently growing tomatoes, green peppers, and eggplants. Before, I could grow these vegetables, but not at a large scale. But since I now have this pump, I use it to irrigate even during dry season or when there is no rain. Fred de Sam Lazaro: Another climate-driven initiative here is planting a billion trees on farmers' lands. Other such campaigns have been difficult to sustain.But One Acre Fund says its focus is on the economic benefits, as much as environmental, using trees that can provide wood or fruit. At the edge of the tree nursery is a demonstrator model, if you will, that should clinch the deal with any reluctant farmer. This 2-year-old avocado tree is already about 10-feet tall. It's already bearing fruit, and in one year will be considered full-grown, and at that stage is expected to bear something like 600 pounds of avocado each season. Andrew Youn: When farmers sell those avocados, if they're not able to find markets, they can eat them. And avocados are obviously wonderful for child nutrition. And then, of course, there's a modest carbon benefit, because that tree is never cut down. Fred de Sam Lazaro: It sounds good in theory, but: Immaculee Mukamana (through translator): The trees I got, they died. Fred de Sam Lazaro: The real world is where farmers like Immaculee live. The drought forced her to take a job far from her field, she says, and water was scarce. Milindi Sibomana, One Acre Fund: So, what we're doing now with the avocados, we're delivering them a bit more mature than we did in the past. Fred de Sam Lazaro: Milindi Sibomana heads research and development for One Acre in Rwanda. Milindi Sibomana: So, they will need slightly less care, not no care, but slightly less care. Fred de Sam Lazaro: It's learning as you go, he says, with feedback from farmers and results from research plots like these. Milindi Sibomana: We test the product here before we scale it. Fred de Sam Lazoro: This maize plot was planted in late March, too late, it turns out, because the rains came and ended earlier than usual. Milindi Sibomana: It didn't cob well. There's no grain on it. Fred de Sam Lazaro: A failed crop, but that's how these test plots offer data on what to plant, where, and, based on weather forecasts, when. Milindi Sibomana: We try and capture as many variations in conditions. If you use the right fertilizer, if you use the right practices, this is the crop that you're going to get from it. Fred de Sam Lazaro: The average yield on One Acre Fund farms has increased 40, a solid buffer that can help them cope with the changing climate, says Andrew Youn, a Minnesota native who's lived in East Africa since 2006. Andrew Youn: The actionable solutions are there. They're cost-effective. They're scalable. It's not like you need to invent fusion or anything like that. It's ultra-simple. All we need are resources.So, that's what I call a kind of a just add water-type situation. Fred de Sam Lazaro: A metaphor in policy terms, though, for millions of drought-stricken and flooded African farmers, a prayer: Just add water, not too much, not too late.For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Fred de Sam Lazaro in Malakal, South Sudan. Judy Woodruff: And a reminder that Fred's reporting is in partnership with the Under-Told Stories Project at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Government officials are warning Britons to brace themselves for the hottest day in the country's history on Monday and Tuesday, with temperatures set to hit a record 106F (40C) and dire government warnings being issued after the Met Office issued an unprecedented 'red alert'. The Met Office has said people's lives could be at risk as it indicated it is likely that a new UK record temperature could be set on Monday and Tuesday.However despite government health officials briefing that there is no public health reason to close schools or offices, a raft of drastic measures and closures are being introduced in schools, in hospitals and there will be severe disruption on trains.Meteorologists gave an 80 per cent chance of the mercury topping the UK's record temperature of 38.7C (101.7F) set in Cambridge in 2019, with the current heatwave set to peak on Tuesday.Temperatures will climb over the weekend, and the Met Office has issued an unprecedented red warning for the south of England on Monday and Tuesday , and an amber warning for heat covering much of England and Wales from Sunday until Tuesday.The Cabinet Office Minister Kit Malthouse is to chair a meeting of the Government's Cobra civil contingencies committee today to discuss the impending heatwave, a Government spokesman said.It will be the second Cobra meeting Mr Malthouse has led on the issue.Thousands of people could die in the searing heat if the proper precautions aren't taken, experts warned ahead of the heatwave.Climate researches have said the country could see as many as 2,000 deaths from just one period of heat. Two lesser heatwaves last year resulted in an estimated 1,600 excess deaths, according to official figures. The 'danger to life' red warning for heat was issued for the first time but Government health officials yesterday insisted there was no reason for schools or workplaces to close.Bosses have also shot down the idea of Britons working from home to protect themselves - but many will face major disruption on their commute, with Network Rail advising passengers to 'only travel if absolutely necessary'.Expected extreme temperatures have prompted Londoners to be urged against travelling on Monday and Tuesday.Transport for London (TfL) is advising passengers to only travel for 'essential journeys'.The firm's chief operating officer Andy Lord said: 'Due to the exceptionally hot weather that is expected next week, customers should only use London's transport network for essential journeys.'If customers do need to travel, they should check before they travel as we are expecting there to be some impact to Tube and rail services as a result of temporary speed restrictions we will need to introduce to keep everyone safe,' he added.'It is also vital that customers always carry water at all times with them when travelling.'Very hot temperatures can affect rails, overhead power lines and signalling equipment, with TfL saying it will work hard to keep as many services running as possible using 'enhanced' inspections to mitigate the impact of the extreme weather.Track temperature checks will continue to be carried out regularly across the Tube and rail networks to ensure they remain safe and that the track is not at risk of bending or buckling, TfL said in a statement.It added it was also inspecting the air conditioning units on the trains that cover 40% of the Tube network, the trains on the Elizabeth Line and London Overground as well as the air cooling units on double-deck buses to ensure they are functioning well.TfL also has response teams standing by on its rail and road network to deal with any issues as they occur, with a particular focus on stalled trains and times, crowding and customer advice. TUESDAY: The Met Office expects temperatures to hit 40C (104F) in London next Tuesday, which would be unprecedented Britain is set to bask in sunshine today with temperatures hitting relatively mild 80F as the country braces for record-breaking heat next week which authorities have warned could be dangerous. Pictured: People in the London heat on Saturday Pictured: Women cool off in front of a large fan in Kings Cross tube station, central London, during the heatwave A matrix sign over the A19 road towards Teesside displays an extreme weather advisory as the UK braces for the heatwave Pictured: Scorched earth at Thrusscross Reservoir in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, with low levels of water in the heat NEXT WEEK: The Met Office has issued this forecast map to accompany the extreme heat warning next Monday and Tuesday What are the potential impacts of extreme heat?RAIL TRAVELThe Met Office says that delays and cancellations to rail travel are possible with 'potential for significant welfare issues for those who experience even moderate delays'. And Network Rail has warned people to travel only if absolutely necessary amid the high temperatures, with speed restrictions and disruption likely.Jake Kelly, Network Rail's System Operator group director, said: 'Rail passengers in England and Wales should only travel if necessary on Monday and Tuesday as there will be delays and cancellations to train services due to the unprecedented heat we're expecting.'The wellbeing of our passengers is our first priority so we're asking all passengers who decide to travel to take time to prepare before leaving the house.'Network Rail has warned that services across the UK may be subject to the speed restrictions to avoid tracks buckling, with Avanti West Coast, South Western Railway and Heathrow Express among the operators warning of potential disruption. West Midlands Trains and London Northwestern Railway have already imposed limits on sections of their network this week.ROADS The Met Office says that delays on roads and road closures are possible during the heat alert period. The RAC has urged motorists to 'think carefully before they drive, and do everything they can to avoid a breakdown'. It says motorists should check the coolant and oil levels under the bonnet when the engine is cold. It added: 'If temperatures were to go as high as around 40C as some are predicting, then people should question their decision to drive in the first place.'Hampshire County Council is preparing to deploy gritters in response to melting roads, saying that the machines will be spreading light dustings of sand which 'acts like a sponge to soak up excess bitumen'.Motorists who find tar stuck to their tyres are advised to wash it off with warm soapy water.AIRPORTSThe Met Office has warned that air travel could also be disruption during the heat. This is because planes can become too heavy to take off in very hot weather due to reduced air density resulting in a lack of lift.This happened during a heatwave in summer 2018 at London City Airport when some passengers had to be removed so the services become light enough to take off on the relatively short runway.UTILITIESThe Met Office has warned that a failure of 'heat-sensitive systems and equipment' is possible. This could result in a loss of power and other essential services, such as water, electricity and gas. Hot weather can lead to high demand on the power network because people are turning on fans and air conditioning - and the heat can also lead to a drop in the efficiency of overhead power cables and transformers.WORKPLACESThe Met Office says that 'changes in working practices