As Britain prepares to bake yet again this week, Britain’s famous faces have faced just the same battle as everybody else to keep their gardens just about alive.

But one celeb is faring better than most – due to a quirk in hosepipe ban regulations, which some 27 million Britons are currently subject to.

Chef Jamie Oliver‘s plush lawns are rather lusher than most, and the secret is easy to spot – a large personal lake just a stone’s throw from the back of his Essex mansion.

He has lived at the Grade I listed 12-bedroom property since purchasing it for £6million in 2019, and the pond sits within its 70-acre site. 

Mr Oliver, 51, is able to run hosepipes from the water feature to the rest of his garden, keeping it markedly greener than the surrounding parched countryside.

While this summer is set to be the UK’s hottest ever and 45 million people are now living in areas declared in drought, the chef has kept selective areas of his land a refreshing shade of green, encircled in brown fields.

Under hosepipe bans, certain exemptions apply including to designate they can be used if the water is taken from a privately owned source.

These might include lakes or ponds, as well as springs or wells on the property. 

He has lived at the Grade I listed 12-bedroom property since purchasing it for £6million in 2019, and the pond sits within its 70-acre site

Mr Oliver, 51, is able to run hosepipes from the water feature to the rest of his garden, keeping it markedly greener than the surrounding parched countryside

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A long yellow pipe could be seen extending from Mr Oliver’s garden to the pond behind in images taken this week. 

The TV chef is faring better than many, including Rolling Stones member Keith Richards, 82.

The songwriter and guitarist’s pad in West Sussex has a small garden encircled in buildings which is clearly being well cared for.

But other grass on his estate is just as brown and dry as the surrounding fields.

With no visible private water source, Mr Richards cannot rely on a handy nearby lake to get around restrictions, which came into place in the county on July 25.

The legendary musician has owned the property for decades after initially persuading the retired naval officer owner to sell.

Known as the Redlands Estate, the property would make headlines in 1967 after he and Mick Jagger were arrested there by police while high on drugs.

These days it’s a much quieter corner of the English countryside, surrounded by large trees offering some protection from the relentless summer heat. 

Keith Richards’ pad in West Sussex has a small green garden at the centre, but other grass on the property is struggling

With no visible private water source, Mr Richards cannot rely on a hand nearby lake to get around restrictions, which came into place in the county on July 25

Sir Rod Stewart’s Grade II-listed mansion has very green gardens despite the dry weather

The property in Essex has an artificial football pitch with a 20-space car park

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Sir Rod’s mini golf course features a fairway, two bunkers and a lush putting green

One of the most successful gardening efforts this year has to go to Sir Rod Stewart, whose lawn betrays no hint it is even summer, let alone a record-breakingly hot and dry one. 

Aerial photographs show the land around the 81-year-old singer’s 18th-century Grade II-listed property, which he bought for £4.65million in 2013, is still extremely green. 

His ten-bedroom home opens out on to a range of sprawling gardens and includes a mini golf course with a fairway, two bunkers and a lush putting green.

There is also an artificial football pitch with a 20-space car park which Sir Rod had installed at the property before moving in with wife Penny Lancaster in 2016.

Sir Rod’s property is supplied by Affinity Water, which introduced a hosepipe ban across its central region, including Essex, on July 17 due to the weather conditions.

Eight other water companies have brought in bans, which mean customers are legally banned from using hosepipes to water gardens or wash cars, patios or boats.

There is no evidence Sir Rod has breached a ban, given there are many workarounds for watering grass such as using a watering can. He may also have an exemption such as that used by Mr Oliver.

Drought has been declared for all of Wales and almost three-quarters of England – and a sixth heatwave of the year is on the way this week with 38C (100F) highs. 

It was confirmed on Tuesday that the UK is on course for its hottest summer ever – with only average conditions needed for the rest of August to beat a record set only last year.

The mean temperature for the summer so far, from June 1 to yesterday, stands at 16.48C – which is 1.88C above the 1991 to 2020 average, provisional data shows.

Dry fields at Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, today

The dirt paths and scorched grass of Parliament Hill on Hampstead Heath this afternoon

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A person walks over a dried up stream on parched land at Richmond Park in London today

The grass surrounding Sarah Beeny’s house also looked incredibly dry as it appears the entrepreneur has been sticking to the hosepipe ban 

The £3 million custom-built Somerset estate near Wincanton, featured on her Channel 4 series Sarah Beeny’s New Life in the Country

To equal the 16.12C seen in 2025 – the UK’s warmest summer on record – the rest of August would only need to be 0.21C below the long-term average, and any warmer than this would establish a new record for the country, meteorologists confirmed.

