Average temperature = 19.8°C
Average humidity = 79%
Average dewpoint = 15.8°C
Average barometer = 1012.6 mb
Average windspeed = 4.4 mph
Average gustspeed = 9.4 mph
Average direction = 284° (WNW)
Rainfall for month = 1.9 mm
Rainfall for year = 466.3 mm
Rainfall for day = 1.9 mm
Maximum rain per minute = 0.4 mm on day 03 at time 05:46
Maximum temperature = 24.4°C on day 03 at time 15:31
Minimum temperature = 16.3°C on day 03 at time 06:28
Maximum humidity = 94% on day 03 at time 08:28
Minimum humidity = 59% on day 03 at time 15:34
Maximum pressure = 1013.9 mb on day 03 at time 21:53
Minimum pressure = 1011.4 mb on day 03 at time 04:50
Maximum windspeed = 12.7 mph on day 03 at time 12:08
Maximum gust speed = 22 mph from 248 °(WSW) on day 03 at time 12:58
Maximum heat index = 25.5°C on day 03 at time 15:31

        

Temperatures on Bristol’s buses have got close to 100ºF during the hot spell.

Without air conditioning, First buses have been a sticky place for passengers and drivers this week and yesterday was no exception.

The Bristol Evening Post took a trip on a bus in the afternoon heat and, with the help of a digital thermometer, found temperatures inside hitting a sweltering high point of 37.3ºC (99.1ºF).

The average temperature during a 20-minute journey from Hengrove to the city centre was about 35ºC, well above the outdoor reading of about 27ºC.

Temperatures on the busses reached nearly 100F

Even after the late afternoon rain yesterday, the temperature reached 33.1ºC onboard a packed number 51 bus from Temple Meads to Knowle just before 5pm.

Forty minutes later on the return journey to Temple Meads, with fewer passengers on board, the temperature had dropped slightly to 30.8ºC.

The Evening Post’s thermometer recorded the outside temperature before both bus journeys yesterday afternoon at 28ºC.

But with a fall in temperatures and heavy showers predicted for the next four days, passengers can expect to cool off soon.

Drivers have faced an even more sweltering prospect. Ordinarily their seating booth is the only part of a First bus that does have air conditioning.

But thanks to an equipment fault in certain models, the air conditioning on 69 buses in Bristol has not been operating.

First says the fault lies with “cooling packs” on 57/58 plate Volvo double deck vehicles, a problem that operators across the country are facing with the same models.

The packs provide some climate control for drivers who sit in the cab behind the assault screen.

One driver, who did not wish to be named, said: “We’re not very happy, it’s quite hot in the bus and uncomfortable with the heat.

“You are constantly sweating, you come off dripping sweat.”

First denied claims the air conditioning had been deliberately switched off to save fuel and said it was working with Volvo around the clock to resolve these problems, fitting modified drive shafts to all the vehicles affected after they have stopped running for the day.

Alan Stewart, Unite Branch Secretary for Bristol, said: “While we recognise that there is an issue with the cooling packs in the drivers’ cabs in the 57/58 plate Volvo double deck vehicles, meaning that drivers get hot, we understand that First is doing everything it can do to obtain the necessary parts from Volvo, the manufacturer, so the matter can be resolved as quickly as possible.”

The company has issued advice for passengers struggling with hot weather. It says customers travelling during the hot weather should sit out of direct sunlight wherever possible; wear loose-fitting clothing; take water with them and ensure that all windows near them are open.

Should a customer begin to feel unwell they should notify the driver who will be able to summon help if necessary.

First spokeswoman Karen Baxter said: “We would like to offer our apologies to any customers struggling to cope with the hot weather.

“A few days of intense sunshine always prompt calls for buses to be air conditioned but air conditioning units are heavy and you also use more fuel, and thus generate more carbon emissions.

“We have also taken steps in the past week to ensure drivers turn off all the interior lights in the daytime to avoid adding to the residual heat in the vehicles.”