and daily routines will be required' in the extreme heat. There is no specific law for a maximum working temperature, or when it is too hot to work.But employers are expected to ensure that in offices or similar environments, the temperature in workplaces must be 'reasonable'. Companies must follow follow health and safety laws which include keeping the temperature at a comfortable level, known as 'thermal comfort'; and providing clean and fresh air.The Trades Union Congress says that during heatwaves staff should be allowed to start work earlier, or stay later, leave jackets and ties in the wardrobe and have regular breaks. It is also calling for an absolute maximum indoor temperature of 30C (86F) - or 27C (81F) for strenuous jobs - to legally indicate when work should stop.HEALTH The Met Office has said that adverse health effects could be 'experienced by all, not just limited to those most vulnerable to extreme heat, leading to serious illness or danger to life' during the warning period. In addition, charity Asthma and Lung UK has warned up to three million asthma sufferers could be affected by high pollen levels, so should use their inhalers. SCHOOLS Plans to cope with the heat, created by the NHS and UKHSA, say children should not do 'vigorous physical activity' when temperatures rise above 30C (86F).Some sports days have been cancelled this week, while official advice suggests moving school start, end and break times to avoid the hottest points in the day.Ambulance trusts – already struggling to cope with demand – face a further 20 per cent rise in call-outs for heat-related illnesses.NHS chiefs even warned ambulances may catch fire due to the 'build-up of oxygen' as they queue outside hospitals in sweltering heat.Some hospitals have stood down routine outpatient appointments and surgery to reduce the risk to 'frail' patients travelling into hospital – and to free up capacity for extra emergency patients.Health chiefs fear the NHS will be overwhelmed by a number of heat-related casualties if the mercury does indeed rise to levels only usually seen at Death Valley in California, which is the world's hottest place.The chief executive of Milton Keynes University Hospital said routine outpatient appointments and surgery would not go ahead on Monday and Tuesday following the warning over extreme heat.Joe Harrison said on Twitter: 'It has been extremely busy @MKHospital over the past week, with more patients than usual needing emergency care and significant pressure on our staff. As we go into the weekend, temperatures are forecast to rise up to 39C on Monday and Tuesday.'We have taken the decision to stand down routine outpatient appointments and surgery on Monday and Tuesday because many of patients travelling to these appointments are frail and at increased risk, and due to the unpredictable nature of very high temperatures on demand for emergency care and on care environment.'We will do all we can to keep wards and departments as cool as possible, but we know this will be a challenge given the very high outside temperature.' Climate experts have warned that the heatwave could result in thousands of excess deaths next week.Bob Ward, the policy director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, told the Guardian: 'We could see 1,500 to 2,000 deaths just from this one period of heat.'Prof Kevin McConway, emeritus professor of applied statistics at the Open University, told the newspaper: 'I think that, assuming the weather forecasts are roughly correct, it's very likely that there will be hundreds or thousands of excess deaths from the heat in the next few days.'It's possible that, because there have been so many warnings about the coming high temperatures, people and businesses will be taking more precautions than usually happen in a heatwave, which could lower the numbers of excess deaths. I hope that happens, but I fear there will still be excess death on quite a scale.'Meanwhile, a number of schools have said they will close at the start of next week while others have altered the times of their school day and told pupils to come in wearing PE kit in a bid to make them more comfortable. Saturday is set to start with overcast skies and scattered showers in northern areas, before turning dry across the nation as the extreme heat moves in.Daytime temperatures on Saturday are predicted to be around 27C in London, 26C in Cardiff, 23C in Belfast and 21C in Edinburgh.On Sunday, the mercury will rise to 30C in the capital, 27C in Cardiff, 24C in Belfast and 23C in Edinburgh.Temperatures are forecast to increase by several more degrees across the nation on Tuesday - up to the mid-thirties for much of England and Wales.There is a 50 per cent chance of temperatures reaching 40C somewhere in the UK, likely along the A1 corridor, with the Met Office issuing its first ever red warning for extreme heat.The UK Health Security Agency has increased its heat health warning from level three to level four - a 'national emergency'.Level four is reached 'when a heatwave is so severe and/or prolonged that its effects extend outside the health and social care system... At this level, illness and death may occur among the fit and healthy, and not just in high-risk groups,' it said.A Met Office red warning, for Monday and Tuesday, covers an area from London up to Manchester, and up to the Vale of York.Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said: 'If people have vulnerable relatives or neighbours, now is the time to make sure they're putting suitable measures in place to be able to cope with the heat because if the forecast is as we think it will be in the red warning area, then people's lives are at risk.'This is a very serious situation.'A No 10 spokesman said railway speed restrictions may be needed on 'some parts of the network next week to manage the hot weather and to avoid any potential damage'.Jake Kelly, of Network Rail, warned that journeys will take 'significantly longer and delays are likely as speed restrictions are introduced to keep passengers and railway staff safe'. Temperature forecast for the coming heat anomoly which is due to blast Europe with record temperatures on July 18 and 19 Getting away: Passengers queue for ferries at the Port of Dover in Kent during the hot weather on Saturday, July 16 The Met Office indicated it is likely that a new UK record temperature could be set on Monday and Tuesday. Pictured: Dover Pictured: Packed Bournemouth beach as the weather gets better by the day and the temperatures soar this weekend Pictured: People flock to the coast at Bournemouth Beach on Saturday morning before temperatures rocket on Sunday The Cabinet Office Minister Kit Malthouse is to chair a meeting of the Government's Cobra civil contingencies committee to discuss the impending heatwave. Pictured: Families enjoy cooling down in the sea at Bournemouth Beach on Saturday Met Office described incoming heatwave as 'absolutely unprecedented'. Pictured: People enjoying early sun in Bournemouth Record night-time temperatures of more than 25C (77F) in London are also forecast. Pictured: Sunbathers in Bournemouth Saturday is set to start with overcast skies and scattered showers in northern areas. Pictured: A sunbather in Bournemouth Temperatures are forecast to increase by several more degrees across the nation on Tuesday. Pictured: Bournemouth Prepared: Sunbathers at Bournemouth beach get there early to enjoy sunshine on Saturday morning and set up their campTrain operators have warned passengers to avoid travelling on Monday and Tuesday unless their journey is 'absolutely necessary'. NHS faces 'surge' in demand during heatwaveThe NHS is facing a 'surge' in demand from the heatwave, amid warnings extreme temperatures next week could cause death, illness and disruption.An extreme heat warning for much of England and Wales is in place for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, with temperatures likely to peak in excess of 35C (95F) across southern, central and eastern areas of England.The Met Office warning says the extreme heat could cause health problems across the population, not just among people vulnerable to extreme heat, leading to potential serious illness or danger to life.People are being urged to stay out of the sun in the middle of the day, stay hydrated, look out for vulnerable people, never leave children or pets in a parked car, and keep curtains closed to keep out the sun.Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, urged people to check on older relatives, friends and neighbours to see if they needed anything during the high heat.'Any older person who is already coping with significant health issues, especially if they impact their heart or their lungs, is going to find the coming heatwave a challenge,' she warned.The Cabinet Office minister Kit Malthouse has said the Government is preparing for a 'surge' in demand on the NHS and other services due to the expected heatwave.After chairing a meeting of the Cobra civil contingencies committee in Whitehall, Mr Malthouse urged the public to look out for people who were particularly vulnerable in the heat.'The key thing we can do is prepare the Government services for what may be a surge in demand - not least the health service and elsewhere - but also critically communicate that the first line of defence is actually individual behavioural change,' he told BBC Radio 4's The World At One.'People need to take care, do all the stuff they would do when it is very hot - wear a hat, drink water - but critically also (with) the most vulnerable groups - the elderly, those with cardiovascular problems and the very young - that people look out for them and take care.'The Gatwick Express will not be in service on Monday and Tuesday, while Thameslink and Great Northern will be running a 'significantly reduced service across all routes'.A statement from Thameslink added: 'Trains that do run will be busy and travel is expected to be disrupted with a high chance of incidents that cause cancellations.'Even if you are able to travel in the morning on Monday and Tuesday, you may find there is significant disruption to return journeys in the evening so if you are travelling you should consider alternative ways to get home.'A blanket speed limit is expected to be imposed on all trains across South East England including London, with main line and high-speed services expected be allowed to run at only 60mph on Monday and Tuesday. Avanti West Coast has suspended ticket sales on its London-Glasgow route for Monday and Tuesday 'to minimise the number of people disrupted' while c2c, which runs from Essex to London, is 'advising customers not to travel'. Downing Street has said speed