It comes as the record-breaking drought revealed the remains of a fascinating lost village which was demolished and flooded half a century ago to create a reservoir.

Stonework and the outlines of buildings in Nether Hambleton can now be seen because of the low water levels at Rutland Water reservoir in the East Midlands.

More than 3,000 acres of land were submerged in the 1970s to create what was then Europe’s largest man-made lake, with residents rehoused in the surrounding areas.

Among the lost buildings were 18th century homes and farmland growing barley to be sold to Germany for brewing lager and wheat which Hovis bought for breadmaking.

The remains of Nether Hambleton were left in the bottom of a valley between what is now the Hambleton peninsula in the north and the hamlet of Lyndon to the south.

People across drought-hit England have been told to expect no rain in this week’s forecast with some areas now having been completely dry for two months.

Some parts of Hampshire and West Sussex have not had rain for 59 days. The parched landscape will only deteriorate as Britain’s sixth heatwave of the year builds from today towards one of the hottest days on record this Thursday with a 38C (100F) peak.

If 38C (100F) is observed, it would see Britain experience its joint fifth hottest day on record – tying with that same temperature recorded at Lingwood in Norfolk on June 26. The hottest-ever UK day was July 19, 2022 when Coningsby in Lincolnshire hit 40.3C.

The Met Office has issued only its second extreme heat warning in four years, in an alert saying the ‘wider population is likely to experience some adverse health effects‘.

The 15-hour amber warning for central and southern England will run from 9am until midnight on Thursday. Another extreme heat warning was also issued in the June heatwave but that was the first time such an alert had been issued since 2022.

Separately, UK Health Security Agency today activated amber heat health alerts for much of England, which will run until Friday – warning of a ‘rise in deaths’.

The Government has urged people to stay safe by drinking plenty of water, checking on vulnerable friends and family, and avoiding the sun at the hottest part of the day.

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Met Office chief forecaster Chris Bulmer said: ‘While the peak heat will be more short-lived than recent heatwaves, temperatures widely into the mid-30Cs on Thursday bring the potential for impacts for some, which is why a Met Office warning has been issued.

‘High pressure is now becoming dominant and temperatures will build day-by-day.

‘Southerly and south-easterly winds will also tap into the hot conditions over Europe, which helps develop this further notable heat in what has been a hot and dry summer so far.’

This summer has been one of extreme heat and dry conditions, with two record-breaking heatwaves in May and June that led to the deaths of more than 2,800 people. 

This was followed by two further heatwaves in July, and a fifth was confirmed last week.

The UK has been struggling with the impact of extreme weather including drought, heatwaves and wildfires.

Some 45million people are in drought-stricken areas, and 27million customers are under hosepipe bans as rivers and reservoirs run low.

Rainfall in July ranged from 1 per cent of the average in the South East to 26 per cent in the North West.

Farmers have warned of a ‘brutal harvest’ for crops and a lack of feed for livestock, and there have been warnings of food price inflation shocks later in the year as a searing summer across Europe feeds through from fields to supermarket shelves.

Meanwhile firefighters continue to battle a series of fires across the UK, including one in the New Forest National Park which began in a van and spread to nearby heathland.

The latest heatwave is set to subside over the weekend and bring fresher air and rain – although this is not expected to make up for the shortfall in recent months.

Sarah Davies, head of environment and energy at the Met Office, said: ‘Forecasts for the remainder of August and into September suggest a good deal of dry weather is expected, mixed with some unsettled spells.

‘While some areas may see useful rainfall at times, there is currently no strong signal for a sustained period of widespread rainfall, with below-average rainfall more likely than above-average for the period as a whole.’

Cleveland’s Rocket Arena earlier confirmed the cancellation on social media, writing: “Following a period of monitoring, doctors have advised Rod Stewart to rest for at least 48 hours. As a result, his performance tomorrow night, August 11, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland has been cancelled.

