Hammersmith Bridge is now covered in silver insulation foil, to reflect sunlight during heatwave.
The Grade II*-listed bridge in West London has had a £420,000 ‘temperature control system’ fitted to reduce stress on its cast-iron pedestals, on which fractures widened in an August 2020 heatwave and forced it to be shut.
After being reopened for pedestrians, bicycles, and river traffic in July 2020, the bridge now boasts what the council described as a giant air conditioning unit. The four pedestal chains are connected to the river bed, and the temperature is to stay below 13C (55F) in summer. Bridge will be closed if they reach 18C or 64F.
Now, the cooling system has been run all night. The parts of the chain that is above the river level at the bridge across the River Thames (135 years old) are wrapped in foil silver which reflects sunlight.
Sebastian Springer, project manager said that safety is the first priority. We can track temperature spikes and maintain constant temperatures with the temperature control system. We are constantly looking for innovative ways to reduce the extreme heat.
As the nation braces itself for record temperatures, schools will be sending their students home earlier than usual. They may also stop PE classes and ban children from going outside.
Three primary schools in Herefordshire were told by the Met Office that they would not allow their students to go outside. The Met Office has issued a 72 hour amber alert for extreme heat posing a threat to lives. To keep cool, schools are encouraging students to use a T-shirt or shorts and not normal clothing.
Hereford Academy has announced a earlier school start time and end. Parents at Marlbrook and Little Dewchurch primary schools received information that PE classes would be cancelled and children wouldn’t be permitted outside. The letter also stated that parents have the option of keeping their children home Monday.
Crestwood Community School, Eastleigh, Hampshire is also among those schools that have canceled sports days. They stated that they don’t feel it safe for students to exercise in heat during the day.
The headteacher at Clapton Girls Academy in East London warned that school facilities would not be able to handle the heat and called for an early end. Anna Feltham explained to parents that “already many classrooms have become very hot even with fans and students are having difficulty keeping cool and drinking enough water in order to retain their concentration during lessons.”
Hammersmith Bridge has been wrapped in silver insulation foil and fitted with a £420,000 ‘temperature control system’ to alleviate stress on its cast-iron pedestals, on which fractures widened in the August 2020 heatwave and forced it to be shut
Yesterday, people sat on Bournemouth Beach in Dorset as they took advantage of the extremely hot weather in England.
As the extremely hot weather continues, this woman sunbathes at Bournemouth beach, Dorset.
Next week’s heatwave could make teaching rooms too hot for lesson two or five. Although we have looked at many options, there are not enough cool rooms available to move lessons.
Health chiefs are concerned that the NHS could be overwhelmed by heat-related deaths if mercury rises to the levels seen in Death Valley, California (the world’s hottest region), as it has been previously.
Met Office warned that the weather would cause severe illness and death in all areas of the country from Sunday through Tuesday.
Avanti West Coast rail firm has advised customers who plan to travel between London Euston in Scotland and London Euston to prepare for the effects of heat. According to the company, weekend services could be cancelled without notice and Monday and Tuesday journeys will need to be modified.
This week’s photos show the grim reality of the dry country, with the reservoirs and streams that have dried up.
Some parts have not seen a drop in rain since the beginning of July. That spells trouble for farmers as it was the dryest year ever recorded, raising concerns about higher food prices.
Yesterday’s meeting was the second Cobra civil contingencies panel meeting.
According to teaching unions, the weather could make it unsafe for children to engage in outdoor activities in hot sun. Meanwhile, the NHS will be facing an increase in heat-related demand.
According to the Met Office, temperatures for Monday and Tuesday may exceed 38.7C (102F), which was set in Cambridge in 2019.
Forecasters believe that there is a 60% chance of this record being broken. BBC Weather forecasts temperatures of 39C (102F), next Monday, and 40C (104F) on Tuesday.
However, the second heatwave could be over in just a few days with the chance of some thunderstorms.
Yesterday, Yorkshire’s reservoirs fell to a low level. There were five million Yorkshire residents notified that there is no way they can ban the hosepipes. This was a new measure for Britain after a decade.
Many others in the Peak District were reduced to a trickle. Ministers however, say that they don’t worry about water supply.
According to the Environment Agency, water levels in some rivers had also been running dry. The Waveney, Suffolk, was at 30% of the normal level for this time of the year.
East Anglia, as a whole, has experienced two-thirds more rainfall than its average over the first six months of this year. It was the driest period from January through June since 1996.
Wales, normally Britain’s wettest region, saw less precipitation than average between March-June. Ceredigion also had record-low levels of the River Teifi.
In rivers Wye, Usk and elsewhere in central Africa fisheries have been prohibited. The water has already killed many fish due to its extreme warmth.
The Met Office reports that West Sussex, Isle of Wight, and London only recorded 0.1mm (0.003ins of rain) between July 1, and July 12, respectively.
England saw an average precipitation of 5.1mm (0.02 ins) over the first twelve days. That’s less than 10% of the total July rainfall average, which was 66.48mm (2.62ins).
Wales also had 8.8mm (0.35ins), which was far less than the normal July rainfall of 98.56mm (3.88ins).