restrictions on rail lines may be required under contingency plans as temperatures soar next week.A No 10 spokesman said discussions with sectors including the NHS will 'continue to work closely with all of those sectors over today, through the weekend and into early next week'.'Specialist teams from Network Rail and TfL (Transport for London) will continue to monitor the impact of high temperatures to try and make sure they can keep services running safely and reliably for customers,' he added.'It may be the case that speed restrictions are likely to be put in place on some parts of the network next week to manage the hot weather and to avoid any potential damage.'DfT (Department for Transport) are engaging with port operators and highways agencies, as well as the police, to make sure plans are in place particularly in places where you may see queuing.'It comes as schools are preparing to send pupils home early or close altogether, scrapping PE lessons and banning children from playing outside in a series of measures being considered as the UK braces for the heat.Some southern schools are also considering closing on these days - and the NEU teaching union issued a statement saying it would support headteachers taking this decision.Downing Street said that Cobra met on Thursday amid the heatwave, and discussions with sectors including the NHS will 'continue to work closely with all of those sectors over today, through the weekend and into early next week'.Meanwhile, motorists have been advised to try to make their journeys outside of the hottest periods of the day, particularly if they have older cars. Pictured: People take to a beach by the river Thames at low tide in London Pictured: People take to a beach by the river Thames where there is low tide in London Pictured: Swimmers in the Sky Pool, a transparent swimming pool suspended 35 meters above ground between two apartment buildings, during a heatwave in Nine Elms, central London Pictured: People out in the warm sunny weather in Potters fields next to Tower Bridge as the heatwave continues in the UK Pictured: People out in the warm sunny weather in Potters fields next to Tower Bridge as the heatwave continues in the UK Expected extreme temperatures have prompted Londoners to be urged against travellin. Pictured: Dunsden, Oxfordshire Pictured: Early morning walkers and runners make the most of shaded woodlands before the temperatures rise in Dunsden Pictured: Cyclists take advantage of the cooler temperatures early on Saturday morning before temperatures heat up Pictured: View from the air of the packed beach as families and sunbathers flock to the seaside resort of Weymouth in Dorset to enjoy the scorching hot sunshine. Pictured: The beach is packed with families and sunbathers enjoying scorching hot sunshine at the seaside resort of Weymouth in Dorset Police smash window to free overheated dog left by thoughtless owner Police officers were forced to smash their way into the back of an Audi after the driver left a dog in the back of the car despite scorching temperatures.At least six Hertfordshire Police officers were spotted surrounding the black Audi which was parked up in a car park in the centre of Stevenage.With temperatures reaching the high 20s, the dog was rescued at about 11.30am after officers smashed a rear window and reached into get the animal out of the boiling hot car. Pictured: Police officers were forced to smash their way into the back of an Audi after the driver left a dog in the back of the car despite scorching temperatures in Stevenage todayDavid Stuckey, who lives in Stevenage, told MailOnline there was a crowd stood watching as the incident unfolded.He said: 'I was just walking back to my car and could see a large crowd of people who were stood there in disbelief.'Someone went shopping and left their dog inside the car in sweltering heat with no windows open. Everyone couldn't believe it.'It happened at about 11.30am and it was already very warm but I don't know how long the dog had been in the car.'According to Met Office data, it was at least 22C at 1130am in Stevenage this morning.The RSPCA warns that even at that temperature outside, the inside of a car could reach an 'unbearable 47 degrees within an hour' - temperatures which the animal charity describes as 'very dangerous' that would cause a dog 'suffering and harm'.Mr Stuckey said he was unsure on the breed of the dog or what condition it was in when police removed it from the car as officers were asking members of the public to keep their distance. The RSPCA says that, despite the common belief it is OK if windows are open or the car is in shade, dogs should never be left alone in vehicles during hot weather. According to PDSA, it is not illegal as such to leave a dog in a hot car, but owners are legally responsible for their pet's health and welfare.If a dog became ill or sadly died due to being left in a hot car, owners could be charged with the offence of animal cruelty under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Hertfordshire Police and the RSPCA have been contacted for comment by MailOnline. North Wales Police said a paddleboarder died after getting into difficulty in the water off Conwy Morfa beach on Thursday evening.Officers were called at 10.14pm and attended alongside the coastguard, RNLI and ambulance service, with two casualties taken to hospital in Bangor, where one of them, a 24-year-old woman, died.In Wiltshire, Salisbury Plain caught fire again just 24 hours after an initial fire had been extinguished.The military confirmed that four huge wildfires had been extinguished on Thursday but by last night, the fire was raging again and has now moved to a location where it cannot be tackled.In a statement, the military said: 'The impact area has reignited.'Unfortunately, it seems to be moving deeper into the range which means that we will be unable to tackle it.'It is being monitored to ensure it doesn't make it out of the boundary.'So far, approximately 2,000 acres (800 hectares) have been left severely charred by the fire.In Surrey, those staying at home daring to bare all in the heatwave were warned today to knock on their next-door neighbour's door first and ask if they mind.Surrey Police shared a post about the issue after a row between neighbours in Reigate and said you should let your neighbours know in advance if you plan to sunbathe naked.The law states it's not illegal to strip off in public but it can be a criminal offence if the sight of you parading in the altogether causes 'distress or alarm to others'.The Surrey Police post advised 'If you want to wander around your garden naked and you are overlooked by neighbours then you have to be careful - an Englishman's home is not quite his castle and your garden is not exempt from the law.'In an ideal world, your relationship with your neighbours would be such that they would not object to you gardening in the buff and they would never dream of calling the police.'In the real world, however, you would be well advised to take some simple precautions.'They suggested nude sunbathing in a part of the garden that's screened from view.'You will have to decide whether your desire to be naked in your garden is more important to you than being on friendly terms with those around you.'No-one has the right to spy on you and if you find that your neighbour is leaning out of an upstairs window or standing on the top of a step ladder in order to see you then he or she may well be committing an offence.'British Naturism said: 'There is no law against being naked in public, and so stripping off and enjoying the sun on your skin in your own garden cannot lead to arrest nor can your neighbours make you cover up.'Being neighbourly might mean you tell your neighbours that you plan to sunbathe naked but there is no obligation to do so, so don't hesitate.'Studies have shown that spending time naked is good for you and so we encourage everyone to take advantage of the wonderful weather and celebrate their uniqueness.'The Crown Prosecution Service said: 'In the case of naturism a balance needs to be struck between the naturist's right to freedom of expression and the right of the wider public to be protected from harassment, alarm and distress.''Beautiful, happy go lucky' woman, 24, drowns as emergency services rush to try to rescue her and two other paddleboarders in beach tragedyBy Chay Quinn and Katie Feehan For Mailonline A 'beautiful and happy go lucky' woman who lost her life in a paddleboard tragedy has been named by her heartbroken loved ones.The family of Emma Louise Powell, 24, have told of their devastation after she died, following the incident at Conwy Morfa in North Wales.Emma was one of three paddleboarders who got into difficulties at the beauty spot on Thursday night.A major rescue operation, involving police, the coastguard, ambulance crews, an RNLI crew and the coastguard helicopter, was launched and the three were rescued from the water.Sadly, Emma passed away at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor, in the early hours of Friday morning.The Llandudno woman's family have thanked everyone for the messages of support they have received. The family of Emma Louise Powell, 24, (pictured above) have told of their devastation over her death after she got into difficulties while paddleboarding at Conwy Morfa in North Wales Emergency services at the scene of paddleboarding at Conwy Morfa beach incidentIn a post on the GoFundMe site, they wrote: 'We have sadly lost our beloved Emma Louise. Emma was involved in a tragic accident where she sadly drowned at Conwy Morfa beach.'Emma was like no other, everyone who was lucky enough to cross paths with her had no choice but to love her. She was a huge happy go lucky personality.'She was such a vibrant soul with a huge heart, but could also be a stroppy cow when she wanted to be, but that's just our Emma.'We are creating this GoFundMe in hopes that Emma's loved family and friends will help give Emma the big send off she deserves.'With no plans set ahead yet, what we do know is that Emma is going to have the greatest send off that we possibly can do for her, in Emma's words 'Go Big or Go Home'.In a statement released through North Wales Police later they added: 'Emma was a beautiful young lady, who was adventurous and had a free spirit. She will remain in our hearts for the rest of our lives.' Emma (above) was one of three paddleboarders who got into difficulty on Thursday eveningEarlier today a North Wales Police spokesman said: 'We received a call at 10.14pm last night reporting a group of paddleboarders in difficulty in the water off Conwy Morfa.'Officers attended alongside colleagues from HM Coastguard and