Rats are super active in summer, and storing a certain item outdoors can cause them to take over your garden. Advice has been shared on how people can prevent the issue

The prospect of rats invading your garden is something no homeowner wishes to encounter, which is why understanding how to keep them away is absolutely vital. What many homeowners don’t realise is that August is actually one of the peak times for rats trying to access properties, as it aligns with their breeding season — meaning extra caution is required.

This results in heightened activity around homes during summer, making sightings in your garden considerably more probable. However, leaving particular items outside can actively attract them, so it’s worth being careful about what you keep in your garden and how it’s stored.

There are, indeed, numerous things that should be on your mind right now regarding rats. Certain items left outdoors could make it surprisingly straightforward for rats to establish themselves on your property.

What draws them in?

If you’ve been visiting the garden centre to purchase soil and compost, more often than not, those extra bags end up stored beneath the decking to maintain a tidy patio appearance.

It appears to be a perfectly logical approach but, according to Allan Jeffrey, gardening expert at Ultra Decking, it’s one of the most frequent ways homeowners inadvertently invite pests onto their property. While compost may be wonderful for your flowerbeds, it is equally appealing to rodents and insects — particularly when kept in the dark, damp conditions that commonly exist beneath decking.

There are several reasons why it proves so attractive to unwanted visitors. Compost bags are filled with organic matter and retain moisture, generating precisely the kind of warm, humid environment that rats and mice seek out when nesting.

Yet rodents aren’t the only worry. Ants and soil-dwelling insects are attracted to the very same conditions and, once they’ve settled in near your decking or fencing, they can be extraordinarily difficult to remove.

Once rats and mice establish themselves, the issues tend to escalate rapidly. Allan explained: “Nesting rats are a big problem.

“Their numbers grow quickly, and they’ll soon start gnawing through garden structures like your decking, your fencing and that kind of damage doesn’t come cheap.”

Firewood poses another potential hazard. “Those storing leftover winter logs under their decking are also at risk,” he added.

“Timber that’s picked up moisture over winter is the perfect hiding place for wood-boring insects, and that’s when the real damage starts.”

How to store your garden supplies

Allan suggests a simple method to keep pests away:

• Raise and air out. Store compost bags and firewood on an elevated platform at least one to two metres away from the house and any timber structures. Good ventilation prevents moisture building up and makes the spot much less appealing to pests.
• Move to sealed containers. If space is tight, move compost into robust plastic bins with secure clip-on lids. These are significantly more difficult for rodents and insects to penetrate.
• Complete a 60-second check. Take a torch and conduct a swift examination beneath your decking for warning signs – torn plastic, small access holes or dark droppings.

Identifying issues early is nearly always the distinction between a simple clear-up and a costly pest control visit. A small amount of preparation now can prevent considerable trouble, and ensures you’ll be able to properly enjoy your garden this summer.

If you suspect rats may be present nearby, contact a pest control professional for guidance.

Iran was resolute on Tuesday that the US must end the war before they release their grip on the Strait of Hormuz after Donald Trump said the military was in complete control of the channel.

Mohsen Rezaee, the new secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said on social media that the “message is clear” that the strait will remain shut until the US agrees to terms and pulls back.

”The Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until the US ends the war and blockade, releases Iran’s frozen assets, and agrees to a region-wide ceasefire, including in Lebanon and Gaza,” he said. “Until all conditions are met, the Strait will remain closed.”

It came after Trump on Monday snubbed Iran’s six conditions for reopening the strait, which included “payment in full” for damage inflicted on Iran throughout the war.

“It is an interesting idea because now I am likewise demanding compensation from Iran,” Trump said, adding: “I have instructed my representatives to put this firmly into any, and all, future negotiations.”

Meanwhile, Trump reportedly hid in a catering truck to fend off an assassination threat from Iran while departing Turkey after the Nato summit last month.

By SOPHIE CHURCH – POLITICAL REPORTER

Published: 22:17 BST, 11 August 2026 | Updated: 04:06 BST, 12 August 2026

Labour has overtaken Reform in another national voting poll as disaffected voters return to the party under Andy Burnham.

Labour is now backed by 24 per cent of Britons, with Reform dropping to 22 per cent support – their lowest score since March last year.

In a tightening race among the top three parties, Kemi Badenoch‘s Conservatives are now backed by 21 per cent of the electorate, putting them just one point behind Reform.

But Labour’s gains appear to have come at the Green Party and Liberal Democrats‘ expense, as Mr Burnham claws back voters who fled the party with Keir Starmer as leader.