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/aboard-trip-bus-route-100-F/article-1133400-detail/article.html

        

Heavy rain and thunderstorms have led to flash flooding in a number of places in Derbyshire.

Ashbourne was particularly affected, with Parkside Junior School sending hundreds of children home when it was forced to close because of flooding.

Several classrooms were under water and it is unclear when the school, which sits alongside a stream on Cockayne Avenue, will reopen.

Insurance adjusters have been called in to assess the damage.

Some roads in the county were covered with several inches of water.

The Met Office warned that 40mm (1.57in) of rain was likely to fall in places within a three-hour period.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/derbyshire/8132651.stm

© BBC MMIX

        

Average temperature = 22.6°C
Average humidity = 68%
Average dewpoint = 16.3°C
Average barometer = 1016.2 mb
Average windspeed = 2.4 mph
Average gustspeed = 5.4 mph
Average direction = 301° (WNW)
Rainfall for month = 0.0 mm
Rainfall for year = 464.4 mm
Rainfall for day = 0.0 mm
Maximum rain per minute = 0.0 mm on day 02 at time 23:57
Maximum temperature = 28.6°C on day 02 at time 12:46
Minimum temperature = 17.9°C on day 02 at time 05:26
Maximum humidity = 85% on day 02 at time 23:55
Minimum humidity = 56% on day 02 at time 00:49
Maximum pressure = 1019.6 mb on day 02 at time 00:01
Minimum pressure = 1013.0 mb on day 02 at time 23:39
Maximum windspeed = 8.1 mph on day 02 at time 16:50
Maximum gust speed = 14 mph from 248 °(WSW) on day 02 at time 22:48
Maximum heat index = 30.0°C on day 02 at time 12:46

        

The big balls have attracted lots of attention among shoppers

A valley town centre’s new artworks of seven large chrome spheres have been turned into “great balls of fire” by this summer’s heatwave.

Shoppers have been burning their backsides on the chrome balls put in as part of a £10,000 scheme to brighten up Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent.

Weary shoppers were regularly sitting on them until soaring temperatures turned them into round ovens.

The council warned people to take care when sitting on the artwork.

Cafe owner Samantha Dighton, 28, said: “We have one of the balls right outside our front door and it’s a health hazard.”

“We’ve had a few people coming in for a cup of tea complaining they’ve been burnt by the heat from the balls.

Piping hot

“I thought they were just making it up. But when I went out there on a hot afternoon – the ball was hot enough to fry an egg on!

Market stall holder Gethin Bennett, 21, said: “At first the big balls attracted lots of attention.

“It was good to see little kids race up to them seeing their reflections in the silver metal.

“But then they were springing back because the things are piping hot.

“Honestly, you wouldn’t believe how hot they get until you touch them.”

Student Christy Young, 16, said: “My friend’s toddler leant one lent on one of these balls last week and burnt his hands.

A shopper escapes from one of the overheating balls

“He’s frightened to death to come into town now!

“Whoever put these things in ought to be more careful – especially if there are kids involved.”

Pensioner Anne Williams, 62, said: “They’ve only been in a week and everyone hates them already.

“I touched one last week and sprung back because it was so hot. Someone’s going to get seriously burnt one of these days.”

Allan Stokes and his family liked the look of the balls but he haswarned his children not to go near them in case they get burnt.

Talking point

“”They’ll either have to remove them or put some protective coat on them to stop people getting hurt,” he said.

“Surely somebody should have tested them before they were put in the town centre!”

A spokesman for Blaenau Gwent Council said: “These artworks have become a talking point here in Ebbw Vale.

“During the unusually hot weather we would expect shiny metal surfaces of all kinds to heat up in the sun and people do need to take care.

“However, if people do have concerns we are happy to look into this.”

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/wales/8131408.stm

© BBC MMIX

        

A man who was struck by lightning has said he believes a metal bracelet he was wearing saved his life.

Dennis Jones was standing by a washing machine in his kitchen in Haig Close, Hednesford, Staffordshire, when lightning struck on Monday evening.

He said his doctor said his arthritis bracelet had probably helped earth the charge and prevented serious injury.

