Kamis, 11 Agustus 2022

Fire severity risk raised to 'exceptional' as four-day amber alert begins - Sky News

The risk of how severe fires could become across parts of England and Wales has been raised to "exceptional" - the highest it can be - as a four-day amber weather warning comes into force.

The top level on the fire severity index applies to much of southern England, and reaches as far west as Abergavenny in Wales, for this coming Sunday.

The index is an assessment of how severe a fire could become if one were to start, not the risk of fires occurring.

Fire severity index is set to peak on Sunday. Pic: Met Office
Image: The fire severity index is set to peak on Sunday. Pic: Met Office

The Met Office has issued an amber heat warning running between Thursday and Sunday, and temperatures between those days could peak at 36C.

South East, Southern and Welsh Water have all announced hosepipe bans for customers in areas they supply.

Thames Water has signalled it will also introduce a ban in the coming weeks as the hot, parched summer continues to take its toll.

There have also been repeated warnings about the impact on agriculture, rivers and wildlife.

Amber warning, what to expect:

Adverse health effects are likely to be experienced by those vulnerable to extreme heat

The wider population is likely to experience some adverse health effects including sunburn or heat exhaustion (dehydration, nausea, fatigue) and other heat related illnesses

Some changes in working practices and daily routines, likely to be required

An increased chance that some heat-sensitive systems and equipment may fail

More people are likely to visit coastal areas, lakes, rivers and other beauty spots, leading to an increased risk of water safety and fire-related incidents

Some delays to road, rail and air travel are possible, with potential for welfare issues for those who experience prolonged delays

Met Office meteorologist Marco Petagna said: "The risk [of fires] is very high across much of central, southern and eastern England.

"Going into Friday and the weekend, it starts to increase further, going into the highest category of exceptional risk."

Read more:
What are the rules on hosepipe bans?

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The UK braces for the next stifling few days

Worst summer for fires in three decades

Mark Hardingham, the chairman of the National Fire Chiefs Council, told The Telegraph he "can't remember a summer like this" in his entire 32-year career.

"We're not going to see temperatures as hot as we saw three weeks ago, but that doesn't matter because the ground couldn't get any drier than it already is," he said.

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There is also a heat health alert in place from the UK Health Security Agency, with experts advising people to look out for those who are older or with existing health conditions, as well as young children.

The latest analysis from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology has warned low or even exceptionally low river flows and groundwater levels are likely to continue for the next three months in southern England and Wales.

A man stands in the basin of Grafham Water near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, where water is receding during the drought. Britain is braced for another heatwave that will last longer than July's record-breaking hot spell, with highs of up to 35C expected next week. Picture date: Monday August 8,
Image: Water is severely receding at Grafham Water near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire

Rain relief?

Mr Petagna said rain could be on the horizon early next week.

"There are signs that we could get some rain next week, but details at the moment are uncertain," he said.

He added the UK needs "a few weeks" of light rain to water the ground.

"What we really need is a few weeks of light rain to soak into the ground," he said.

"Thunderstorms are more likely to cause some flooding issues because the ground is hard, the water can't sink in."

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2022-08-11 01:56:42Z
1530733015

Rabu, 10 Agustus 2022

Aine Davis: Alleged fourth IS 'Beatle' arrested in UK on terror charges - BBC

Aine DavisHO VIA MET POLICE

A man accused of being part of a notorious Islamic State group cell which murdered hostages, has been arrested on terror charges in the UK.

Aine Davis, of west London, flew into Luton airport after his release from a Turkish jail where he was serving a seven-and-a-half-year sentence for membership of the terror group.

During his trial, Davis denied being part of the cell, nicknamed the Beatles because of members' British accents.

Davis is being held in police custody.

The 38-year-old was arrested by officers from the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command and taken to a police station in south London.

He was arrested in relation to offences under the Terrorism Act, 2000, including fundraising and possession of articles for terrorist purposes.

The 'Beatles' cell is believed to have been made up of four members - all thought to have grown up in west London - who volunteered to fight for IS in Syria and ended up guarding Western hostages.

They were nicknamed the Beatles, after the Liverpudlian band, by hostages due to their English accents.

US authorities have said the group killed 27 hostages, beheading several of them.

Videos of the murders were sent around the world, causing outrage.

Before being radicalised Davis was convicted on drugs offences and was jailed in 2006 for possessing a firearm.

After converting to Islam, he changed his name to Hamza and met Mohammed Emwazi, nicknamed Jihadi John by the media.

