Tinderbox The temperature in southern England is expected to reach 93 degrees Fahrenheit today as firemen fought flames throughout the nation, and millions more people will be subject to a hosepipe ban in the coming weeks.
Britain is now experiencing “lethally hot” weather.
The UK Health and Security Agency has placed the UK on level three heat-health alert, while the AA has warned that the scorching heat may cause tyres to blow out on roads.
The Met Office has issued an amber severe heat warning for the next four days.
Families on vacation will experience tropical temperatures starting today as London is forecast to reach 86F (30C) before the Met Office issues an amber warning for tomorrow through Sunday, when temperatures are predicted to rise to 35C or even 36C in some locations.
It issued a warning that visiting tourist destinations might have a negative impact on the health of the elderly, infirm, and very young, cause delays in transit, and raise the danger of water accidents and fires.
With no rain anticipated to assist ease the danger of drought that has triggered hosepipe restrictions and fire warnings, Britain has been warned to prepare for a blistering heatwave this week.
A Level 3 Heat Health Alert also went into force yesterday and has been extended until 11 p.m. on Sunday.
While the London Fire Brigade was out overnight putting out grass fires around the city, over 50 firemen have been fighting a massive ‘tinderbox’ fire to prevent it from spreading to the Queen’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk.
It happens at the same time that the first British community, in Oxfordshire, runs out of water, leaving people to depend on tanker and bottled water supplies.
The now-dry Stokenchurch Reservoir used to supply water to Northend, a town in Buckinghamshire.
Due to the significant demand on the natural resource in the recent hot weeks, Thames Water was forced to provide water trucks and bottles to its inhabitants.
Additionally, the firm recently disclosed that it will soon impose a hosepipe restriction on 15 million users in the counties of London, Surrey, and Gloucestershire.
Andrew Sells, who led Natural England from 2014 to 2019, said last night that water corporations had sold house developers reservoirs that would have helped with the drought.
In the previous 30 years, exactly zero new reservoirs have been created by all of our water companies combined, he wrote in the Daily Telegraph.
“Several of our water firms opted to build residences on some of their reservoirs, and this week we learnt that.”
No doubt some reservoirs had reached the end of their useful life, but by removing this infrastructure and leaving no alternatives in its place, they had once again prioritised short-term profits above long-term supplies.
In recent years, businesses including Thames Water, Severn Trent, and Southern Water have auctioned off abandoned reservoirs.
A sizable “tinderbox” fire is now being fought by around 50 firemen in an effort to keep it from spreading to the Queen’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk.
A total of 8,000 hectares (almost 20,000 acres) of forests and heaths make up the royal estate, which is home to the Queen.
Like much of the rest of Britain, these areas have grown dry due to the heat wave.
The drama started yesterday just before 8am when at least five fire engines and a water carrier were sent to a fire in some woodland acreage close to Sandringham that was just off the A149.
In the event of a fire on the royal estate, Sandringham is said to have its own fire engine.
Crews were utilising hoses and water jets, according to Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service.
Additionally, on “searing Saturday,” drivers are reminded to inspect their tyres before setting out on their trips.
The AA issued a warning before the commencement of a weekend that would see millions of people travel great distances to the beach, as well as football games, music festivals, and vacations.
The danger of blowouts for tyres that are underinflated or already damaged will increase due to the forecasted 35C temperature peak.
The AA advised drivers to think about getting their cooling system inspected since overheated engines are a typical reason for failures in hot weather.
Temperatures are anticipated to hit 82F (28C) along the Bournemouth coastline today, while Dover, Kent, is likely to enjoy highs of 75F.
Sunseekers can expect sweltering heat throughout England and Wales today (24C).
Meanwhile, Whitsand Bay in Cornwall is expected to experience highs of 70F, while Aberdeen, Scotland, is expected to reach a comfortable 73F (23C) (21C).
The Met Office also forecast that if global warming continues, excessive heat would become more frequent.
‘The warnings for excessive 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,’ said Professor Hannah Cloke, Professor of Hydrology at the University of Reading.
This event will be less severe but persist longer than the record-breaking heat in July, which may have a significant effect on people’s health.
Even while the heat wave may not set any records for highest temperatures, it may result in more fatalities.
On Monday, a 14-year-old kid died after getting into trouble in a lake in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, as a result of the extreme heat.
Just after 5 o’clock on Monday, emergency personnel were sent to the scene at North Met Lake, off Cadmore Lane, in response to reports that a teenager had fallen into the water and had not come to the surface.
They searched the area, but a corpse was found shortly before 11 o’clock.
According to study, climate change is increasing the intensity, frequency, and likelihood of heatwaves, making last month’s record temperatures at least ten times more probable and “nearly impossible” without it.
The risk of droughts happening is increasing, according to scientists, as a result of climate change brought on by greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels and other human activity.
In response to the hot, dry summer, Thames Water, which provides water to 15 million consumers across London and the Thames Valley, announced that a hosepipe restriction will be implemented.
According to the water corporation, “We are considering to declare a temporary usage limit in the coming weeks” given the long-term prognosis of dry weather and another forecast of extremely high temperatures this week.
Customers were instructed to utilise just what was necessary for their most basic needs.
Following the driest first half of the year since 1976, which saw south east England record up 144 days with little or no rain so far in 2022, South East Water and Southern Water have already implemented hosepipe restrictions.
In addition to harming agriculture, water supplies, and wildlife, the dry weather and last month’s record-breaking temperatures have dried out soils and depleted rivers, reservoirs, and aquifers.
This has increased the danger of wildfires.
According to the most recent research from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), river flows in central, southern, and eastern England are expected to stay abnormally low until October.
The evaluation predicted that over the next three months, groundwater levels in southern England and South Wales would be below average and very low in certain locations.
To alleviate the dry conditions in certain areas of southern England, several more inches of rain are required in addition to what would ordinarily be anticipated.
The newest Met Office prediction showed no imminent indication of rain.
“With high pressure dominating this week, any showers this week will be restricted to the far Northwest, and even here, they will be of a transient character,” said Dan Rudman, deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office.
The week will be dry in the farther south, where there hasn’t been much rain in a while, so there won’t be much respite for the southeast’s parched area.
In the following several days, temperatures in the region covered by the Met Office amber warning are forecast to increase into the low to mid-30s.
With temperatures widespread reaching the mid 20s and a potential of a few places experiencing temperatures as low as the low 30s, heatwave thresholds, which are hit at various temperatures in different areas of the nation, are still likely to be fulfilled for most of the UK outside the warning region.
Temperatures in Scotland and Northern Ireland will also be in the upper 20s and may meet the requirements for a declared heatwave by Friday.
Amid demands for merchants to stop selling disposable grills, homeowners in certain places are being advised not to light fires or have barbecues because the lack of rain and high temperatures have left the countryside, parks, and gardens tinder-dry.
The majority of England and Wales are rated as having a very high fire severity index, and a large portion of England will be rated as having a “exceptional” fire severity index by the weekend.