Yorkshire Water has not experienced its reservoirs drop to levels they hadn’t seen since 1995. However, UK water companies say that there are plenty of supplies, although many have asked customers to limit their usage during sunshine.
The drought could have a negative impact on the production of wheat, barley, and other crops.
Robert Anthony farms over 1,200 ha in the Vale of Glamorgan and said that the drought is having an ‘immediate impact’ on his crops.
Rhys Lougher has 120 milk cows in Bridgend, South Wales. He said that the cows are struggling to keep cool and their milk yields have dropped by five litres per day.
He told Farmers Weekly that while they can handle the occasional hot day, a long spell of heat takes its toll on them and that Farmers’ Weekly is concerned about their weekend.
Richard Bramley (chairman of the environment forum of the National Farmers’ Union) stated that water management in the sector was not up to the challenge of climate change.
After four consecutive days with temperatures over 30C (86F), the week ended with near-average temperatures. There was also a scattered shower.
However, an “amber” extreme heat alert remains in effect for large parts of England and Wales between Sunday night through Tuesday night.
John Hammond (ex-Broadcast Weatherman) was inspired to speak out about the dangers of heatstroke in this area.
He stated that although we like good weather, “This will not make for pleasant weather. This will cause severe weather conditions and could lead to death within a few days.” “It will be short, but it will not be long.”
Kit Malthouse, Cabinet Office minister and Chair of the Second Meeting of Cobra Yesterday said that there was an upcoming surge in demand for services such as the NHS.
According to him, ‘individual behavior change’ is of critical importance for BBC Radio 4’s The World at One.
This meant that they had to do ‘all of the things they’d do in very hot weather – wear water, a hat’ and also keep an eye out for vulnerable people such as young children and the elderly.
But he said water supplies were fine in the country and that he was not worried.
Extreme heat is a silent killer, according to experts. In England alone there were more than 2500 heat-related deaths in summer 2020.
Unions are asking firms to let employees work remotely or to leave early in the morning to prevent overheating. Some firms have already told staff that they will not be coming to work Mondays.
Caroline Abrahams from Age UK is the charity director. She urged residents to look after their elderly relatives, friends, and neighbours in case they need anything.
Mary Bousted was joint general secretary to the NEU teacher union. Mary said that it would be ‘potentially unsafe’ for schoolchildren to engage in sun-based physical activity, although many will already have had their summer sporting days.
BBC Radio Wales heard from the Wales’s Chief Medical Officer, that people would need to alter some plans. Official advice warned against school-related activities.
Organisers of tomorrow’s Rabbit Run along the sand dunes at Merthyr mawr near Bridgend have already been advised to lower their usual pace.
Also, owners were asked to ensure that animals are taken care of at the Royal Welsh Show.
Aidan McGivern, Met Office forecaster, said that temperatures would drop from midweek. The’most probable scenario’ of a vortex of moistened air rising from the Bay of Biscay could bring with it thundery rains.
And climate change lecturer John Grant told the Mirror: ‘I think hundreds are going to die in the UK if not thousands, that’s my fear if we hit temperatures of 40C.
“It’s scary what we will do if it doesn’t happen that we have a plan for management and aren’t able to get cooling centres set up.”
Showery showers will move south-east through the UK today, affecting northern and central parts of the UK.
Warm sunshine can be expected for those living in the South or South West.
London should experience 26C today. Cardiff will see 23C and Belfast, Cardiff 20C and Edinburgh 19C respectively.
Also, Saturday will start overcast with showers scattered in northern areas. It will then turn dry throughout the nation as extreme heat arrives.
Even with the heatwave, the hottest day in 2022 was June 17, when it reached 32.7C (90.9F), which London recorded. However, this record is almost certain to be broken in the days ahead.
For drivers with an older car, it is a good idea to look at other ways of traveling in the severe temperatures.
Edmund King, the organisation’s president, told the Daily Telegraph: ‘People who’ve got an older car, maybe the air conditioning doesn’t work, maybe it hasn’t been serviced for a while – the likelihood of it overheating is higher.
‘The risks are things like melting roads, getting stuck in traffic and then having problems, but you can drive in these temperatures – but your car has got to be in good shape.
“I think that cars older than 10 years might have problems. The majority of cars in the past 10 years have had air conditioning. If they are maintained well, it will likely be reliable.
He encouraged everyone to travel early mornings or late at night, especially for children.
Yesterday, Gatwick Airport ran out of water and families flew home as the heatwave in the south east continues.
Nearby, a burst water main cut off the SES Water supply. This left only limited toilets at Britain’s second busiest international airport.
Gatwick offered its apologies to passengers and claimed it was selling bottled water.
Raquel Rodrigues is 49 years old and flying to Spain.
“There are just two people working at the terminal. You can picture the wait times.”
According to a Gatwick spokesperson, there was an issue in the delivery of SES Water from Gatwick to the area. This has caused lower pressure across the airport.
“We will work with SES Water to solve this problem as fast as we can.”
The airport provides water for all passengers, staff and passengers. Additional contingency precautions are also being taken to safeguard the safety of passengers.
SES Water spokesperson said that they had identified and worked hard to fix a ruptured water main at Shipley Bridge in Crawley.