A 16-year-old boy hit by lightning in Birmingham on Saturday died from his injuries later in hospital.

Mohammed Junaid Hussain suffered serious burns and a cardiac arrest when he was struck during a storm in Small Heath Park.

Mr Jones said he felt lucky not to be more seriously hurt.

He said: “The doctor said well it looks as though the electricity earthed itself through [the bracelet] and gone back into the ground through the machine.

The Bracelet Mr Jones was wearing

“It was monsoon rain, there were three clatters of whatever and one hit us and that was it.”

Despite his experience, Mr Jones was left unmarked by the lightning bolt.

He was given oxygen by ambulance staff and taken to hospital before being discharged.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/staffordshire/8130470.stm

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Homes in St Paul’s will be better protected from flooding, thanks to a new £3 million scheme.

Wessex Water has constructed two storm storage tanks that will help the local sewerage network cope during a storm.

The tanks, one located under the playing field of St Barnabas Primary School, Albany Road, and the other in St Nicholas Road, have a diameter of 12.5m (41ft) and a depth of 15m (49ft). Combined they can hold up to two million litres of sewage.

Andrew Smith, from Wessex Water, said the completion of the scheme – which was finished on time and under budget – had resulted in a total of 32 properties being removed from the flood register.

He said: “Before the storage tanks were installed the area’s 150-year-old Victorian brick sewers were unable to cope with the sewage flow during storm conditions, causing flooding at a number of properties in the area.

“Homes in Albany Road and Grosvenor Road, which were affected by the flooding, have now been safeguarded thanks to this vast increase in the capacity of the local sewerage system.”

The improvements have given these areas in St Paul’s protection against a one in 50 year flood, which means properties will be safeguarded during some of the most intense periods of rainfall.

About 5,000 tonnes of rock was excavated during the scheme, which required both machinery and workers to be lowered into the tanks using a 50 tonne crane.

Workers also had to negotiate challenging conditions during the project, moving heavy machinery to and from the site through narrow, heavily parked roads while ensuring minimal disruption to residents.

The tanks were sealed with a pre-cast concrete cover, requiring the use of a 200 tonne mobile crane before the areas were reinstated.

This scheme is the third major flood alleviation project completed in Bristol by Wessex Water this year.

Recently a £9m tunnel under the streets of the city centre was completed.

In addition, a large wildlife pond in Henbury was created to store surface water during times of intense rainfall.

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Storage-tanks-beat-floods/article-1128091-detail/article.html

        

This is a rather shocking and unexpected story:

Two police dogs have died in a hot car parked outside a the headquarters of Nottinghamshire Police.

An RSPCA officer was called to the Sherwood Lodge headquarters in Arnold on Tuesday and found two German Shepherd dogs dead in a police vehicle.

An independent vet is carrying out post-mortem tests to establish how the animals died.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has launched an investigation into the incident.

‘Swiftly reported’

Nottinghamshire’s Assistant Chief Constable, Peter Davies, said: “This is a tragic incident and we value the important work our police dogs carry out on a daily basis.

“That is why we swiftly reported this incident to the RSPCA and we will be working with them very closely.”

In a statement Nottinghamshire Police said the welfare of all animals owned by them was “of paramount importance and we endeavour to take every measure possible to ensure their well-being and safety”.

Nottinghamshire vet Andrew Wilson, who has 36 years’ experience in practice, said dehydration would have affected the dogs very quickly in the current temperatures.

He said: “The dehydration would have been a big factor.

“They wouldn’t be able to cool themselves because panting wouldn’t be effective anymore, there would be no evaporation from the tongue.

