First-ever heatwave emergency response ‘being drawn up by government’, report claims

The UK’s record high for 2022 currently stands at 32.7C

Government ministers are reportedly drawing up the first-ever heatwave emergency response after a rare amber weather warning for extreme temperatures was issued by the Met Office on Monday. The warning comes into force Sunday with the possibility of temperatures surging above 35C for the South East and over 30C for much of England and Wales. The mercury hit 32C on Monday. The UK’s record high for 2022 currently stands at 32.7C, taken at Heathrow on 17 June. https://twitter.com/metoffice/status/1546481570458046464 The Met Office warned that the heat on Sunday is likely to cause "adverse health effects" including "potential serious illness or danger to life". The Telegraph reported that a Cobra meeting was held Monday following the amber warning. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) could declare a “level four emergency” if the heat means that “illness and death may occur among the fit and healthy”. A UKHSA spokesman told the publisher: "There's a possibility of a level four heatwave. If it gets above 40C, then it is likely to be a level four heatwave for the first time." On Monday, a stray spark is suspected of starting a fire that blocked a major London railway; footage showed a fire raging in a field in Ripon, Yorkshire, and the Hampshire County Council began preparing to use gritters to tackle melting roads with the machines spreading light dustings of sand. Related links:

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