Latest news with #ThomasGoodall
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Street sweeper dies and pensioners told to shelter in swimming pools over deadly heatwave
A street sweeper has died in Spain and pensioners in Italy have been told to find shelter in museums and pools as the deadly heatwave continues in Europe. Temperatures in the UK have not reached the highs seen in Europe but an amber alert for extreme heat, in place since Friday, remains in five regions. In Rome, over 70s will be given free access to swimming pools and over 75s will be offered guided tours of museums and public buildings free of charge in Venice as authorities seek to keep pensioners out of the sweltering heat. Seven 'climate shelters' with air conditioning have also been established in Bologna, while ambulances have been placed on standby at tourist hotspots across southern Europe. The initiatives were rolled out as extreme heat alerts were put in place across 21 Italian cities, including Naples, Venice, Rome, Florence and Milan. In the regions of Sicily and Liguria, outdoor working has also been banned during the hottest parts of the day. The extreme heat is expected to last until the middle of week, with temperatures set to rise further in France, Germany, Italy and the UK in the coming days. The heat has been building under an area of high pressure, with dry air descending and causing temperatures to increase. With the UK amber alert comes warnings of travel disruption across the East Midlands, South East, South West, London and the East of England. Parts of the UK could see one of the hottest days in June ever on Monday, with temperatures of up to 34C forecast in central and eastern parts of England. Glastonbury Festival urged attendees to leave early on Monday morning to avoid the hottest temperatures, while Wimbledon could experience its hottest ever opening day. Since 1960, UK temperatures in June have only surpassed 34C in three years, the hottest being the 35.6C that was recorded on June 28 in 1976. Thomas Goodall, the London Fire Brigade's assistant commissioner, warned that the capital was 'already facing its second heatwave of the year' and that the city was at 'severe' risk of wildfires because of a lack of rain. He said: 'As the weather has been so dry, it only takes a few sparks to lead to a fire spreading rapidly. In London, this can be dangerous because so many of our green spaces lie close to homes and other properties.' On Sunday, El Granado in Huelva, southern Spain, hit 46C, according to the country's national weather service, which also forecast the hottest June on record. In Barcelona, a female street sweeper in her 50s died after completing her shift over the weekend and a 34-year-old Dutch tourist died from heatstroke while hiking with friends last week in Majorca. Meanwhile, emergency departments across Italy reported around a 10 per cent increase in heatstroke cases, Mario Guarino, the vice-president of the Italian Society of Emergency Medicine, said. He added: 'It is mainly elderly people, cancer patients or homeless people, presenting with dehydration, heat stroke, fatigue.' Hospitals, including the Ospedale dei Colli in Naples, have set up dedicated heatstroke pathways to fast track patients' access to treatments such as cold-water immersion, Mr Guarino added. The extreme temperatures have also been felt elsewhere in Europe, with wildfires sweeping through the Greek coastal towns of Palaia Fokaia and Thymari on Thursday, destroying homes and forcing more than 1,000 people to evacuate. Strong winds and sky-high temperatures made the fire extremely difficult to contain, with 11 tourists needing to be rescued from a beach, authorities said. The extreme heat has also spread across the western Balkans, where temperatures have peaked above 40C. Serbia recorded its highest-ever temperatures since it began recording in the 19th century, while the hottest-ever June temperature was recorded in Slovenia on Saturday. Firefighters mobilised in France and Turkey on Sunday as wildfires started spreading. In Turkey, forest fires broke out in the western Izmir province, fed by strong winds. Five neighbourhoods in the Seferihisar district had to be evacuated. Helicopters, fire extinguishing aircraft and other vehicles, and more than a thousand people, were trying to extinguish the fires, Ibrahim Yumakli, the forestry minister, told reporters in Izmir. In France, wildfires broke out in the Corbieres area of Aude in the south-west, where temperatures topped 40 degrees, forcing the evacuation of a campsite and abbey as a precaution. Last week, Greek firefighters had to battle a forest blaze on the coast south of Athens that forced some evacuations. Scientists have warned that climate change is playing a critical role in the heatwaves sweeping across Europe, especially in cities where the 'urban heat island' effect means temperatures are amplified among tightly packed buildings. Emanuela Piervitali, a researcher at the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, said: 'The heatwaves in the Mediterranean region have become more frequent and more intense in recent years, with peaks of 37 degrees or even more in cities, where the urban heat island effect raises the temperatures even further. 'A further increase in temperature and heat extremes is expected in the future, so we will have to get used to temperatures with peaks even higher than those we are experiencing now,' she added. In 2003, more than 70,000 people died during an extreme heatwave in Europe, a disproportionate number of whom were over 75. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Amber heat health alert extended further across England
