England and Wales have provisionally recorded their driest July in nearly 200 years, according to Met Office data. The dry spell has pushed most of England, and all of Wales, into drought, following four successive summer heatwaves.
The Met Office figures also confirm that June was the hottest on record for England, driven by a searing heatwave in the final days of the month. That heatwave brought red heat alerts for three consecutive days – the first time this has happened.
The strain of the extreme heat has also been felt within the health service. At least six NHS trusts in England have declared critical incidents because of the heatwave. Reports suggest the heat has caused problems with IT systems, cancer equipment, lab testing and scanners. Critical incidents are declared when a service comes under such extreme pressure that a hospital’s ability to deliver safe and effective care is under threat.
