Morris dancers bring St George's Day revelry to City of London

It took two minutes to fell the dragon on St George's Day. At 10.44am, the bagman of the Ewell St Mary's Morris Men planted a flag showing a white dragon on a red field outside the Lamb Tavern to advertise their annual dance. At 10.46 a gust shot up the wind tunnel of Leadenhall Market and toppled it. 'Too early for a pint?' one of the dancers asked.
It is never too early for a morris man to start drinking, especially when it is raining even inside a covered market — the chilly April showers came in horizontally — but these were hardy souls and a crowd had started to form so they began to jump and skip, as much to get the blood flowing

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Daily Mail​

3 hours ago

• Daily Mail​

UK heatwave this weekend set to see temperatures soar to 34C though with storms also ahead - as experts warn hundreds could die from 'killer' temperatures

Britain could record its hottest-ever June temperature today - with experts warning hundreds could die from the 'killer' heat. Forecasters predict highs of 34C (93F) in parts of eastern England such as Cambridgeshire, and 30C in the North East. A high of 30.8C (87.4F) was recorded at Heathrow airport yesterday, with forecasters saying there is an outside chance of today's temperature beating the all-time high for the month of 35.6C (96.08F) at London 's Camden Square on June 29, 1957. The sizzling sunshine means levels of ultraviolet radiation are likely to reach high or very high levels, with the humid conditions sparking thunderstorms. It comes as nearly 600 people in England and Wales are predicted to die as a result of this week's heatwave, researchers have found. Experts at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Imperial College London used decades of UK data to predict excess mortality during the hot temperatures from Thursday to Sunday. Their study, released on Saturday, forecasts that around 570 people will die because of the heat over the four days. The excess deaths are estimated to peak at 266 on Saturday when the heat will be at its most intense. London is predicted to have the greatest number of excess deaths with 129. The researchers said their assessment highlights how extreme heat poses a growing threat to public health in the UK. The weekend is here These are the weather details for Saturday ⬇️ — Met Office (@metoffice) June 20, 2025 It follows a World Weather Attribution (WWA) research group study published on Friday which found the heatwave has been made about 100 times more likely and 2-4C hotter due to climate change. Dr Garyfallos Konstantinoudis, lecturer at the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London, said: 'Heatwaves are silent killers - people who lose their lives in them typically have pre-existing health conditions and rarely have heat listed as a contributing cause of death. 'This real-time analysis reveals the hidden toll of heatwaves and we want it to help raise the alarm. 'Heatwaves are an underappreciated threat in the UK and they're becoming more dangerous with climate change.' A warning for thunder has been issued from the north Midlands to Northumberland, including north-east Wales, with downpours, hail, lightning and gusty winds predicted from 3pm today – the Summer Solstice – to the early hours of tomorrow. The Met Office warned of 'sudden flooding' which could see communities 'cut off', transport disruption and power cuts. The hot weather is poised to linger in the South and East through the weekend. An amber heat health alert – to warn healthcare providers – lasts until Monday. Elsewhere, temperatures are set to fall from tomorrow to the high teens or low 20s. Saturday is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year That means it will have the highest number of daylight hours in 2025 ☀️ — Met Office (@metoffice) June 20, 2025 Parts of the UK are today set to be hotter than Hawaii, forecast to reach 29C (84F), and Barbados, which should hit 32C (89F). The highest temperature of the year was Thursday's 32.2C (89.96F) at Kew Gardens, south-west London. Computer modelling by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine warns of up to 600 premature deaths during the hot period. Large crowds are expected to gather at Stonehenge for the annual summer solstice early on Saturday morning, with mild temperatures in the high teens expected for those observing the spectacle. Met Office spokeswoman Nicola Maxey said: 'There are scattered thunderstorms coming through. 'Some of the rain could be quite intense, and frequent lightning, hail, gusty winds and some heavy downpours, which we haven't seen for a while. 'Some of the ground is quite hard at the moment, and when you get heavy rain hitting hard ground, it can cause surface water issues. 'You might find surface water on the roads, drains finding it difficult to cope and a small chance of homes being flooded.' An official heatwave is recorded when areas reach a certain temperature for three consecutive days, with thresholds varying from 25C to 28C in different parts of the UK. The Met Office confirmed that 'many places' in England and 'one or two areas' in Wales, including Cardiff, entered a heatwave on Friday. Aidan McGovern, meteorologist at the Met Office, said: 'At the moment, the temperatures will be highest towards the east, [with] lower temperatures in the west compared with Friday but still high humidity, so it's going to feel oppressive in many places, and [there is] always a chance of some showers developing as the day progresses, particularly towards the west. 'Temperatures [will be] peaking at 31 to 33, or 34C, somewhere between London and Midlands and north-east England.' There will also be very high UV and pollen levels across the country on Saturday, the forecaster said. Temperatures reached 32.2C in Kew, west London, on Thursday, making it the warmest day of the year so far, while Friday saw highs of 30.8C recorded in both England and Wales. The amber heat-health alert, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the first time since September 2023, is in force until 9am on Monday. It warns 'significant impacts are likely' across health and social care services because of high temperatures, including a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or people with health conditions. Following the hot weather, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) urged the public to take heat and water safety seriously. During 2022's heatwave, temperatures rose past 40C, leading to 320 people being treated in hospital. Steve Cole, policy director at RoSPA, said: 'Heat is no longer just a holiday perk - it's a growing public health risk. 'We're seeing more frequent and intense heatwaves, both in the UK and globally, and the data shows a clear rise in heat-related illness and fatalities. 'Warm weather can also be deceptive when it comes to going for a dip. 'While the air may feel hot, water temperatures often remain dangerously cold, which can lead to cold-water shock, even in summer.'

