The UK's largest ambulance service received the highest number of 999 calls in its history yesterday, as the extreme heatwave that has killed hundreds across Europe shows no sign of relenting. Call handlers took 8,869 emergency calls on Friday, the peak of the June heatwave, according to the service.
The amber weather warning for extreme heat, already extended once, has been pushed back again until 9am on Sunday, covering London, the South East, the East of England and the East Midlands. The Met Office warned of hot and humid conditions continuing overnight, with temperatures widely exceeding 30°C and peaking at 33°C. Pavements in London reached almost 60°C, and a new June record temperature of 37.1°C was recorded in Cavendish, Suffolk.
“UK amber heat warning extended as 327 deaths in Spain and 55 in France linked to record temperatures.”
Across the continent, the deadly heat has been estimated to have killed hundreds. Some 327 fatalities in Spain are thought to be linked to the extreme heat, while at least 55 people have died in France. Scientists from the World Weather Attribution said a heat record has been broken or is forecast to be broken in 45 per cent of 854 European cities examined. The same study found that the heat would have been virtually impossible just five decades ago, and is 200 times more likely today than it was 20 years ago.
The high temperatures have pushed cooling demand to its highest level in at least 45 years and significantly increased wildfire risk, particularly in Spain and France, the report noted. Thunderstorms have caused significant disruption: at least 367 flights arriving at or departing from Heathrow have been delayed so far on Saturday, and 352 at Gatwick, according to FlightAware. In West Sussex, a home in Crawley was damaged after a lightning strike, and the roof of a property in Streatham, south London, was destroyed in a blaze sparked by an overnight bolt.
The Met Office warned of possible power cuts and heat exhaustion, while major train operators ran a reduced schedule as rail infrastructure struggled to cope. The amber warning now remains in place until 9am Sunday, with fresher conditions expected to arrive from the west later that night.
Meanwhile, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright downplayed the crisis, saying: "More people die in the winter."