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Both parties have now dropped by a point each – to 12 per cent and 11 per cent respectively – according to the results of YouGov polling conducted this week.

And the Greens have fallen nine points from their peak in February as voters turn away from leader Zack Polanski‘s brand of eco-populism.

Political strategist James Johnson advised the new PM to now ‘seize his Goldilocks moment’ by calling a snap election to capitalise on his so-called ‘Burnham-bounce’.

Writing on Tuesday in The Times, Mr Johnson, who founded political strategy consultancy JL Partners, explained: ‘If he throws the dice nationally, there are good odds he will win a large majority of his own, escape the manifesto trap he faces and scatter his opponents.’

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Political strategist James Johnson advised the new PM to now ‘seize his Goldilocks moment’ by calling a snap election to capitalise on his so-called ‘Burnham-bounce’

Labour is now backed by 24 per cent of Britons, with Reform dropping to 22 per cent support – their lowest score since March last year

The Greens have fallen nine points from their peak in February as voters turn away from leader Zack Polanski’s brand of eco-populism

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Join the discussion

What should Labour do to win back trust from voters who switched to Reform and the Greens?

A Reform UK spokesman told Mr Burnham to ‘bring it on’ in response to him calling a snap election.

And a Green Party spokesperson said: ‘Polls go up and down. Andy Burnham is in a small honeymoon period, a bob rather than a bounce, and is recycling Keir Starmer announcements.

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‘He is tinkering with the symptoms rather than tackling the causes. Politics changes very fast these days, as do polls.’

Mr Burnham has continued to rule out calling a general election – and has instead announced a raft of policy measures to give struggling households ‘breathing space’ in his first weeks in office.

Nonetheless, Labour backbenchers have continued to canvas over the summer break.

North Durham’s Labour MP Luke Akehurst said on Tuesday: ‘Like other MPs in Reform-facing seats I am heartened but I’m not complacent about converting this early improvement into a second term.

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‘There is a long way to go and a lot to be done locally and nationally before we can win again.’

YouGov conducts national voting intention polling each week, with the latest survey conducted over 9 to 10 August.

The alarm was raised at 4.18pm after the fire broke out on Market Weighton Road, Barlby.

North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service crews from Malton and Selby rushed to the scene where the driver of the combine harvester had fought the fire with an extinguisher.

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A spokesperson said that crews cooled hotspots using a hose reel jet.

Earlier in the day, fire crews from Thirsk and Ripon responded to a report of a forklift battery on fire in a warehouse on Dalton Airfield Industrial Estate, Thirsk, at 11.30am.

The fire was out when crews arrived so they monitored hot spots and dampened down the area using one hose reel jet and a thermal imaging camera until the battery temperature had reduced to safe levels.

The latest ONS baby name data has been analysed to reveal the most popular names, with some ancient names proving incredibly popular with modern parents

In the wake of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey proving a box office smash, ancient Greece is once more gripping the nation’s attention. But might this rekindled interest in Gods, warriors and epic myths also be shaping the names mums and dads are picking for their wee ones?

Greek mythology has shaped baby names across the ages, from enduring classics such as Penelope to striking contemporary picks like Atlas.

New Office for National Statistics (ONS) baby name figures, examined by JoJo Maman Bébé, now show which mythology-inspired names are winning favour with modern parents.

Anne Varsanyi, head of buying at JoJo Maman Bébé, said: “Choosing a baby’s name is one of the first opportunities parents have to express something about their family, whether that’s honouring tradition, celebrating heritage or simply choosing a name they love.

“What’s particularly fascinating about this year’s data is seeing how quickly tastes can change.

“Some names that once filled classrooms have become increasingly rare, while others that were barely heard a generation ago are now among the country’s favourites,” reports the Liverpool Echo.

Top five most popular Greek mythological names for girls

• Penelope – The famously faithful wife of Odysseus
• Athena – Goddess of wisdom, courage, and warfare
• Rhea – Titaness and mother of the original Olympian gods
• Persephone – Queen of the Underworld and goddess of spring growth
• Gaia – Goddess of the Earth

Top five most popular Greek mythological names for boys

• Atlas – The Titan condemned to carry the weight of the heavens
• Ares – The God of war and courage
• Apollo – God of music, light, truth and healing
• Artemis – Traditionally, the Goddess of the hunt
• Perseus – The demigod who defeated Medusa

JoJo Maman Bébé examined the most recent ONS figures.

