Combined heat from wildfire and heatwave kills hundreds in UK

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

After being declared a national emergency hundreds of people have been found dead in the last 24 hours in the United Kingdom due to record-breaking heat. The combined effect of wildfire and record-breaking warm summer due to global warming is causing severe health hazards. The officials are calling this the ‘apocalypse’ in the UK. Europe heatwave also creates travel chaos.

The temperature in the UK is fluctuating between 38-40C for the last two to three days. The earlier record stands at 102F which is 38C degrees from the Cambridge Botanic Garden on July 25, 2019. This might be surpassed within Tuesday, as warned by the met office.

British authorities described the heat wave as a “national emergency” and portions of the nation are under an “extreme” heat warning for the first time. Since in Europe, few homes, apartments, schools or small businesses have air conditioning, the residents are additionally vulnerable.

Eunice Lo, a climate scientist at the University of Bristol said that more than 2000 extra deaths are been recorded each year due to heatwave. The reason might be global warming. It is thus very important to stay hydrated. Staying indoors and spending time indoors is an absolute necessity. There is also news of people drowning in UK rivers, lakes and reservoirs for trying to stay cool.

The high temperatures affected airfields in Britain. London’s Luton Airport, which serves mostly low-cost airlines with flights to other countries in Europe, reported a runway defect around 4:30 p.m. Many flights are been diverted to a different route. Some have even been suspended. Earlier people have reported feeling sick and dehydrated as the temperatures in the UK cross the record.

Recently series of wildfires have been affecting the entire region. The wildfire must have created a very lasting impact on the temperature rise in the UK according to many. In case nothing can stop this situation, the situation in the UK will be a repeat of 2003 when more than 70000 people have sacrificed their lives. Some 2,000 services out of 12,800 were either more than half an hour late or axed entirely between midnight and 7 pm. There is also news of teenagers and elder people dying from either overheating or drowning to stay cool.

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