The two were part of a group that radicalised Muslims living in London. Davis left the UK to join IS in 2013.

Davis was arrested near Istanbul in 2015 and was convicted by a Turkish court two years later of being a senior member of a terrorist organisation.

At his trial, Davis admitted knowing Emwazi from praying in the same mosque in west London, but denied being his friend, or a member of the "IS Beatles" group.

The group's actions are said to have resulted in the deaths of four US hostages - journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and aid workers Kayla Mueller and Peter Kassig - British aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning and Japanese journalists Haruna Yukawa and Kenji Goto.

Emwazi was killed in Syria in 2015. The two other group members are in custody in the US after being captured by Kurdish forces in Syria in 2018.

Alexanda Kotey is serving a life sentence and El Shafee Elsheikh is due to be sentenced this month in the US after being convicted in April.

Kotey pleaded guilty to eight offences, including lethal hostage-taking and conspiracy to support terrorists, while Elsheikh was found guilty of charges which included lethal hostage taking and conspiracy to commit murder after a trial.

Both men were stripped of their British citizenship in 2018.

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2022-08-10 21:33:04Z
CBMiJmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3VrLTYyNDk1MDI10gEqaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmJjLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvdWstNjI0OTUwMjUuYW1w

Urgent polio boosters for London children - BBC

Girl getting vaccinatedGetty Images

All children aged one to nine and living in Greater London will be offered a polio vaccine after the virus was detected in sewage.

The virus, which can cause paralysis, has been found 116 times in London's waste water since February.

The urgent immunisation campaign will see nearly a million children offered the vaccine - including those already up to date with their jabs.

Parents and carers will be contacted by their GP within the next month.

Polio is seen as a disease of the past in the UK after the whole of Europe was declared polio-free in 2003.

However, what is happening now is slightly complicated as the samples detected are linked to a polio vaccine used in other countries.

Parts of the world still dealing with polio outbreaks use the oral polio vaccine - which is safe, but uses a live virus. This gives a huge amount of immunity, but has the potential to spread from person to person in areas where not a lot of people are protected.

This becomes a problem if it continues to spread, as the safe form of the virus used in the vaccine can mutate and evolve until it can once again lead to paralysis.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) says most of the samples detected are the safe vaccine form of polio, but "a few" have mutated enough to be dangerous.

The alarm was first raised in June after a series of tests at Beckton Sewage Works, which serves north and east London. More detailed analysis of the sewage system has since found the virus in:

  • Barnet
  • Brent
  • Camden
  • Enfield
  • Hackney
  • Haringey
  • Islington
  • Waltham Forest

The UKHSA says genetic analysis of the samples suggests that spread of the virus "has gone beyond a close network of a few individuals".

A meeting of the government's vaccine experts - the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation - recommended a rapid booster campaign for children aged one to nine.

The aim is two-fold. First to reduce the risk of any child catching the virus and being paralysed and also to raise immunity levels so the virus finds it harder to spread.

How polio was eradicated

Dr Vanessa Saliba, a consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: "All children aged one to nine years in London need to have a dose of polio vaccine now - whether it's an extra booster dose or just to catch up with their routine vaccinations."

She said the risk for the majority of the population who are vaccinated remains "low" but said it was "vital" parents ensure their children are fully vaccinated.

Between one-in-100 and one-in-1,000 people develop paralysis after catching polio, with most cases in young children.

Children will be offered the inactivated vaccine - which contains a "dead" virus and has no risk of spreading. This is the form of polio vaccine the UK has used since 2004.

Water clues

Polio starts as a tummy infection, which is why it can be detected in waste water.

The UKHSA is increasing surveillance to another 15 sites in London and at least 10 outside the capital to see whether the virus is spreading in other regions.

The samples detected in London's waste water are connected to those being found in Jerusalem, Israel, and New York State in the US, where a young adult developed paralysis.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: "I recognise parents and guardians will be concerned about the detection of polio in London, however I want to reassure people that nobody has been diagnosed with the virus and the risk to the wider population is low."

Polio symptoms:

The majority of people with the infection have no symptoms but some feel as if they have the flu, with:

  • a high temperature
  • sore throat
  • headache
  • stomach pain
  • aching muscles
  • feeling sick

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2022-08-10 11:26:07Z
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Selasa, 09 Agustus 2022

Households already in debt as energy bills rise - BBC

Anxious woman looks at billsGetty Images

Many households are falling behind on energy payments with total debt owed three times higher than in September last year, a survey has suggested.

Almost a quarter of households owe £206 on average, according to comparison site Uswitch, which surveyed 2,000.