The Independent

9 hours ago

• The Independent

Heatwaves declared across England and Wales with higher temperatures to come

Heatwaves have been triggered across England and Wales with even higher temperatures expected over the weekend. But Friday was not the warmest day of the year so far, with highs of 30.8C recorded in both nations, the Met Office confirmed. It comes as thunderstorms are threatening to hit large parts of northern England on Saturday. Temperatures could reach up to 34C in isolated areas of England, but rain, hail and lightning could be on their way, a Met Office spokesperson said. An official heatwave is recorded when areas reach a certain temperature for three consecutive days, with thresholds varying from 25C to 28C in different parts of the UK. 'Many places' in England and 'one or two areas' in Wales, including Cardiff, have now entered a heatwave following Friday's highest temperatures, Becky Mitchell, meteorologist at the Met Office, said. While the national record for this year was not broken, Friday was the hottest day of the year so far for Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. A yellow thunderstorm weather warning has been issued covering Nottingham up to above Newcastle, running from 3pm on Saturday until 4am on Sunday. The Met Office warned the most intense storms could produce 'frequent lightning, large hail and gusty winds', along with a chance of flooding. Met Office spokeswoman Nicola Maxey said: 'There are scattered thunderstorms coming through. 'Some of the rain could be quite intense, and frequent lightning, hail, gusty winds and some heavy downpours, which we haven't seen for a while. 'Some of the ground is quite hard at the moment, and when you get heavy rain hitting hard ground, it can cause surface water issues. 'You might find surface water on the roads, drains finding it difficult to cope and a small chance of homes being flooded.' Temperatures are predicted to peak on the western side of the country on Friday, as a 'more changeable, fresher feel' starts to come in. Ms Maxey said: 'Tomorrow, temperatures may continue to go up a little for the east and south-east area of the country, we might see them creep up to 33C, or even an isolated 34C, but we are going to see that change. 'In the west, tomorrow we should start to see more of this cloud come in, and we have a fresher air mass pushing in across the country.' Temperatures reached 32.2C in Kew, west London, on Thursday, amid an amber heat-health alert for all regions in England. The alert, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the first time since September 2023, is in force until 9am on Monday. It warns 'significant impacts are likely' across health and social care services because of high temperatures, including a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or people with health conditions. Following the hot weather, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has urged the public to take heat and water safety seriously. During 2022's heatwave, temperatures rose past 40C, leading to 320 people being treated in hospital. Steve Cole, policy director at RoSPA, said: 'Heat is no longer just a holiday perk — it's a growing public health risk. 'We're seeing more frequent and intense heatwaves, both in the UK and globally, and the data shows a clear rise in heat-related illness and fatalities. 'Warm weather can also be deceptive when it comes to going for a dip. 'While the air may feel hot, water temperatures often remain dangerously cold, which can lead to cold-water shock, even in summer.'

BBC News

10 hours ago

• BBC News

Sussex and Kent water supply 'getting extremely low'

Kent and Sussex residents have been warned to only use water for essential uses after rising temperatures sparked a surge in in Sussex and Kent have been told by Southern Water and South East Water that tanks in the counties have been hit by the rising temperatures in the region in the past East Water say that 661 million litres of water have been used in the past week, while Southern Water warned that Sussex has had less than half of its usual rainfall for the past six months.A spokesperson for the South East Water said: "Our sites are working 24/7 at max capacity, but there is a limit to how much water we can treat and pump at one time." Southern Water added: "If water demand remains high and the hot dry weather continues, we may struggle to treat and supply water fast enough to keep up with demand."The water companies urged customers to stop using jet washers and hosepipes and think about how they can reuse upgraded amber heat health alert was issued on Thursday with temperatures in the South East expected to hit 30⁰C on Saturday 21 heat health alert will remain in place until 09:00 BST on Monday, 23 have begun to be declared across England as higher temperatures are expected to continue across the in the South East have also warned of the risks of cold water shock as Sussex and Kent approach the heatwave threshold.