Roundup: Britain faces third, more extensive heatwave

"As UK summers become hotter, with longer periods of high temperature extremes, the impact will reach far beyond personal discomfort," said Dr Tim Fox, fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

LONDON, July 12 (Xinhua) -- Britain is bracing for its third heatwave of the year with exceptionally hot and dry weather conditions prevailing in large parts of the country.

According to the Met Office, vast expanses of Britain have met the official heatwave criteria, with hot, dry and sunny weather persisting into this weekend. High pressure remains dominant and temperatures are forecast to reach highs of 33-34 degrees Celsius in some regions over the next two days.

Met Office Chief Meteorologist Steve Willington said, "The current heatwave is more widespread than previous heatwaves this summer."

On Friday, the UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office issued an amber heat-health alert for much of England.

Under the weather-health alerting system in use, an amber heat-health alert indicates that weather impacts are likely to be felt across the whole health service.

At this alert level, health impacts may begin to be observed among the wider population. There is an increased risk for individuals aged over 65, and those with pre-existing health conditions, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

The Environment Agency has reported that England is experiencing the driest start to a year since 1976.

In June, reservoir levels declined at nearly three-quarters of monitored sites, with all regions now recording below-average water storage.

The agency has warned that continued dry conditions could place further pressure on water resources and the environment.

Dr Tim Fox, fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and co-author of a report on climate change adaptation, emphasized that the recent heatwaves in Britain are not isolated events but are expected to become increasingly common in the future.

"As UK summers become hotter, with longer periods of high temperature extremes, the impact will reach far beyond personal discomfort," he said. ■