The analysis looked at 2025’s most popular names, those showing the biggest rises since 1996, and those suffering the steepest drops over the same period.

Figures were drawn from the ONS Baby Names release, which came out on July 9, 2026.

Penelope, the legendary heroine from The Odyssey, sits at the pinnacle as the top mythological choice, with 1,174 newborns given the name in 2025.

Athena (519 babies ) and Atlas (355 babies) have made the leap from ancient myth to contemporary nursery staples, both proving remarkably fashionable amongst mums and dads seeking names with power and presence.

While choices such as Rhea and Ares are gaining traction, parents after something genuinely distinctive could turn to Apollo (39 babies) or Perseus (eight babies) for a name that really stands out.

Technically “Air Force One” is the call sign for any aircraft carrying the US president.

But on this occasion, the C-32A used the call sign “Reach 18”, while the aircraft carrying the journalists continued to use “AF1” in order to keep up the ruse.

Trump then flew to the UK en route to the US, where he reboarded the old Air Force One and was seen descending from the aircraft after it landed at RAF Mildenhall.

It is unclear how he moved from the C-32A back to the legacy jet.

The president then transferred to the new Qatari-donated Air Force One to travel back to Washington.

During that flight, Trump spoke to reporters on board where he noted the threats posed by Iran but did not mention the earlier plane swap.

Asked why reporters had been told to lower the window shades on the plane from Turkey, Trump said at the time: “Because you’re probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleazebags we have to deal with.”

He said he had a “threat all the time” on his life, and that he is “number one” on Iran’s “list”.

Jose Zamora, regional director for the Americas for the Committee to Protect Journalists, said in a statement that the Trump administration “has a responsibility to ensure that journalists covering the president are not unnecessarily exposed to danger”.

“Reporters should be informed of credible security threats so they can make informed decisions about their safety,” he added.

Fire crews have issued a stern warning to parents after a child went missing on Mother’s Beach in Maine while their parent was to distracted by their mobile phone to notice

The parent of a child who went missing on a beach has been given a stern warning after being distracted by their phone at the time.

The worrying incident occured at Mother’s Beach in the coastal town of Kennebunkport on Monday. The child, who has not been named, briefly went missing while their caregiver was distracted by their phone, according to an announcement from Kennebunk Fire-Rescue posted on Facebook.

The fire department said that the child was reunited with their parent after authorities located the youngster in “a completely different beach area.”

The post reads: “A Reminder to Parents and Caregivers: Phones Down. Eyes Up.

“Many of you became aware of the missing child incident at Mother’s Beach today. Thankfully, the child was located safely and reunited with their caregiver. However, this was a very preventable incident and an important reminder for everyone responsible for children around the water.

“When you are at the beach, pool, lake, or anywhere near the water with a child, put the phone down and keep your eyes up. Active supervision means maintaining constant awareness of where your child is and what they are doing.

“In today’s incident, the child had travelled into a completely different beach area from where the caregiver was located. After the child was safely reunited with the caregiver, our personnel observed the caregiver immediately return their attention to their phone. A stern warning was given regarding the seriousness of what had occurred and the caregiver’s responsibility to actively supervise the child.

“We also want to emphasize that situations like this are extremely unfair to our Ocean Guards. Our guards are there to protect everyone using our beaches—they are not babysitters and cannot replace parental or caregiver supervision.

“Our Ocean Guards are responsible for continuously scanning large areas of water and beach, identifying swimmers in distress, recognizing changing surf and water conditions, providing emergency medical care, and responding to life-threatening emergencies. When a child is left inadequately supervised, guards may be forced to divert their attention and resources from those responsibilities to search for a child whose caregiver should know where they are.

“Lifeguards provide an incredibly important layer of protection, but their presence does not transfer the responsibility for supervising a child from the caregiver to the lifeguard.

“Drowning and other water-related emergencies can develop incredibly quickly and often without the yelling, splashing, or obvious signs people expect. That is why active, uninterrupted supervision is so important.

“Please help us protect your children and allow our Ocean Guards to protect everyone on our beaches: Phones down. Eyes up. Know where your children are at all times. A few seconds of distraction near the water can have lifelong consequences.”

