LONDON — The
UK’s meteorological agency on
Tuesday issued an “amber” warning for extreme heat while the country’s biggest
water provider said restrictions loom, as Britain braces for another punishing
heat wave later this week.
اضافة اعلان
The warning by
the Met Office, covering much of southern
England and parts of eastern Wales
from Thursday through Sunday, predicts possible impacts to health, transport,
and infrastructure from the heat.
Temperatures are set to soar to the mid-30s Celsius
for several days, it noted.
The sweltering conditions come just weeks after the
last heat wave pushed the mercury over 40°C for the first time in Britain.
Climate scientists overwhelmingly agree that carbon
emissions from humans burning fossil fuels are heating the planet, raising the
risk and severity of droughts, heat waves, and other extreme weather events.
“Thanks to persistent high pressure over the UK,
temperatures will be rising day-on-day through this week and an extreme heat
warning has been issued,” Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Dan Rudman said
in a statement.
Months of exceptionally dry weather across England
are taking their toll, with Thames Water — which supplies
London and its
surroundings — the latest water provider to warn of imminent restrictions.
The firm said it is planning to issue a so-called
hosepipe ban in the coming weeks “given the long-term forecast” of hot and dry
weather for the southeast.
Several other UK water suppliers have already
announced similar moves ahead of this week’s heat wave, but Thames Water’s 15
million customers would make it the most impactful so far.
The Met Office has confirmed it was the driest July
in England since 1935, and little or no rain is forecast for most of the
parched areas in the short term.
“Water companies are already managing the
unprecedented effects of the driest winter and spring since the 1970s,” said
Peter Jenkins, of Water UK, which represents the industry.
“With more hot, dry weather forecast, it’s crucial
we be even more mindful of our water use to minimize spikes in demand and
ensure there’s enough to go around.”
The parched conditions have seen wildfires break out
near houses, including on the outskirts of London, a relatively rare occurrence
in Britain.
In neighboring France, a “historic” drought
currently exacerbated by a third extreme heat wave this summer has seen a spate
of wildfires nationwide as well as water restrictions ordered in nearly all its
96 mainland departments.
More than 47,000 hectares have already burnt in
France this year, including a record amount in July alone, according to the
EU’s satellite monitoring service EFFIS.
On Tuesday, more
than 3,000 people in southern France’s Aveyron region, including holidaymakers,
were evacuated as a fire swept through at least 700 hectares of vegetation
without causing any injuries.
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