Welsh Ambulance, who attended to three casualties.'Two of the casualties were taken by ambulance to Ysbyty Gwynedd but sadly, despite the best efforts of all involved, one person passed away in hospital.'The local coroner has been informed, and specialist officers will be supporting the family of the deceased.'A spokeswoman for the coastguard said: 'An extensive search and rescue was carried out after three people got into difficulty at Beacons Jetty, Conwy last night.'Coastguard rescue teams from Bangor and Llandudno were sent, along with Conwy RNLI lifeboat, the coastguard helicopter from Caernarfon, the Welsh Ambulance Service and North Wales Police.'Want to beat the heat? Put your lippy in the fridge, tuck into cold soup, freeze a sock full of rice and sleep in a jumper (really!)By Sarah Rainey for The Daily MailThe heatwave has got us all feeling hot, bothered and craving the most effective ways to keep cool.And while we might think we know all the obvious strategies to staying chilled, it turns out there are still a few scientifically proven tricks to try.From rubbing raw onion on your skin to gargling toothpaste and rolling your tongue, SARAH RAINEY discovers some extraordinary ways to beat the heat . . .WEAR WOOLLIES IN BED Wearing marino wool in bed apparently draws sweat away from your skin, leaving you cooler than sleeping nakedPutting on anything woollen in a heatwave might seem like madness, but Dr Nicolas Berger, senior lecturer in exercise physiology at Teesside University, believes it could hold the secret to staying cool at night.While sleeping in the nude might seem logical during extreme temperatures, scientists say it could make you hotter. As you're not moving much at night, sweat collects on the body and stays there.Dr Berger argues instead for merino wool.'It sounds warm,' he says, 'but it's actually incredibly cooling.'The fine, lightweight fibres in the fabric are layered; the inner layer draws sweat away from the skin and transfers it to the outer layer, where it can evaporate off into the air.RUB ONIONS ON YOUR SKIN Onions can help take heat and sweat away from your skin - and red onions can also help with sunstroke or sunburnThis isn't because stinking of onions is an effective way to repel other people and their unwelcome body heat. Actually, onions have a long-running association with hot weather.'In rural India, they will cut an onion in half and rub the juice on the skin,' explains Oxford professor Russell Foster.Onions contain volatile oils (mainly sulphur-based) which evaporate when exposed to the air. Cutting into the onion exposes the oil — and, if this is then rubbed on the skin, it will help wick heat and sweat from the body and consequently lower your temperature.Red onions also contain a compound called quercetin, which acts as an antihistamine; meaning the juice is effective in treating both sunstroke and sunburn.GARGLE WITH TOOTHPASTE Menthol is also used by top athletes, as it sends a signal to the brain telling it you feel cooler - and it smells much more refreshing than onions!Dr Berger says menthol — from menthol drinks to chewing gum and toothpaste — can make us feel cooler in hot weather.'In extreme heat, athletes swill menthol around their mouths and spit it out,' he explains. 'Anything minty works, like gargling toothpaste and water.'It doesn't change your temperature but it sends a signal to your brain — called a thermal sensation — telling it that you feel colder. It's incredibly refreshing.'You can also apply it topically to the body, he adds but high-concentration menthol (such as Olbas oil) can irritate the skin in the sunshine and smearing yourself in toothpaste doesn't sound appealing. Though it might counter the smell of onions!BAKE BANANA BREAD Not only are bananas made up of 74 per cent water, which keeps you hydrated, they're rich in potassium.Now's the time to revisit those banana brea | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
A view of the exposed riverbed of Yangtze river on a hot day in Chongqing, China August 17, 2022. cnsphoto via REUTERS Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSummarySouthwestern Sichuan widens power rationing to homes, mallsFarm ministry warns of impact on crops, livestockCloud seeding programmes launched in central Hubei and elsewhereHeatwave, at 64 days, is the longest since records beganSHANGHAI, Aug 17 (Reuters) - China is scrambling to alleviate power shortages and bring more water to the drought-hit basin of the Yangtze river as it battles a record-breaking heatwave by deploying relief funds, seeding clouds and developing new sources of supply.For more than two months, baking temperatures have disrupted crop growth, threatened livestock and forced industries in the hydropower-dependent regions of the southwest to shut down so as to ensure electricity supplies for homes.China has repeatedly warned that it faces a proliferation of extreme weather events in coming years as it tries to adapt to climate change and rises in temperature that are likely to be more severe than elsewhere. read more Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comThe current extreme heat is likely to stem from a "special case" of high pressure from a West Pacific subtropical high extending over much of Asia, said Cai Wenju, a researcher with Australia's national scientific research institute, CSIRO.On Wednesday, China's southwestern province of Sichuan said it would ration power supplies to homes, offices and shopping malls, after having already ordered energy-intensive metals and fertiliser producers to curb operations. read more In what appears to be an official call to cut back use of electricity, government offices were asked to set air conditioners no lower than 26 degrees Celsius (79 Fahrenheit) and use more staircases instead of lifts, the Sichuan Daily, run by the provincial government, said.Fountains, light shows and commercial activities after dark are to be suspended, it added.Power shortages have also prompted several companies in the sprawling Chongqing region bordering Sichuan to say they would suspend production.Chinese vice premier Han Zheng visited the State Grid Corporation on Wednesday and said further efforts were needed to ensure power supply for residents and key industries, and to prevent power cuts, according to a state media report.China should accelerate the construction of key projects, improve power load management and promote the joint operation of coal power and renewable energy, Han said.SOARING TEMPERATURESHydropower makes up about 80% of Sichuan's power capacity, but dwindling water flows on the Yangtze and its tributaries led to a struggle to meet mounting demand for air conditioning as temperatures soared to 40C(104F) and beyond.Average precipitation in Sichuan is 51% less than that of previous years, according to state news agency Xinhua, which cited the provincial branch of State Grid.Some reservoirs have dried up, after water from major rivers reduced by as much as half, it said.Drought throughout the Yangtze river basin was also "adversely affecting" drinking water for rural people and livestock, as well as the growth of crops, the water resources ministry said in a notice.It urged drought-hit regions to make plans to maintain water supply with steps such as temporary water transfer, the development of new sources and the extension of pipe networks.To boost downstream supplies, China's biggest hydropower project, the Three Gorges dam, will step up water discharges by 500 million cubic metres over the next 10 days, it said on Tuesday. Water flows there this week were about half those of a year earlier.Some livestock from drought-hit areas had been temporarily moved elsewhere, the finance ministry said this week, promising disaster relief of 300 million yuan ($44.30 million).On Wednesday, the central province of Hubei became the latest to unveil an effort to induce rainfall, by sending airplanes to fire the chemical silver iodide into the clouds.Other regions on the Yangtze have also launched "cloud seeding" programmes, but with cloud cover too thin, operations in some parched areas have stayed on standby.China's heatwave has run for 64 days, making it the longest since full records began in 1961, state media said, citing data from the National Climate Centre.As many as 262 weather stations have recorded temperatures of 40C (104F) and above, also the highest such tally. Eight have seen 44C (111F).High temperatures will persist until Aug. 26 in the Sichuan basin and large parts of central China, the centre forecast.($1=6.7718 yuan)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by David Stanway in Shanghai, Aizhu Chen in Singapore and the Beijing newsroom; Editing by Kim Coghill and Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
British farmers have warned that the country's hot and dry conditions will inevitably lead to smaller harvests this year.Planet One Images | Universal Images Group | Getty ImagesIn a typical year, Rodger Hobson can expect to produce around 35,000 tons of carrots on his 880-acre farm in Yorkshire in northern England. But 2022 has been anything but typical.As an extreme heatwave and subsequent drought have wreaked havoc on European agricultural cycles, large swathes of Hobson's crop have blackened and died. He now expects a 30% shortfall in yields this year."I've been farming crops for 30 years and this is equally the worst drought I've seen," Hobson told CNBC.A prior dry spell four years ago — then dubbed the worst in a generation — was comparably bad, he said. Only this time record temperatures of 5 degrees Celsius above 2018's highs are making matters worse."We put 2018 as a once-in-a-lifetime drought, but here we are again," he said.The hot, dry conditions are the latest in an onslaught of challenges plaguing farmers and their crops this year, with market analysts warning that smaller harvests could lead to higher grocery prices and potential food shortages.Britain's long, hot summer devastates food cropsThe U.K. officially entered a state of drought across much of southern, central and eastern England — and later, Yorkshire — earlier this month.It follows the country's driest July since 1935, during which temperatures hit 40.3 degrees Celsius (104.5 degrees Fahrenheit), exacerbating issues for a sector already feeling the heat from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, increased fertilizer prices and worker shortages.The drought represents a greater risk of crop failure, with reduced water supplies making it harder for farmers to irrigate fruit and vegetable crops and tend to the soil on which other grains are sown."There's no sign of any rain coming to us," said Hobson. As of the third