“Phew what a scorcher!!” might have been a headline from previous times, in fact, I haven’t found this description of our scorching weather in any newspapers or news agencies. These days the media is very aware of the dangers from raised temperatures – people who already have health issues, people who are vulnerable or have compromising conditions, people who don’t properly protect themselves (hats, drinks, sunscreen, staying out of direct sun etc) The language in just the headlines demonstrates this – warnings, deadly heat, alert, rise in deaths, etc.
In the past there was a much more frivolous attitude, journalists trying to fry eggs on paving stones, pictures of sunburned people (especially bald men) and dramatic headlines about grass and forest fires making them sound exciting events – a battle between “mother nature” and the gallant firemen (not firefighters as there were no women officers) Now we are all well aware, not only of the serious impact on the environment, but local heat rise as a warning of the global rise in temperatures and its potentially disastrous impact on the whole world.
- UK heatwave: Wildfire, health and drought warnings
- Deadly weekend heat in England
- UK weather: Amber heat health alert issued
- Temperatures across the UK will continue to rise
- The UKHSA alert warns there could be “a rise in deaths” (UKSHA – UK Health Security Agency )
- Temperatures pass 32C as first UK area enters heatwave
- Yellow storm warning issued as UK heatwave intensifies
-
UK weather: How to stay cool in the heat
-
Health officials issue warnings as UK bakes in the first heatwave of 2025
My featured image is of the beach here in Weston-super-Mare, somewhat enhanced to make it look like “phew, what a scorcher!”
Lois Elsden 