The second heatwave to hit the UK this summer has brought with it a boom in ice cream sales, in which small businesses are struggling to meet demand.
But the surge in temperatures has also led to an “exceptional” risk of wildfires in parts of southern England and Wales, as well as a health warning for the vulnerable.
A spokeswoman for Mrs Dowsons Ice Cream said the company has been “really busy with orders”, which have doubled due to the heatwave.
Julia Lewis, of L Lewis ice cream company in Chester, said: “It’s just an escalation of getting busier, as people are running out of stocks and wanting more supply.
“They’ve come to the stage where they need replenishing quicker. There’s more stock going and there’s more orders.”
The Met Office’s Fire Severity Index, an assessment of how severe a fire could become, has been raised to level 5 – the highest level – for south-western parts of Britain, with the danger highest on Sunday.
Millions of people on Thursday awoke to the beginning of a four-day “extreme heat” warning, a period during which temperatures in parts of Britain will reach at least 37°C. Vulnerable people are at risk of adverse health effects, while the wider population may suffer from heat exhaustion, the Met Office said. There is also an increased risk of water and fire-related incidents during the hot spell, given that many people will flock to lakes, rivers and the seaside and light up barbecues.
Met Office meteorologist Marco Petagna said the chance of wildfires was high.
“The risk is very high across much of central, southern and eastern England,” he said.
“Going into Friday and the weekend, it starts to increase further, going into the highest category of exceptional risk.”
Satellite images of parts of the UK show the effects of hotter-than-normal conditions and minimal rainfall.
Parts of mainland Europe are suffering from drought, which has caused sections of major rivers to dry up.
More than 100 communities in France have run out of water, leaving desperate residents to rely on lorry deliveries. Wildfires are spreading fast across the country, with thousands of firefighters posted to battle the flames. About 8,000 people have been forced to abandon their homes.
The Rhine, which is vital to the German economy as it serves as an important shipping route, is close to running dry in sections. Low water has for weeks been delaying the transport of vessels carrying freight.
Severe drought in Spain has left the country’s reservoirs running at only 40 per cent capacity.
The UK’s Health Security Agency has issued an alert, with experts advising people to look out for the elderly, children and those with existing medical conditions as another unusually hot spell begins.
The second heatwave of the summer comes after temperatures in July smashed records as the mercury climbed to 40.3°C. The UK has endured the driest first seven months of the year in decades and hot spells have parched grassland and prompted hosepipe bans. Experts have also warned of risks to wildlife and agriculture.
Latest analysis from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) has issued a warning that low or exceptionally low river flows and groundwater levels are likely to continue for the next three months in southern England and Wales.
Mr Petagna said rain could fall early next week.
“There are signs that we could get some rain next week, but details at the moment are uncertain,” he said.
“What we really need is a few weeks of light rain to soak into the ground.
“Thunderstorms are more likely to cause some flooding issues — because the ground is hard, the water can’t sink in.”
How to vote in the UAE
1) Download your ballot https://www.fvap.gov/
2) Take it to the US Embassy
3) Deadline is October 15
4) The embassy will ensure all ballots reach the US in time for the November 3 poll
How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
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MATCH INFO
What: India v Afghanistan, first Test
When: Starts Thursday
Where: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengalaru
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
MWTC
Tickets start from Dh100 for adults and are now on sale at www.ticketmaster.ae and Virgin Megastores across the UAE. Three-day and travel packages are also available at 20 per cent discount.
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape
Women & Power: A Manifesto
Mary Beard
Profile Books and London Review of Books
MATCH INFO
Alaves 1 (Perez 65' pen)
Real Madrid 2 (Ramos 52', Carvajal 69')
If you go
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.