week of August, Yorkshire had received six millimeters of rain, well below the month's 70-millimeter average.A carrot, it just loves the British climate ... Anything above 30 degrees, they shrivel up and die.Rodger HobsonChairman, British Carrot Growers AssociationBritain is not used to such extreme weather conditions, with much of its produce — predominantly, large open-field vegetables — dependent on the country's temperate, maritime climate.That is causing concern for farmers like Hobson, chairman of the British Carrot Growers' Association, whose farm produces around 4% of the U.K's carrot crop and supplies many domestic food retailers."A carrot, it just loves the British climate. It's happy in temperatures between 18 and 22 degrees [Celsius]; plenty of rainfall. The archetypal English summer, basically," Hobson said. "Anything above 30 degrees, they shrivel up and die. And that's what we've seen."July was the driest summer in England since 1935, with major implications for farmers and food prices.William Edwards | Afp | Getty ImagesSuch conditions are having knock-on effects well beyond the humble orange vegetable. Harvests of other crops, including onions, sugar beet, apples and hops, are forecast to fall by between 10% and 50%, according to reports from the U.K.'s Environmental Agency. As much as half of this summer's potato crop is set to fail.Smaller harvests, in turn, will likely translate into higher prices for consumers at the supermarket, said Alice Witchalls, analyst at market research company Mintec."The critical development period for potatoes is August, and that crop is very water dependent. We could expect production to fall, with some growers reporting a decline of up to 40% for potatoes. That could then pass onto prices," Witchalls told CNBC.A spokesperson for Tesco, one of the U.K.'s leading supermarkets, said it has not yet experienced availability issues across its fruit and vegetable lines, but it is working with growers to "understand the impact of the warm weather."Europe's worst drought in 500 yearsIn other circumstances, Europe might be relied upon to fulfill agricultural shortfalls. But the continent, too, has been hammered by a relentless summer of hot, dry weather, sparking wildfires and droughts across large swathes of land.The European Commission said last week that Europe is currently witnessing its worst drought in 500 years, with 47% of the region in "warning" status. It added that conditions are intensifying in 15 countries, including Germany, France and the U.K., with droughts expected to last into at least November along the Mediterranean.If animals and pastures are suffering because of weather ... it will impact the animals and reduce production.Paul HughesChief agricultural economist, S&P Global Commodity InsightsEuropean Union harvest forecasts are now down 16% for grain maize, 15% for soybeans and 12% for sunflowers compared with its average for the previous five years.Agricultural economists say that has implications not only for food production but also for the dairy and livestock farmers who rely on such items to rear their animals."If animals and pastures are suffering because of weather, then it will impact the animals and reduce production of dairy, butter, milk," said Paul Hughes, chief agricultural economist and director of research, agribusiness at S&P Global Commodity Insights.Mission critical for livestock and dairy farmersKarl Franklin, a sheep farmer based in Oxfordshire, southeast England, said the situation is now reaching mission critical.It will soon be time to flush his approximately 90 ewes — a process of increasing the nutrient intake of a flock prior to breeding — but a lack of grass could result in a depleted lambing season."If the ewes don't get flushed well enough, I could be as low as down to 120%, which could mean fewer lambs," Franklin told CNBC, saying he may have to resort to costly hard feed. The usual reproductive rate for ewes is 180% to 200%, meaning approximately two lambs for every ewe.Dairy and livestock farmers have warned of the adverse impacts of extreme weather on their animals.Jacob King - Pa Images | Pa Images | Getty ImagesAgricultural industry bodies are now calling for more support for farmers, particularly as it pertains to how governments manage extreme weather conditions and national food security."The situation on the ground continues to be hugely challenging across all farming sectors. Many farmers are facing serious impacts ranging from running out of irrigation water to not having enough grass and having to use winter feed," Tom Bradshaw, vice-president of the U.K.'s National Farmers' Union, said."It highlights the urgent need to underwrite our food security and for government and its agencies to better plan for and manage the nation's water resources; prioritizing water for food production alongside environmental protection," he said.'The next few weeks will be crucial'Climate scientists have been warning for years that such heatwaves and droughts will become more common as a result of climate change.The planet has warmed by about 1.1 degrees Celsius since the Industrial Revolution, and leading scientists have concluded that the current heatwave would have been "almost impossible" without human-induced climate change.That is causing some farmers to consider the long-term prospects of their business and the wider industry.If there is a lot of rainfall, it could boost production.Alice Witchallsmarket analyst"Growing vegetables has become much less attractive," Hobson said. "It's making us all rethink what we do."As for the coming harvest, analysts say the next few weeks will be vital for food supply chains and, ultimately, prices. A burst of wet weather could go some way in recovering certain crops and allowing for more planting for next year."Within the fruit and veg industry, the next few weeks will be crucial. If there is a lot of rainfall, it could boost production," Mintec's Witchalls said.For many, it will be an agonizing wait."It's what the next few months have in store that we'll be watching closely," Franklin said. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
A Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite image shows Po River water levels in northern Italy on June 15, 2021. The image is part of a three-part time series of the Po Valley showing the shrinking of the river between 2020 and 2022, when water levels hit a record low. European Space Agency/Handout via REUTERS. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comPARIS, Aug 11 (Reuters) - The head of the European Space Agency (ESA) has warned economic damage from heatwaves and drought could dwarf Europe's energy crisis as he called for urgent action to tackle climate change.Director General Josef Aschbacher told Reuters successive heatwaves along with wildfires, shrinking rivers and rising land temperatures as measured from space left no doubt about the toll on agriculture and other industries from climate change."Today, we are very concerned about the energy crisis, and rightly so. But this crisis is very small compared to the impact of climate change, which is of a much bigger magnitude and really has to be tackled extremely fast," he said.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comHe was speaking in an interview as heatwaves and floods generate concerns over extreme weather across the globe.More than 57,200 hectares have been swallowed by wildfire in France this year, nearly six times the full-year average. read more In Spain, a prolonged dry spell made July the hottest month since at least 1961. read more Utah's Great Salt Lake and Italy's Po River are at their lowest recorded levels. France's Loire is now on the watch list.On Tuesday, Britain issued a new amber "Extreme Heat" warning. read more That follows record temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) that placed a renewed focus on climate risks at July's Farnborough Airshow in southern England, where Aschbacher said the issue was humanity's biggest challenge."It's pretty bad. We have seen extremes that have not been observed before," Aschbacher told Reuters this week.Soaring air temperatures are not the only problem. The Earth's skin is getting warmer too.Aschbacher said ESA's Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite series had measured "extreme" land surface temperatures of more than 45C in Britain, 50C in France and 60C in Spain in recent weeks.Land surface temperature drives air circulation."It's really the whole ecosystem that is changing very, very fast and much faster than what scientists expected until some years ago," he said."It is drought, fires, intensity of storms, everything coupled together, which are the visible signs of climate change."As changes in temperature also become more marked, winds become stronger and unleash harsher storms."Typhoons are much more powerful than they used to be in terms of wind speed and therefore damage," Aschbacher said.BREXIT FUNDING GAPThe Austrian scientist was named head of Paris-based ESA last year after leading the 22-nation agency's Earth observation work including Copernicus, which ESA says is the world's largest environmental monitoring effort, co-led by the European Union.Together, the programme's six families of Sentinel satellites aim to read the planet's "vital signs" from carbon dioxide to wave height or temperatures of land and oceans.Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite images taken on roughly the same day in June between 2020 and 2022, released by ESA, show how the drought-stricken Po - whose plains sustain a third of Italy's agriculture - has retreated to expose broad sandbanks.But the programme faces a Brexit funding gap of 750 million euros ($774 million) needed to help develop a second generation of satellites that Britain was to have contributed via the European Union and whose fate is now under discussion.After leaving the EU last year, Britain remains a member of ESA and its 170-million-euro direct contribution is unaffected."We do still need the 750 million to complete development of this second generation of satellites," Aschbacher said."And yes, that is certainly an issue for climate monitoring globally but (also) for Europe in particular, because many of these parameters are aiming at priorities for Europe."A funding package for Earth observation worth an estimated 3 billion euros will be discussed by ESA ministers in November.Aschbacher dismissed what he called two myths voiced by critics who question the international climate drive."The first is that people think one can wait and by waiting somehow we will tough it out," he said. "The second is that it will cost a lot of money to deal with climate change ... and affect the poorest people, and we shouldn't do it," he said, adding that failing to heed warnings like this year's weather crisis could cost hundreds of trillions of dollars this century."Of course, you always have weather fluctuations ... but never of this magnitude. There is no doubt in my mind that this is caused by climate change," Aschbacher told Reuters.($1 = 0.9685 euros)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Tim Hepher Additional reporting by Joey Roulette
Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Scientists have known for decades that an extreme solar storm, or coronal mass ejection, could damage electrical grids and potentially cause prolonged blackouts. The repercussions would be felt everywhere from global supply chains and transportation to internet and GPS access. Less examined until now, though, is the impact such a solar emission could have on internet infrastructure specifically. New research shows that the failures could be catastrophic, particularly for the undersea cables that underpin the global internet.At the SIGCOMM 2021 data communication conference on Thursday, Sangeetha Abdu Jyothi of the University of California, Irvine presented “Solar Superstorms: Planning for an Internet Apocalypse,” an examination of the damage a fast-moving cloud of magnetized solar particles could cause the global internet. Abdu Jyothi's research points out an additional nuance to a blackout-causing solar storm: the scenario where even if power returns in hours or days, mass internet outages persist.There's some good news up front. Abdu Jyothi found that local and regional internet infrastructure would be at low risk of damage even in a massive solar storm, because optical fiber itself isn't affected by geomagnetically induced currents. Short cable spans are also grounded very regularly. But for long undersea cables that connect continents, the risks are much greater. A solar storm that disrupted a number of these cables around the world could cause a massive loss of connectivity by cutting countries off at the source, even while leaving local infrastructure intact. It would be like cutting flow to an apartment building because of a water main break. “What really got me thinking about this is that with the pandemic we saw how unprepared the world was. There was no protocol to deal with it effectively, and it’s the same with internet resilience,” Abdu Jyothi told WIRED ahead of her talk. “Our infrastructure is not prepared for a large-scale solar event. We have very limited understanding of what the extent of the damage would be.”That information gap mostly comes from lack of data. Severe solar storms are so rare that there are only three main examples to go off of in recent history. Large events in 1859 and 1921 demonstrated that geomagnetic disturbances can disrupt electrical infrastructure and communication lines like telegraph wires. During the massive 1859 “Carrington Event,” compass needles swung wildly and unpredictably, and the aurora borealis was visible at the equator in Colombia. But those geomagnetic disturbances occurred before modern electric grids were established. A moderate-severity solar storm in 1989 knocked out Hydro-Québec's grid and caused a nine-hour blackout in northeast Canada, but that too occurred before the rise of modern internet infrastructure. Though they don't happen often, coronal mass ejections are a real threat to internet resilience, says Abdu Jyothi. And after three decades of low solar storm activity, she and other researchers point out that the probability of another incident is rising.Undersea internet cables are potentially susceptible to solar storm damage for a few reasons. To shepherd data across oceans intact, cables are fitted with repeaters at intervals of roughly 50 to 150 kilometers depending on the cable. These devices amplify the optical signal, making sure that nothing gets lost in transit, like a relay throw in baseball. While fiber optic cable isn't directly vulnerable to disruption by geomagnetically induced currents, the electronic internals of repeaters are—and enough repeater failures will render an entire undersea cable inoperable. Additionally, undersea cables are only grounded at extended intervals hundreds or thousands of kilometers apart, which leaves vulnerable components like repeaters more exposed to geomagnetically induced currents. The composition of the sea floor also varies, possibly making some grounding points more effective than others. On top of all of this, a major solar storm could also knock out any equipment that orbits the Earth that enables services like satellite internet and global positioning.“There are no models currently available of how this could play out,” Abdu Jyothi says. “We have more understanding of how these storms would impact power systems, but that's all on land. In the ocean it's even more difficult to predict.”Coronal mass ejections tend to have more impact at higher latitudes, closer to the Earth's magnetic poles. That's why Abdu Jyothi worries more about cables in some regions than others. She found, for example, that Asia faces less risk, because Singapore acts as a hub for many undersea cables in the region and is at the equator. Many cables in that region are also shorter, because they branch in many directions from that hub rather than being set up as one continuous span. Cables that cross the Atlantic and Pacific oceans at high latitude would be at greater risk from even moderate storms.The global internet is built for resilience. If one pathway isn't available, traffic reroutes across other paths, a property that could potentially keep connectivity up, even at reduced speeds, in the event of a solar storm. But enough damage to these vital arteries would start to destabilize the network. And depending on where the cable outages occur, Abdu Jyothi says that foundational data routing systems like the Border Gateway Protocol and Domain Name System could start to malfunction, creating knock-on outages. It's the internet version of the traffic jams that would happen if road signs disappeared and traffic lights went out at busy intersections across a major city.North America and some other regions have minimum standards and procedures for grid operators related to solar storm preparedness. And Thomas Overbye, director of the Smart Grid Center at Texas A&M University, says that grid operators have made some progress mitigating the risk over the past 10 years. But he emphasizes that since geomagnetic disturbances are so rare and relatively unstudied, other threats from things like extreme weather events or cyberattacks are increasingly taking priority.“Part of the problem is we just don’t have a lot of experience with the storms,” Overbye says. “There are some people who think a geomagnetic disturbance would be a catastrophic scenario and there are others who think it would be less of a major event. I’m kind of in the middle. I think it’s something that we certainly as an industry want to be prepared for and I’ve been working to develop tools that assess risk. But yet there are a lot of other things going on in the industry that are important, too.”The internet infrastructure side contains even more unknowns. Abdu Jyothi emphasizes that her study is just the beginning of much more extensive interdisciplinary research and modeling that needs to be done to fully understand the scale of the threat. While severe solar storms are extremely rare, the stakes are perilously high. A prolonged global connectivity outage of that scale would impact nearly every industry and person on Earth. More Great WIRED Stories📩 The latest on tech, science, and more: Get our newsletters!When the next animal plague hits, can this lab stop it?Wildfires used to be helpful. How did they get so hellish?Samsung has its own AI-designed chipRyan Reynolds called in a favor for that Free Guy cameoA single software fix could limit location data sharing👁️ Explore AI like never before with our new database🎮 WIRED Games: Get the latest tips, reviews, and more📱 Torn between the latest phones? Never fear—check out our iPhone buying guide and favorite Android phones | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Without even counting the raging wars, the soaring cost of living, and fresh outbreaks of contagious disease, this summer saw a cascade of disasters. Heat waves routinely broke temperature records and droughts on a previously unseen scale killed crops, halted cargo shipments, and idled power plants across multiple continents. Now, in a brutal example of what scholars call “climate whiplash”, droughts are giving way to floods, throwing millions of lives into disarray from Kentucky to Karachi. Months of unusually heavy monsoon rains and melting glaciers had, as of this week, deluged enormous swaths of Pakistan, leaving at least 1,000 dead, including hundreds of children, and sowing chaos in the country with the world’s sixth-largest nuclear arsenal. “One-third of Pakistan is underwater – 33 million are affected. Please tell me how that is not catastrophic,” Sherry Rehman, Pakistan’s federal minister for climate change, said in a British TV interview Monday. “That is the size of a small country.”Just over the border, in western China, flash floods last week killed more than a dozen and forced 100,000 to evacuate. In its center and east, meanwhile, the world’s No. 2 superpower was reeling from what weather historians call the worst heat wave ever recorded, which idled hydroelectric plants and sent a shockwave through the economy. Displaced people are seen at a flooded area following the deadly climate catastrophe in Dadu, Pakistan on Aug. 29.Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesThe extreme weather pendulum swing hammered Asia particularly hard. But Europe’s second-longest river, the Danube, ran so dry that dozens of sunken Nazi ships resurfaced. Cargo shipments stalled, throwing the continent’s trade into disarray. And the nuclear and coal power plants working overtime to make up for Europe’s shortage of Russian gas halted without enough water for cooling. Just as swiftly, torrential rains across western Europe have caused new upheavals.In the United States, the Kentucky River swelled and left Appalachian towns in ruin while the Colorado River ran low and forced water cuts on millions of Americans living across the west. Disasters are part of a growing trend. As the world fails to adapt to rising global temperatures and new patterns of precipitation, the cost of water-related catastrophes is soaring. Floods, droughts, and other water-related disasters could cost the world $5.6 trillion in gross domestic product between 2022 and 2050, a new study from the professional services firm GHD found. Between 1970 and 2021, the total damages from all-natural disasters, not just those related to water, topped $3.64 trillion, according to World Meteorological Organization data crunched by Fortune, which first reported on the GHD research. Over the next 30 years, the U.S. alone could lose more than that – $3.7 trillion – just to disasters like floods and droughts, the study found. Only a portion of these events can be definitively linked back to climate change, said Patrick Brown, an atmospheric scientist at the Breakthrough Institute, an environmental think tank. “There’s no denying that climate change makes it so it can rain more and it rains more because there’s more greenhouse gas in the atmosphere,” he said. “But it can’t account for something like nine times as much as normal. Most of that is random variability in weather that you get no matter what.” Attribution science, which dissects the meteorological and atmospheric details to determine how much global warming is to blame for various storms or heat waves, is a nascent field. And there are other variables, too. Shortages on the Colorado River stem in part from surging demand from a growing population in cities like Denver and Phoenix. “There’s a cautious scientific perspective where you can look at the data and it’s clearly getting warmer and we’re seeing increased extreme events and economic costs, but you can’t tie any one event back to climate change in a scientifically rigorous way,” said Rich Sorkin, chief executive of Jupiter Intelligence, a climate risk-modeling consultancy with a staff of researchers. “There is also an awful lot of support for global warming being the driving event for the increased intensity and frequency of severe events and perspective from those who say the world is burning down and yesterday was too late to do anything about it.” He pointed to a map the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration keeps on its website, showing average temperatures from 1884 to 2021. Set the map to 2004, and a dark red blob starts to appear over the Arctic. By this year, the blob had grown dramatically and started to encompass northern China. The world has warmed by an average of 1.1 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial norms. But Sorkin said the map shows how misleading that average can be. In some regions, such as the Arctic, warming has been much higher. A map from NOAA shows a growing blob of hot temperatures.NOAA“In 20 years, a meaningful chunk of the planet is now 4 degrees above average, and over the last few years the range where that’s occurring has shifted into the population and industrial heart of the planet,” Sorkin said. “This is a huge deal.” August brought at least some cause for optimism. After more than a decade of failing to pass a national climate law, the U.S. enacted the Inflation Reduction Act, a sweeping federal package that included roughly $370 billion in climate and energy spending. The funding is roughly in line with what China and European Union member states have budgeted for similar infrastructure but could reverberate worldwide as laws in the planet’s most powerful country finally start to reflect the need to lower emissions. But the legislation is just a start, and achieving its maximum emissions cuts would require a level of support on the state and local levels that few expect to materialize. “At the moment, there is nothing the world is doing to change its trajectory in a material way,” Sorkin said. “Absent some major change in the policy environment, it’s just going to continue to get worse.” Before You GoCountries Facing Greatest Climate Change Risks | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
A national emergency has been declared, with a red warning for extreme heat issued for the first time for England on Monday and Tuesday - when temperatures could hit an unprecedented 40C.Forecasters now say there is an 80% chance of the mercury topping the UK's record temperature of 38.7C (101.7F), set at Cambridge University Botanic Garden on 25 July 2019.
There is a 50% chance of temperatures hitting 40C (104F) somewhere in the UK, the Met Office said.UK weather live updates: Temperatures set to soar by 10CThis is likely to be along the A1 corridor north of London up to Lincolnshire, in areas including Peterborough, Grantham, Sandy, and Stevenage. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) raised its heat health warning to level four - a "national emergency" - on Friday.
Level four is reached when "a heatwave is so severe and/or prolonged that its effects extend outside the health and social care system". More on Extreme Weather A long legacy: How the scars from Germany's floods still run deep, a year on Extreme weather: From blankets on glaciers to ice creams for pandas, Europe finds new ways to deal with blistering heatwave How do we live with hotter summers? This means fit and healthy people could be susceptible to illness and death - not just high risk groups, UKHSA said. Find out the five-day forecast for where you live'Potentially very serious situation'The first ever red warning issued by the Met Office means "adverse health effects" may be experienced and will not be limited to "those most vulnerable to extreme heat".The "exceptional hot spell" will lead to "serious illness or danger to life" and bring "widespread impacts on people and infrastructure", the forecaster said."Population-wide adverse health effects" are expected, "not limited to those most vulnerable to extreme heat".Met Office spokesman, Grahame Madge, described the rising heat as a "potentially a very serious situation". Twitter Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this. Open Privacy Options Twitter Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this. Open Privacy Options Mr Madge said the mercury hitting 40C would be a "historic" moment."If we get to 40C, that's a very iconic threshold and shows that climate change is with us now," he said. "This is made much more likely because of climate change."Elsewhere, the existing amber warning has been extended to the rest of England, Wales, and parts of Scotland from Monday.England's chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, shared the signs of heat exhaustion on Twitter as he said "early intervention to cool people down and rehydrate them can be lifesaving". Twitter Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this. Open Privacy Options Extreme heat 'absolutely unprecedented'Met Office chief executive Penny Endersby described the extreme heat forecast as "absolutely unprecedented" and urged the public to take warnings seriously."Our lifestyles and our infrastructure are not adapted to what is coming," she said."Please treat the warnings we are putting out as seriously as you would a red or amber warning from us for wind or snow, and follow the advice." Twitter Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this. Open Privacy Options Substantial changes to daily life required "Substantial changes in working practices and daily routines will be required" to cope with the unusual conditions, the Met Office said.The national weather service also warned there is a "high risk of failure of heat-sensitive systems and equipment, potentially leading to localised loss of power and essential services, such as water or mobile phone services".There will also be "significantly more people visiting coastal areas, lakes and rivers, leading to an increased risk of water safety incidents".Senior ministers assembled for a COBRA meeting earlier this week in anticipation of a national heatwave emergency being declared.Cabinet Office minister Kit Malthouse warned the government is preparing for a surge in demand on the NHS and other services - as he urged the public to look out for people vulnerable in the heat. Twitter Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this. Open Privacy Options Transport delays anticipated amid fears roads could melt The public has also been warned to expect delays on roads, along with disruption to rail and air travel.More than 1,000 extra cars are expected to break down, the RAC said - calling on people to check their oil and coolant are at the right levels and ensure tyres are damage-free and inflated correctly.Drivers are advised to carry emergency supplies including water, food, medication, a sun-blocker - such as an umbrella - and a fully-charged mobile phone.Those without effective air-conditioning should consider delaying non-essential journeys.Public transport is also set to be affected due to the impact of the heat on train lines - Network Rail said slower speeds may need to be implemented and reminded people to carry water on journeys.Services could be cancelled at short notice, and on Monday and Tuesday will be subject to revised timetables.The Department for Transport is also in discussions with port operators, highways agencies and the police to make plans in particular for places where queues are likely to build up.Read more: Areas of England that are most vulnerable to hotter weatherWhat is a national heatwave emergency and how will it impact the UK? Image: St Mary's Lighthouse in Whitley Bay pictured just before sunrise on Friday, 15 July. Schools take precautions to protect pupils A number of schools are allowing children to wear PE kits or loose, light-coloured clothing in a bid to combat the heat.Other schools will allow children to start and finish early to avoid the hottest part of the day, with some sports days also rescheduled.It is understood closing schools is not being discussed as part of contingency measures.Sales of paddling pools, fans, and ice cream soarRetailers say the scorching temperatures have led to a record-breaking amount of ice creams and lollies sold in a single week.Tesco is expecting to sell more than nine million frozen treats this week, while Waitrose said ice cream sales had increased by 20% compared to last week.Demand for sun protection products rocketed by 220%, the supermarket said.Meanwhile, John Lewis has reported fan sales were up 256% compared to last year, while blackout curtains were up 193%. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