Uswitch advised people falling into debt to speak to their provider to work out a more affordable payment plan.

The data comes as consultancy Cornwall Insight warned energy bills could rise much higher than thought in October.

The consultancy also expects bills to increase much more sharply in January, with the average household paying £355 a month, instead of £164 a month currently.

Citizens Advice said it has helped more than 47,000 people with energy debts so far this year. The average debt amount was more than £650, the charity said.

"Every day we hear from people who can't afford to turn the lights on or cook their kids a hot meal," said Morgan Wild, head of policy for Citizens Advice.

"The government did the right thing by bringing in targeted support, but it won't be enough for people to manage these previously unthinkable price hikes."

Meanwhile, Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi and Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng are set to hold talks with energy giants on Wednesday morning to discuss measures to ease the cost of living.

There are two main reasons households end up in debt with their supplier: the first reason, their direct debit payments may be set too low to cover the amount of energy being used.

Anyone who finds themselves in that position should contact their supplier as quickly as possible to avoid a sudden bill shock, and update them with the correct meter readings.

The second reason is because people are just not keeping up with their payments.

The latest price cap - the maximum amount suppliers can charge customers for average energy usage in England, Scotland and Wales for October - is due to be announced at the end of this month by the energy regulator Ofgem.

The Uswitch survey revealed that in addition to the group in debt, eight million households have no credit balances, meaning they have no cushion against the bill rises this winter.

"This is an alarming situation, as summer is traditionally a time when households are using less power for heating, which helps bill payers to build up energy credit ahead of the winter," said Justina Miltienyte, head of policy at Uswitch.com.

"It suggests the cost-of-living crisis is already squeezing budgets dramatically, even during the summer months, as families struggle with rising bills in all areas," she said.

An Ofgem spokesperson said its "priority" is to "protect consumers" and make sure suppliers treat their customers in a "fair and reasonable manner".

This included "proactively" making contact to identify if a customer is in payment difficulty, assessing repayments on a customer's ability to pay and ensuring debt management activities are done in a "fair and reasonable way", the spokesperson added. .

"We closely monitor compliance of this and take action when needed".

"Anyone struggling to pay their bills should speak to their supplier who is obliged to offer payment plans and direct customers to available support. Ofgem will ensure they provide this," the spokesperson said.

2px presentational grey line
Analysis box by Colletta Smith, Consumer affairs correspondent

It is worth saying again that the old advice to shop around to find a better energy deal just does not apply anymore. The default price cap, although super high, is the best rate available at the moment, so signing-up for a fixed deal isn't a good idea.

If you are falling behind on your energy payments, or are unable to keep-up with the increases in direct debits being suggested by your supplier, then the first thing to do is let them know you're struggling.

Making that call might be tough, as it's never easy to admit you're finding things difficult, however it's likely to be the best protection for your household this winter.

Taking action is important because there is an extra layer of legal help available for people who are unable to pay, which forces suppliers to work through lots of different options with their customers. That includes agreeing a payment plan, giving temporary credit for prepayment customers, and arranging for payment directly through benefits.

Crucially, making that call to explain that you're struggling means they can't just cut you off.

2px presentational grey line

What help can I get?

The government will give all households in England, Scotland and Wales £400 to help with rising fuel bills this autumn.

The money, part of the Energy Bill Support Scheme, will be paid in six instalments.

Meanwhile, a £650 payment will be made to more than eight million low-income households who receive universal credit, tax credits, pension credit and other means-tested benefits.

Disabled people will also receive £150 (plus the £650 payment, if they also qualify for that).

And pensioner households who receive the winter fuel payment will get £300. So, in theory, a low-income pensioner who has a disability could receive £1,500.

Eligibility is also being expanded for the Warm Home Discount, which offers low-income households a £150 one-off annual discount on their electricity bill between October and March.

It is also worth talking to your supplier. All the big energy firms have hardship funds.

If you can't get a grant from your own supplier, you might be able to get one from the British Gas Energy Trust which are offered to anyone in need, not just customers of the firm.

BBC Action Line can provide links to charities helping with debt and financial problems.

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2022-08-10 02:34:53Z
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UK heatwave: Four-day extreme heat warning for parts of UK - BBC

People walk on parched ground in Greenwich Park in London, UKEPA

The Met Office has issued a four-day amber extreme heat warning, meaning vulnerable people's health could be impacted and travel could be disrupted.

The warning applies to southern and central England and parts of Wales from midnight on Thursday until Sunday.