“As the core temperature rose as a result of that, and the brain temperature rose, the brain would cease to function and various other organs would fail. This happens certainly within 30 minutes”.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/8129826.stm

© BBC MMIX

        

Average temperature = 24.4°C
Average humidity = 69%
Average dewpoint = 18.0°C
Average barometer = 1020.7 mb
Average windspeed = 1.4 mph
Average gustspeed = 3.6 mph
Average direction = 131° ( SE)
Rainfall for month = 0.0 mm
Rainfall for year = 464.4 mm
Rainfall for day = 0.0 mm
Maximum rain per minute = 0.0 mm on day 01 at time 00:00
Maximum temperature = 31.4°C on day 01 at time 17:36
Minimum temperature = 18.1°C on day 01 at time 05:10
Maximum humidity = 89% on day 01 at time 06:52
Minimum humidity = 51% on day 01 at time 17:37
Maximum pressure = 1021.9 mb on day 01 at time 11:02
Minimum pressure = 1018.7 mb on day 01 at time 19:51
Maximum windspeed = 10.4 mph on day 01 at time 14:44
Maximum gust speed = 14 mph from 045 °( NE) on day 01 at time 14:45
Maximum heat index = 34.0°C on day 01 at time 17:34

        

Storms lash UK while SE sizzles

The UK is facing severe weather on two fronts, with storms and flash floods in some areas and a raised heatwave alert in other parts of the country.

Thunderstorms in Tyne and Wear and Cumbria have caused flash floods, with up to 500 lightning strikes recorded.

The Met Office and Environment Agency are warning of flash floods and thunderstorms in south-west England and South Wales on Thursday.

Earlier, the heatwave alert level had been increased for south-east England.

Temperatures are forecast to head back to normal levels over the weekend.

One lightning strike on Wednesday knocked out part of the Tyne and Wear Metro service, and Durham Police said some people had been seen taking refuge in their cars.

Police closed the A68 in both directions after a storm hit the Rowley Bridge area near Consett, County Durham, causing part of the bridge to collapse.

Debris fell on to a house undergoing renovation, trapping one workman inside the building for a short time, but no injuries have been reported.

For Wednesday evening Met Office severe weather warnings of heavy rain remained in place for Yorkshire and Humber, north-west and north-east England, south-west Scotland and the Borders.

The Met Office issued a severe weather warning for parts of south-west England and said there was a “moderate risk” of severe weather in much of Wales during Thursday.

Heavy, thundery rain is expected to spread north east during the day, with some downpours generating 25 to 50mm of rainfall.

Drivers were advised to take extra care and seek advice on traffic disruption on Thursday.

Hot nights

Meanwhile heatwave warnings in London and the South East reached Level 3 – the second-highest level – on Wednesday, with temperatures exceeding 30C and forecast to continue through Thursday.

The Department of Health has issued special advice for the elderly and other people at risk from the heat.

It is the first time the Met Office has issued a Level 3 heatwave alert since June 2006.

It occurs when temperatures reach a certain threshold – which varies by region – and are sustained in one or more regions over two nights and the intervening day, with a forecast of higher temperatures to come.

The Met Office said a key factor in raising the alert had been night-time temperatures, with some areas not falling below 18C.

The highest heatwave level – Level 4 – is classed as “red emergency”.

It is reached when heat is so severe that illness and death may occur among the fit and healthy, and not just in high-risk groups.

Met Office spokeswoman Sarah Holland said temperatures in London and the South East could reach 33C on Thursday.

The most up-to-date figures for the government’s health advice line NHS Direct show it took 318 calls from members of the public on Tuesday, complaining about sunburn, heat-exhaustion, breathing difficulties and other heat-related ailments.

The Department of Health (DoH) said those at most risk from heatstroke included the very young and the very old, and people with heart and respiratory problems.

It said people should contact their local environmental health officer if they had concerns about living conditions for themselves or a vulnerable friend, neighbour or relative.

London Underground passengers are being advised to take bottles of water on every Tube journey.

And St John’s Ambulance volunteers are on hand to issue advice and treat tennis fans suffering from the heat at Wimbledon.

The London Ambulance Service urged people to only call for an ambulance in a genuine emergency.

It has been treating large numbers of patients for breathing problems, chest pains, loss of consciousness and fainting. The service received 4,765 calls on Tuesday – an increase of 21% on the previous week.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/uk/8129725.stm

© BBC MMIX