World News Jeremy Harlan/CNN Now playing 'It definitely worries me': Scientists alarmed by Greenland ice melt FUNAI Now playing See the last footage of Amazon's indigenous tribal man ANI via Reuters Now playing Watch rare implosion of twin high-rise towers in India Azcarm Now playing 'They have eaten themselves': Video shows emaciated animals at raided sanctuary Now playing Wolf Blitzer shares how his family was personally affected by the Holocaust Now playing This is how Russia could help Iran implement new nuclear agreement Now playing Author argues how the Queen mishandled the aftermath of Princess Diana's death AFP/Getty Images Now playing Deadly flash floods wipe out critical bridge in Pakistan Now playing Why Cubans are facing the worst power outages in decades AFP/Getty Images Now playing Ukraine nuclear power plant at risk amid increased shelling by Russian forces Now playing Video: Satellite images show US launching retaliatory airstrikes in Syria Douyin Now playing Distressed farmer shares video of livestock dying in extreme heat Obtained by CNN Now playing Internet cut off as protesters shared images of police brutality. CNN investigates Now playing 'We are all homeless and have nothing': Extreme weather affecting thousands in Pakistan and Afghanistan Courtesy Lee Smith Now playing Cruise ship spots migrants lost at sea floating on dresser Now playing Sanctions target Russian Oligarch yachts CNN — Widespread ice losses from Greenland have locked in nearly a foot of global sea level rise that’s set to come in the near future – and new research suggests there is no way to stop it, even if the world stopped releasing planet-heating emissions today. The study, published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change, found that the overall ice loss from Greenland’s ice sheet will trigger at least 10 inches of sea level rise, no matter the climate warming scenarios. That’s generally the same amount that global seas have already risen over the last century from Greenland, Antarctica and thermal expansion (when ocean water expands as it warms) combined. Researchers from the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland observed changes in ice-sheet volume in and around Greenland and saw that meltwater runoff has been the primary driver. Using “well-established theory,” the scientists were able to determine that around 3.3% of the Greenland ice sheet – equivalent to 110 trillion tons of ice – will inevitably melt as the ice sheet reacts to the changes that have already occurred. 03:05 - Source: CNN Why these billionaires are funding a massive treasure hunt in Greenland The sea level rise from this melted ice will occur “regardless of any foreseeable future climate pathway this century,” according to lead author Jason Box, a scientist with the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland. “This water is technically already under the bridge.” While the authors did not specify a timeline, they predict that the change in sea levels can occur between now and the end of the century. The research was solely to estimate a minimum, or “a very conservative lower bound,” of sea level rise from melting in Greenland, “and in the virtually-certain event that climate continues warming, the sea level commitment only grows,” Box said. Massive ice sheets can melt rapidly when the air temperature is warm, but warmer ocean water is also eroding the sheet around the edges. The findings come on the heels of a 2022 sea-level rise report released earlier this year by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which found that US coasts could expect 10 to 12 inches of sea level rise in the next 30 years. This will cause high tide floods to occur more than 10 times as frequently, and allow storm surges to spread further inland, according to the report. Greenland holds enough ice that if it all melted, it could lift sea levels by roughly 25 feet around the world. Researchers point out that a sea level rise of 20 feet doesn’t mean it will rise evenly around the globe, leaving some places devastated as the sea level falls in others. As places such as Greenland lose ice, for example, they also lose the ice’s gravitational pull on water, meaning Greenland’s sea level is falling as the level rises elsewhere, said William Colgan, senior researcher at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland. The rate of that change is the problem, Colgan told CNN’s Bill Weir during a research trip in the summer of 2021. “It’ll be really hard to adapt to change that fast,” Colgan said, standing at Greenland’s Jakobshavn Glacier, where the fjord is full of ice that has broken off from the glacier. Before human-caused climate change kicked in, temperatures near 32 degrees Fahrenheit in Greenland were unheard of. But since the 1980s, the region has warmed by around 1.5 degrees per decade – four times faster than the global pace – making it all the more likely that temperatures will cross the melting threshold. Several days of unusually warm weather in northern Greenland recently triggered rapid melting, with temperatures around 60 degrees – 10 degrees warmer than normal for this time of year, scientists told CNN. The amount of ice that melted in Greenland between July 15 and 17 alone – 6 billion tons of water per day – would be enough to fill 7.2 million Olympic-sized swimming pools, according to data from the US National Snow and Ice Data Center. Global scientists have said the trends at which climate change is accelerating are quite clear, and that unless emissions are curbed immediately, many more extreme melting events will continue to occur more intensely and frequently. CNN’s René Marsh and Angela Fritz contributed to this report. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
HONG KONG — It’s been a summer that has seen heat records jump across the globe. China’s health workers have been particularly impacted, enduring relentless heat waves wrapped head-to-toe in protective gear as they continue to test the mass populace for Covid-19, amidst a seemingly never-ending series of outbreaks.Wearing hazmat suits known locally as the “Big White,” the army of workers, responsible for enforcing China’s zero-Covid policy have for a large part of this year been toiling in temperatures of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or more. “The inner condition is airtight,” Joshua Liu, a health worker from Shanghai told NBC News by telephone last month. “Once the suit is on, we can’t eat, drink and go to the toilet.”Workers are “soaked in sweat” and their “fingers and palms are wrinkled” when they remove them, said Liu who helped medical staff to collect Covid test samples and register residents’ information.“I can feel my skin breathing and sweating,” he said. “Every day when I finally get off work, the only thing I want to do is take a shower and fall asleep.”Air-conditioning units are installed as summer heats up at a Covid test site in Beijing in June.Ng Han Guan / APUse of the “Big White” was brought sharply into the spotlight last month when a video of nurse Chunhua Xie lying on a bed in the emergency room with her limbs twitching went viral on Chinese social media, after it was released by officials in Nanchang County in the eastern Jiangxi province. Wearing the protective suit, Chunhua had been conducting Covid tests for several days at the People’s Hospital of Nanchang County, when she suffered from heat stroke and fainted, text over the video said. The temperature was just over 100 degrees outside the facility at the time, the video said. Although she later recovered, the video sparked an online backlash and was later removed by officials. But by then it had been widely shared and viewed by millions of people on Weibo, China’s largest microblogging site and other social media channels, where some accused the government of incompetence.A regular sightThe “Big White” has become a regular sight at Covid testing sites as health workers followed guidance on protective clothing issued by China’s National Health Commission in January 2020, shortly after the initial Covid outbreak in the city of Wuhan. In Shanghai, Liu said he and his colleagues regularly wore the body-covering outfits during Shanghai’s two-month Covid lockdown between March and May, when authorities, pursuing China’s uncompromising “zero Covid” policy, shuttered schools, malls, convenience stores and gyms, and stopped bus, subway and ferry services in the city.Throughout more localized neighborhood lockdowns in the following months, when residents were barred from leaving and entering their living compounds without a permit, Liu said he and his co-workers helped conduct mass testing and contact tracing, while also helping to enforce strict quarantine requirements. But as the summer months arrived, temperatures across China began to rise and the mercury regularly hit 100 degrees in Shanghai. So far temperatures of 104 degrees have been hit seven times in the commercial hub of 25 million, surpassing the record of five days hit in 2013. As a result, heatstroke started to trend on Chinese social media, as people discussed the symptoms which include headaches, vomiting and fever, or in more serious cases people can go into convulsions or a coma. For Janice Ho, a postdoctoral fellow at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, it was a “good thing” the people were searching for the term because it helped them “be more aware that heat actually has implications for death.” At the moment the core body temperature hits 100 degrees, “your organs will start failing because it’s too hot to function and your body may stop regulating itself,” added Ho, whose research focuses on heat and public health. “That’s when it becomes fatal. It’s very risky to end up dying from it.”Several deaths have already been attributed to the searing heat, including that of a 56-year-old construction worker in the city of Xi’an. Admitted to hospital with a body temperature of 109.4 degrees he died from multiple organ failure and severe heat stroke in July, the state-run China Youth Daily reported. After the video of Chunhua was released, China’s National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases published an article that said that wearing “protective garments (commonly known as the “Big White”) … could greatly increase the risk of heat stroke.” Medical workers were instead advised to wear lighter and more breathable surgical gowns. But temperatures have continued to soar since then however and on Aug.12 the first “high-temperature red alert” was issued by Chinese National Meteorological Center. That meant four or more provinces recorded temperatures of more than 100 degrees over a 48-hour period and more than 10 provinces were expected to hit between 100 and 108 degrees. It remained in place for 12 days until Aug. 23.For Ho, this showed that extreme heat should be taken as seriously as other extreme weather. “There are drastic measures taken to prevent people from being at risk from typhoons or rainstorms, but we haven’t treated heat in the same way,” she said. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
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