Amber heat health alerts have been extended further across several parts of England as the UK heatwave intensifies. Amber alerts are now in place until 9am on Wednesday for the West Midlands, Yorkshire and The Humber, East Midlands, East of England, South East, South West and London, according to the the UK health and safety agency and Met Office. Previously the alert had covered London, East Midlands, South East and East of England only, and it was in place until 6pm tomorrow. Alerts provide an early warning system to authorities and the public to show when temperatures may hit dangerous levels. They are colour coded from green (no alert), yellow, amber to red. Temperatures are set to soar to 34C in London and south-east England, while temperatures will climb above 30C across other parts of England, including Manchester, Sheffield, Bristol and Cambridge. Monday is set to be one of the hottest June days ever as temperatures have only surpassed 34C in three years since 1960. The hottest June day ever was 35.6C, recorded on June 28 1976. 'These high temperatures and humid conditions will be quite uncomfortable for those working outside as well as people leaving Glastonbury and attending the start of Wimbledon and other outdoor events. Stay hydrated and try to keep out of the sun during the hottest part of the day,' Met Office Chief Meteorologist Paul Gundersen said, adding that peak heat is expected on Tuesday in the South East. 'It won't be hot everywhere, with a marked difference in northwestern parts of the UK.' London is at risk of wildfires and health and social care services across England are expected to be impacted significantly. "As the weather has been so dry, it only takes a few sparks to lead to a fire spreading rapidly,' London's fire chief Thomas Goodall said, adding that firefighters have already been called to 14 wildfires in London this year. It is also provisionally the hottest start to Wimbledon on record, with 29.7C being recorded at the nearby Kew Gardens, the Met Office said.
BBC News
30-06-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
London swelters in heatwave as amber health alert extended
As London experiences what could be one of the hottest June days on record, authorities have urged people to keep safe. Temperatures are expected to soar well above 30C (86F) - but is not forecast to beat the capital's all-time heat record for the month when temperatures reached 35.6C (96F) on 29 June 1957, according to the Met Lynn Thomas, the medical director for St John Ambulance, said the "heat is wonderful for some people but can cause an awful lot of stress". Amber alerts covering the capital, Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, South East and South West have been extended to 09:00 BST on Wednesday. "We're not saying don't go outside, we're not saying don't enjoy it but some people will find it difficult," Dr Thomas advised people to take precautions to avoid overheating and to check on those who could be particularly vulnerable. A spokesperson for the mayor of London said that with increased demand on emergency services "it's really important that Londoners look out for older people, children, and pets, and take sensible precautions to stay cool and beat the heat".In response to the hot weather, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) issued a warning for a "severe risk of wildfires".LFB Assistant 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."He said that firefighters had responded to 14 wildfires in the capital so far this year alongside "countless callouts" to smaller fires involving grass, trees and in people's gardens. Among those feeling the heat will be players and spectators at Wimbledon which saw spectators queuing from the early hours of Monday. The previous hottest opening day was in 2001 when temperatures reached 29.3C (85F). Wimbledon's heat rule could come into force, allowing a 10-minute break in play when the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) is at or above 30.1C (86F).The WBGT, which will be taken before the start of play and then at 14:00 and 17:00, takes various factors into account including ambient temperature, humidity, wind and sun rule will apply after the second set for all best of three set matches, and after the third for all best of five set matches with players allowed to leave the court during the break, but not to receive coaching or medical treatment. Transport for London (TfL) also issued advice to commuters on the London said 40% of trains across the network have air conditioning, including the Circle, Hammersmith & City, District and Metropolitan linesOn older lines, it said it had introduced "a range of station cooling systems including industrial-sized fans and chiller units to pump in cold air".Carl Eddleston, TfL's director of streets and network operations, said: "With continuous hot weather forecast over the coming days, we are encouraging customers to carry water with them when they travel. "We have a comprehensive hot weather plan in place to protect the network's infrastructure with resources on standby to help respond to the impact and to keep services running."