Temperatures are set to reach up to 35C (95F) in some areas and Thames Water has become the latest water firm to announce hosepipe ban plans.

Meanwhile, a 14-year-old boy has died in a lake in Hertfordshire.

Emergency services were called to North Met Lake, off Cadmore Lane in Cheshunt, just after 17:00 BST on Monday, with his body recovered six hours later, police said.

The amber alert is the longest the Met Office has issued since it introduced the warning system in 2021 and is lower than the first-ever red warning in July, when temperatures exceeded 40C for the first time.

But the Met Office said while temperatures this week would remain below last month's record highs, this heatwave could last longer.

The Met Office warning is one of several alerts aimed at preparing the country for the heat:

  • A level-three heat-health alert will apply from Tuesday to Sunday in central and southern England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said. This "requires social and healthcare services to target specific actions at high-risk groups"
  • A level-two alert has been issued for northern England
  • The Met Office's fire severity index is "very high" for most of England and Wales and will reach "exceptional" for parts of England by the weekend. This assesses how severe a fire could become if one starts

While the warnings remain lower than those issued during last month's record temperatures, the UKHSA's Dr Agostinho Sousa emphasised it was important vulnerable people, like the elderly who live alone or anyone with underlying health conditions, were "prepared for coping during the hot weather".

"The most important advice is to ensure they stay hydrated, keep cool and take steps to prevent their homes from overheating," he added.

Disabled people could be particularly affected by heat, and may suffer fatigue, difficulty regulating their body temperatures, or problems moving to cooler spots in the home, Fazilet Hadi, from Disability Rights UK, said.

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England had its driest July this year since 1935, according to the Met Office, while south-east and central southern England had the driest month since records began in 1836.

Between the start of this year and 6 August, the south-east recorded 144 days with average rainfall of less than 0.5mm. Of those, 57 saw no rain at all.

Warnings of the threat posed by wildfires have been issued, with fire services urging people not to light bonfires or barbecues, or let off fireworks or sky lanterns.

On Tuesday, around 70 firefighters battled a blaze over five hectares (12.36 acres) of grass and shrubland in Enfield, north London, while there were also fires on the outskirts of Ipswich, in Northamptonshire and near Reading.

A fire on Rushmore Heath, Ipswich, Suffolk
Sky Cam East/PA Media

The heatwave combined with months of dry weather have also led to increasing problems for farmers, with grass not growing and irrigation water running low cited as two key concerns.

Thames Water said it would be announcing restrictions on water use in response to forecasts of more hot and dry weather, with the exact timings to be confirmed later.

Hosepipe bans are already in force in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight, and others are due to come into force in Kent, Sussex, Pembrokeshire, and Carmarthenshire.

The UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology has warned river flows are set to remain exceptionally low in central, southern and eastern England until October.

River Action founder Charles Watson called for the government to act to prevent an "ecological emergency", warning that if river flows slowed down the ecology of rivers could be killed and the concentration of pollution in them would increase.

Christine Farnish, a former board member of water regulator Ofwat, told BBC Radio 4's PM programme water companies "need to get their houses in order" over leakage and said they had been "very slow" to wake up to the realities of climate change.

But Water UK's director of policy Stuart Colville said Ofwat figures showed companies were at the lowest ever levels of leakage on record and said the industry was doing "everything we can" to avoid restrictions on water use.

Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Dan Rudman said temperatures would be "rising day-on-day through this week" and were expected to peak at 35C on Friday and Saturday in some areas.

Any showers would be to the far north-west of the UK and would be short-lived in nature, he said, adding there would be "no relief for parched land" in the south.

The bed of a dried up lake in Wanstead Park, north-east London
PA Media

A heatwave is defined as above average temperatures being reached for three days or more. Heatwaves are becoming more likely and more extreme because of human-induced climate change.

The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began, and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.

We are living in the hottest period for 125,000 years, according to the UN's climate science body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Tips for staying cool: Drink water and eat foods with high water content; Wear loose-fitting clothing in breathable fabrics and a hat. Stay in the shade and limit travel and exercise; use fans, ice and cool showers to reduce body temperature
Banner saying 'Get in touch'

How is the hot weather affecting you? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:

If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.

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2022-08-09 19:57:43Z
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UK heatwave: Four-day extreme heat warning for parts of UK - BBC

People walk on parched ground in Greenwich Park in London, UKEPA

The Met Office has issued a four-day amber extreme heat warning, meaning vulnerable people's health could be impacted and travel could be disrupted.

