Monday 8 August 2022 05:55 PM Another health warning is issued as temperatures soar to 36C this week trends now
Much of the UK is braced for another heatwave, with little rain expected to help relieve the threat of drought which has prompted hosepipe bans and fire warnings.
The Met Office said temperatures are likely to rise into the low to mid-30s in central and southern parts of the UK - but will not be as extreme as the record-breaking heat in July when the thermometer climbed above 40C.
Heatwave thresholds - which are met at different temperatures in different parts of the country - are likely to be hit in much of the UK.
Outside the hottest areas, much of England and Wales and south-east Scotland could see temperatures widely in the high 20s, with a chance of a few spots seeing temperatures into the low 30s, the Met Office said.
Scotland and Northern Ireland will also see temperatures in the high 20s and could reach official heatwave criteria by Friday, the forecasters said.
The UK Health Security Agency has issued a heat health alert for southern and central England from Tuesday to Saturday, with experts advising people to look out for those who are older or with existing health conditions, and young children.
A dried up lake in Wanstead Park, north east London today, as Britain braces itself for another heatwave
Sunbathers enjoy the warm climes at Porthmeor Beach in St Ives, Cornwall
Firefighters across Devon have spent the day tackling grass fires around the county
With the latest heatwave coming after months of low rain, which have left the countryside and urban parks and gardens tinder-dry, households in some areas are being urged not to light fires or have barbecues.
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service is urging people not to light barbecues or bonfires, or let off fireworks or sky lanterns, after a large blaze which damaged gardens, sheds and trees was started by a chiminea.
The Country Land and Business Association (CLA), which represents 28,000 farmers and landowners in England and Wales, has demanded retailers follow the lead of Marks & Spencer and ban the sale of disposable barbecues across the UK this summer to reduce the risk of wildfires in the dry conditions.
The Met Office's fire severity index (FSI), an assessment of how severe a fire could become if one were to start, is very high for most of England and Wales, and will reach 'exceptional' for a swathe of England by the weekend.
Two water companies have already announced hosepipe bans and others have warned they may need to follow suit, following the driest eight months from November to June since 1976, and the driest July on record for parts of southern and eastern England.
Scientists warn that the likelihood of droughts occurring is becoming higher due to climate change, driven