Glasgow Times
30-06-2025
- Climate
- Glasgow Times
Monday to be one of the UK's hottest June days ever at 34C
Parts of England, which are forecast to be warmer than sun-soaked corners of the globe like Mexico and Jamaica today, are now in their fourth day of heatwave. However, temperatures could only get warmer this week, with parts of South East of England likely to see temperatures soar to a further 35C. Monday set to be one of the hottest June days ever recorded in the UK With an Amber Heat Health alert declared for the East Midlands, South East, South West, East of England and London, it's worth watching out for those who might find it difficult to cope with high temperatures. ☀️ 🌡️ Check our blog post for handy tips: — UK Health Security Agency (@UKHSA) June 27, 2025 Since 1960, June temperatures have only surpassed 34C in three years. The hottest June day ever recorded in the UK was on June 28 1976, when a scorching 35.6C was registered. On Thursday (June 26), the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Met Office issued an amber heat-health alert for several regions of England. This warning is still in place. The East Midlands, South East, South West, London, and East of England are currently covered by this alert, according to the UK Government website. Discussing the heatwave and its effects on the capital, London Fire Brigade assistant 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. Sunday was another hot one 🌡️ Here are the numbers...👇 — Met Office (@metoffice) June 29, 2025 'But the high temperatures and low rainfall in recent months mean the current risk of wildfires is severe. 'So far this year, firefighters have responded to around 14 wildfires in the capital. 'There have also been countless callouts to smaller fires involving grass, trees and in other outdoor spaces, as well as in people's gardens. Recommended Reading: 'During this latest heatwave, it is important everyone acts responsibly to prevent fires from occurring. 'As the weather has been so dry, it only takes a few sparks to lead to a fire spreading rapidly. 'In London, this is can be dangerous because so many of our green spaces lie close to homes and other properties.'
Daily Mirror
30-06-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mirror
Weather maps show exactly what UK areas face 35C as sweltering heatwave hits
Highs of 35C are forecast to sear through parts of London and south-east England today as a heatwave takes hold of the UK, sending the mercury soaring to potentially dangerous levels Weather maps for today show the exact areas Brits will swelter as a 35C heatwave tears through the British Isles. While many will be rejoicing another blast as the furnace heats up, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned today - which looks set to be the hottest day of the year - could pose serious health risks. They have issued an amber alert, which is in place until 6pm tomorrow, advising people to check on their vulnerable friends and family members, and to t ake proper precautions due to the risks of the sun's rays. The hottest temperatures are predicted for south-east England and London, where scorching highs of 35C are expected. The Home Counties will also feel the heat, with the mercury teetering between 30 and a stifling 34. The heatwave will stretch further north, with the Midlands blasted with 33C highs, travelling up to the north of England, where 30C conditions will be seen in areas like Manchester, Leeds and York. The maps show the glowing red furnace stopping just south of Newcastle, but the rest of the country will still feel the heat with temperatures not falling below 14C nationwide. It comes after the London Fire Brigade raised the risk of wildfires gripping the country due to low rainfall in recent months paired with the searing hot temperatures. Assistant 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. During this latest heatwave, it is important everyone acts responsibly to prevent fires from occurring. As the weather has been so dry, it only takes a few sparks to lead to a fire spreading rapidly.' The Met Office says it records an official heatwave when high temperatures are detected in an area for three consecutive days. Usually, the mercury will need to be between 25 and 28C for them to do so. With the glorious sunshine comes a risk to life. According to NHS figures, 30 people died between 2013 and 2022 from exposure to excessive natural heat. In that time period, there were around 2,100 hospital admissions for the same condition. Steve Cole, Policy Director for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), said: 'Heat is no longer just a holiday perk—it's a growing public health risk. 'We're seeing more frequent and intense heatwaves, both in the UK and globally, and the data shows a clear rise in heat-related illness and fatalities. 'Warm weather can also be deceptive when it comes to going for a dip. While the air may feel hot, water temperatures often remain dangerously cold, which can lead to cold water shock, even in summer.'
