U.K. issues new ‘Extreme Heat’ warning for England, Wales

LONDON — Britain’s weather service on Tuesday issued an amber “Extreme Heat” warning for parts of England and Wales, with no respite in sight from hot dry conditions that have sparked fires, broken temperature records and strained the nation’s infrastructure.

The amber warning — the second-most severe after red — will be in place from Thursday through to the end of Sunday and means that people vulnerable to extreme heat could face adverse health effects, the U.K. Met Office said.

Temperatures are expected to peak at 35 C on Friday and may hit 36 C in some places on Saturday.

The warning follows the driest July for England since 1935, when temperatures rose above 40 C for the first time, turning a renewed spotlight to the impacts of climate change.

Other European nations have also faced a scorching heat wave in recent weeks with temperatures often exceeding 40 C.

Britain, which is less used to such high temperatures, has struggled to cope.

July’s heat wave caused power outages, damaged airport runways, buckled rail tracks and ignited dozens of blazes in London, where the fire brigade faced its busiest week since the Second World War.

Britain’s largest water company, Thames Water, which serves 15 million customers across London and southeast England, said on Tuesday it was planning to announce temporary usage restrictions in the coming weeks due to the hot temperatures this week and long-term forecasts of dry weather.