Several people thanked Kennebunk Fire-Rescue for its announcement in the comments of the Facebook post and expressed anger at parents getting distracted by their phones.

One user commented: “Very well said, I do believe we should push for beaches being cell phone zone free”, another said: “Why go to the beach and stare at your phone? I put my phone in my beach bag, I only check it when I want to see the time or get a picture.”

Extreme heat warnings have been issued by the Met Office for 12 counties across Britain as the mercury looks set to climb to 38C in its fifth heatwave of the summer

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Large swathes of the UK could be poised to bake as temperatures look set to reach 38C during the fifth heatwave of the summer, with parched conditions hindering firefighting teams tackling blazes nationwide.

One firefighters’ union leader has gone so far as to declare a wildfire “national emergency” for the UK, while the Met Office has disclosed that Britain is on course for the hottest summer on record.

Several uncommon amber “extreme heat” warnings have been issued for 12 counties spanning London and areas of the South East, East Midlands, East of England, West Midlands and South Yorkshire, effective from 9am Tuesday (August 11) through to midnight on Thursday (August 13).

The alerts caution that temperatures could climb to 33C on Wednesday before rising to peaks of 37C or 38C on Thursday, the Met Office reports.

Met Office chief forecaster Chris Bulmer stated: “While the peak heat will be more short-lived than recent heatwaves, temperatures widely into the mid-30s Celsius on Thursday brings the potential for impacts for some, which is why a Met Office warning has been issued.”

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“High pressure is now becoming dominant and temperatures will build day by day. Southerly and south-easterly winds will also tap into the hot conditions over Europe which helps develop this further notable heat in what has been a hot and dry summer so far for many in the south of the UK.”

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has additionally issued its own amber heat health alerts, with warnings in place for all regions throughout the UK. The UKHSA’s amber heat health alerts, which are designed to caution Britons when extreme temperatures are likely to affect the health and wellbeing of the population, run from Tuesday (August 11) at 9am through to Friday (August 14) at 9pm.

Fire Brigades Union general secretary Steve Wright told Times Radio the country is currently facing a national emergency “right now”, with blazes being seen “all across” the UK.

According to the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), firefighters have responded to 966 wildfires across England and Wales this year, including 185 during the first 10 days of August alone.

July proved to be the busiest month on record for wildfires, with 458 incidents logged.

Crews from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service have been tackling a blaze in the New Forest, which broke out after a van caught fire on the A31 near Ringwood on Sunday.

The affected area is protected heathland and is home to a number of rare species, according to the New Forest National Park Authority.

Mr Wright said: “In many parts of the country, firefighters do not have the new modern equipment to deal with these.

“They do not have the new modern personal protective equipment, the lightweight fire kit that we wear, the right helmets, lightweight helmets, breathable uniforms to make sure they’re better protected, their health is protected when they’re out dealing with these incidents for hours and hours on end.”

Only standard weather conditions are required for the remainder of August for the UK to surpass the record for the warmest summer, which was established just last year.

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Almost three quarters of England and the entirety of Wales are now experiencing drought, following a record dry July and exceptionally dry beginning to August coupled with elevated temperatures placing strain on water supplies.

Southern Water has submitted an application for an uncommon drought order which would prohibit businesses from non-essential water usage, including washing vehicles and filling non-domestic swimming pools.

The firm stated an “exceptional” absence of rainfall had threatened supplies in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

It cautioned that 165,000 residents in the Southampton West supply area could encounter restricted supplies.

Environment Secretary Angela Eagle will determine the application, which would be the first such prohibition since May 2006.

Meanwhile, water stations have been established in Ilford, east London, and Chigwell, Essex, following burst water mains which left properties and businesses without water or with reduced water pressure since Sunday, Thames Water confirmed. Record-breaking heatwaves during May and June resulted in more than 2,800 fatalities, while sections of the nation were affected by additional heatwaves last month as England and Wales witnessed their driest July since records commenced in 1836.

The Environment Agency reported that 71.3% of England is currently experiencing “flash drought”, following a parched beginning to August after the country’s driest July on record.

Flash drought is a phenomenon that emerges extremely rapidly due to a combination of exceptionally low rainfall and elevated temperatures.

Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “I want to thank NHS staff who are once again stepping up to cope with the extra pressures that hot weather brings.

“Extreme heat can be dangerous, so staying aware of warnings and alerts in place can make a real difference.”