The warning applies to southern and central England and parts of Wales from midnight on Thursday until Sunday.

Temperatures are set to reach up to 35C (95F) in some areas and Thames Water has become the latest water firm to announce hosepipe ban plans.

Meanwhile, a 14-year-old boy has died in a lake in Hertfordshire.

Emergency services were called to North Met Lake, off Cadmore Lane in Cheshunt, just after 17:00 BST on Monday, with his body recovered six hours later, police said.

The amber alert is the longest the Met Office has issued since it introduced the warning system in 2021 and is lower than the first-ever red warning in July, when temperatures exceeded 40C for the first time.

But the Met Office said while temperatures this week would remain below last month's record highs, this heatwave could last longer.

The Met Office warning is one of several alerts aimed at preparing the country for the heat:

  • A level-three heat-health alert will apply from Tuesday to Sunday in central and southern England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said. This "requires social and healthcare services to target specific actions at high-risk groups"
  • A level-two alert has been issued for northern England
  • The Met Office's fire severity index is "very high" for most of England and Wales and will reach "exceptional" for parts of England by the weekend. This assesses how severe a fire could become if one starts

While the warnings remain lower than those issued during last month's record temperatures, the UKHSA's Dr Agostinho Sousa emphasised that it was important vulnerable people, like the elderly who live alone or anyone with underlying health conditions, were "prepared for coping during the hot weather".

"The most important advice is to ensure they stay hydrated, keep cool and take steps to prevent their homes from overheating," he added.

Disabled people could be particularly affected by heat, and may suffer fatigue, difficulty regulating their body temperatures, or problems moving to cooler spots in the home.

"Family, friends and neighbours should check that disabled and older people have the support they need. We do this in cold weather but heat can be equally dangerous," Fazilet Hadi, from Disability Rights UK, said.

This video can not be played

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

England had its driest July this year since 1935, according to the Met Office, while south-east and central southern England had the driest month since records began in 1836.

Between the start of this year and 6 August, the south-east recorded 144 days with average rainfall of less than 0.5mm. Of those, 57 saw no rain at all.

Warnings of the threat posed by wildfires have been issued, with fire services urging people not to light bonfires or barbecues, or let off fireworks or sky lanterns.

Amid the warnings, around 70 firefighters battled a blaze over five hectares (12.36 acres) of grass and shrubland in Enfield, north London, while there have also been fires on the outskirts of Ipswich and near Reading.

The heatwave combined with months of dry weather have also led to increasing problems for farmers, with grass not growing and irrigation water running low cited as two key concerns.

Firefighters bring a field fire under control near Ashford in Kent
PA Media

Thames Water said it would be announcing restrictions on water use in response to forecasts of more hot and dry weather, with the exact timings to be confirmed later.

Hosepipe bans are already in force in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight, and others are due to come into force in Kent, Sussex, Pembrokeshire, and Carmarthenshire.

The UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology has warned river flows are set to remain exceptionally low in central, southern and eastern England until October.

River Action founder Charles Watson said called for the government to act to prevent an "ecological emergency".

"If the flows really slow down, the ecology of the rivers is being killed and, meanwhile, the concentration of the pollution that's all still there [will increase]," he said.

Christine Farnish, a former board member of water regulator Ofwat, told BBC Radio 4's PM programme water companies "need to get their houses in order" over leakage and said they had been "very slow" to wake up to the realities of climate change.

But Water UK's director of policy Stuart Colville said Ofwat figures showed companies were at the lowest ever levels of leakage on record.

He told PM the industry was doing "everything we can" to avoid restrictions on water use, including moving water between regions and changing where it was drawn from to reduce pressure on supply.

Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Dan Rudman said temperatures would be "rising day-on-day through this week" and were expected to peak at 35C on Friday and Saturday in some areas.

Any showers would be to the far north-west of the UK and would be short-lived in nature, he said, adding there would be "no relief for parched land" in the south.

The bed of a dried up lake in Wanstead Park, north-east London
PA Media

A heatwave is defined as above average temperatures being reached for three days or more. Heatwaves are becoming more likely and more extreme because of human-induced climate change.

The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began, and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.

We are living in the hottest period for 125,000 years, according to the UN's climate science body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Tips for staying cool: Drink water and eat foods with high water content; Wear loose-fitting clothing in breathable fabrics and a hat. Stay in the shade and limit travel and exercise; use fans, ice and cool showers to reduce body temperature
Banner saying 'Get in touch'

How is the hot weather affecting you? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:

If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.

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2022-08-09 18:28:23Z
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