
How beavers can help win the fight against floods in Lincolnshire
After weeks of dry weather, the trickle of water in the West Glen River does not look as though it could cause havoc. But during Storm Henk in January last year it took only a few hours for this stream to become a torrent, inundating a garden centre in the Lincolnshire village of Baston.
Archie Struthers, chief executive of the nature restoration company Nattergal, said the West Glen is a prime example of the way in which Britain's water courses have been mismanaged — straightened and deepened to whoosh rainwater away from farmland as quickly as possible.
Struthers wants to turn this river into an example of how to manage water better and to reduce the risk of flood at a time when climate change
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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
UK weather: heatwave could result in hottest ever start to Wimbledon
The latest heatwave is expected to push temperatures close to record levels for June and result in the hottest ever start to Wimbledon. Amber heat alerts remain in place until Tuesday evening for all of southern, western and eastern England with a warning of excess deaths particularly among those over 65, and increased demand on health and social care services. Meanwhile, the London fire brigade has highlighted a 'severe' risk of wildfires. After the temperature rose to more than 30C (86F) in parts of southern England this weekend, it is forecast to hit 34C on Monday. This would make it the hottest dayof the year so far, and just short of the UK's record temperature for June of 35.6C, recorded in Southampton in 1976. By Tuesday, temperatures are set to peak at 35C or more, which would be hotter than Barbados. Wimbledon is set for its hottest opening day on record on Monday and could yet have the highest temperature ever recorded during the tournament. The hottest ever Wimbledon day was on 1 July 2015, when temperatures reached 35.7C. The hottest opening day on record was 2001 when temperatures hit 29.3C. The hottest day of the year so far was 33.2C, recorded last weekend in Charlwood, Surrey. The rising heat, including night-time temperatures of 20C or more, are due to a slight change in wind direction from a westerly to a southerly, forecasters have said. The switch in wind will draw hot air up from Spain and France where temperatures have been above 40C. The heatwave is due to end by the middle of the week, when cooler air is expected to move in from the west. The UK Health Security Agency has issued amber heat alerts for five regions of England: London, the south-east, the east, the south-west and East Midlands. There are less severe yellow warning in force for the West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber and no alerts for the north-west or north-east. It will stay relatively cooler in the north-west of the UK, with cloud and heavy rain in parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland. A heatwave becomes official when areas reach a certain temperature for three consecutive days, with thresholds varying from 25C to 28C in different parts of the UK. London's assistant fire commissioner, Thomas Goodall, said: 'London is already facing its second heatwave of the year and we know that people will be looking forward to getting outside to enjoy the wonderful weather. But the high temperatures and low rainfall in recent months means the current risk of wildfires is severe. As the weather has been so dry, it only takes a few sparks to lead to a fire spreading rapidly. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion 'In London, this is can be dangerous because so many of our green spaces lie close to homes and other properties.' Temperatures hit 40C in the UK for the first time in the summer of 2022, peaking at 40.3C on a July day in Coningsby in Lincolnshire. Earlier this month the Met Office said there was a 50/50 chance of temperatures soaring to 40C again in the next 12 years as the risk of extreme heat rises due to global heating. Extreme-heat records have been repeatedly broken in recent months, including Europe's hottest March ever, according to the EU's Copernicus climate monitor. Last year was the hottest in recorded history so far and led to worldwide disasters, costing more than £219bn. The heatwave in Europe is also set to continue, but will shift to countries in the south-east of the continent. The Met Office said temperatures were expected to be 5C-10C above normal fairly widely, with some locations continuing to exceed 40C.


Sky News
2 hours ago
- Sky News
European heatwave leaves Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece in sweltering 40C heat
Major heatwaves across southern Europe have left Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Greece in sweltering conditions of more than 40C (104F). Two-thirds of Portugal was on high alert for extreme heat and risk of wildfires on Sunday, with temperatures in Lisbon expected to exceed 42C (107F). In parts of southern Spain, temperatures are well above average, with 42C also expected in Seville and other cities. The country's meteorological service says June is likely to be the hottest Spain has experienced since records began. In several Italian regions, including Lazio, Tuscany, Calabria, Puglia, and Umbria, outdoor work was banned during peak hours of sun on Sunday, with trade unions pushing for the measures to be extended and rolled out nationwide. Twenty-one out of 27 cities were under the highest possible heat alert, including Rome, Milan, and Naples. Greece has already been plagued by wildfires this summer, with one breaking out south of Athens on Thursday, and several on the island of Chios last Sunday. Near Athens, authorities deployed 130 firefighters, 12 helicopters, and 12 planes, with 40 people evacuated from the highest-risk areas. A woman was arrested on suspicion of unintentional arson after wildfires spread across brush and pastureland for three days on Chios. Scientists link increasing frequencies of extreme weather events such as heatwaves, wildfires, and storms to climate change. In France and Germany, at least three people died amid stormy conditions. A ridge of high pressure above central and western Europe is driving the scorching conditions, says Sky News meteorologist Chris England. Hotter-than-normal sea temperatures, dry land, and surface winds are also partly to blame, he added. UK heatwave also likely The UK is halfway through a four-day amber heat health alert, with temperatures expected to peak in the mid-30s (86F) on Tuesday. Heat health alerts are not public weather warnings - but are instead designed to prepare health and social care bodies for the potential impact on their infrastructure and vulnerable groups. Heatwave thresholds are likely to be met on Monday and Tuesday, which vary between 28C (82F) in the south of England and 25C (77F) across the rest of the country.


BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Swimmers rescued from sea off Penzance after getting lost in fog
A coastguard team in Cornwall said it received several 999 calls concerning sea swimmers who were shouting for Rescue Coastguard team said the swimmers off Battery Rocks, near the Jubilee Pool in Penzance, found themselves lost in the fog on Sunday morning. Jill Rylance from the team said a local vessel was able to escort the swimmers back safely to shore."If you are going to go for a swim, be mindful of the visibility," said Ms Rylance. She said: "Keep the shoreline in sight if you do go swimming but also make sure you can be seen and you have a bright tow float or a bright coloured swim cap."Ms Rylance said it was easy to become disorientated in these conditions and advised people to check the weather forecast before going out either on or in the sea.