UK heatwave live: Critical incidents declared at three hospitals as country could face hottest June night on record

The Met Office posted their latest take on when the weather will cool down.

Fresher air and some rain are in store for Sunday.

A wildfire on a woodland and moor in Derbyshire has broken out during the extreme heat.

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service was called to Tintwistle Moor, above Woodhead Road, at about 10pm on Wednesday.

Six fire crews were at the scene of the fire today which had affected 400 sq m of land.

The A628 Woodhead Pass has been closed in both directions between the A57 and A616 due to the fire, according to National Highways.

Wednesday night was the warmest June night ever recorded.

Provisional figures show overnight temperatures in Cardiff did not drop below 23.5C, exceeding the previous record of 22.7C set in 1976.

But this record could be broken again tonight.

At least two hospitals have declared critical incidents amid a rare red warning for extreme heat and record-breaking temperatures.

Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust both declared critical incidents on Wednesday.

It comes as a new record high temperature has been set for June on Thursday, for the second day in a row, as the UK swelters in a heatwave.

Queen Alexandra Hospital said it declared the critical incident after the “failure of several chiller units supporting critical infrastructure during the ongoing heatwave”.

It added that some planned care and appointments have been stood down until the issues are resolved.

In an update on Thursday, the trust said that while the chiller units were up and running, the exceptionally hot weather has meant that cooling down vital infrastructure was taking much longer than normal.

The trust said it has extended the critical incident to allow it to “bring services back online in a safe and controlled way”.

As fire crews issue warnings about jumping into open water as people look to cool down, swimming teacher Vinny Simpson – who lost his uncle to drowning – explains to Radhika Sanghani why taking a dip to cool off can prove much more dangerous than it looks:

The government must put the public’s need for cheaper bills and a safe climate ahead of the profits of oil companies, a campaigning organisation has stated.

Robert Palmer, the deputy director of Uplift, which supports the transition away from oil and gas production, said: “Politicians are playing with people’s lives.

“We smashed the June heat record yesterday and are set to break it again today. This morning the papers are reporting the devastating impact of this heat: one in six babies are living in overheated homes, hospitals are canceling operations, 10 people have been taken to hospital after being stuck on the red hot M25. We’re seeing a meltdown in normal services, including shut schools, halted trains and struggling care homes.

“This is the impact of climate change, right on our shores. Yet we have politicians going out to bat for more North Sea oil and gas drilling, which is the very thing driving climate breakdown.

“The huge Rosebank oil field isn’t compatible with safe climate limits or the UK’s commitments to tackling climate change.

“Politicians need to wake up to the reality that the rest of the country is facing, which is that climate change is already disrupting lives – and act on it. Whoever leads our country must decide to put the public’s need for cheaper bills and a safe climate ahead of the profits of oil companies.”

At least three hospitals have declared critical incidents amid a rare red warning for extreme heat and record-breaking temperatures.

Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust both declared critical incidents on Wednesday.

University Hospital Southampton declared a critical incident on Thursday afternoon because of the ongoing extreme heat, “which is placing significant pressure on our services”, it said.

The hospital had to cancel a number of planned operations as well as some outpatient appointments.

Chiller units failed and MRI scanners were unable to operate across several hospitals.

Critical incidents can be declared when health and care services are so busy that special measures are needed to restore normal operations and keep patients safe.

The Independent’s Albert Toth writes:

Studies show that hot drinks can surprisingly reduce body temperature – but no more than cool drinks.

A 2016 study by Loughborough University found that a key factor in which is better depends on the environment. Researchers found that hot drinks increase sweat production, and so in moderate, dry heat can leave people feeling cooler long-term as this evaporates from the skin.

But in hotter and more humid conditions, it is usually preferable not to sweat excessively, as this can lead to “inefficient sweat losses” which will affect overall hydration.

And this is key – staying hydrated is one of the most important things in hot weather, with more liquid than usual required to prevent dehydration.

Overall, the difference between ingesting hot and cool drinks is minimal, although cooler drinks will likely provide more immediate relief. What’s most important is drinking plenty of liquid to aid general hydration.