Second Cobra meeting called as UK heatwave triggers national emergency


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The UK government called its second Cobra heatwave meeting on Saturday after meteorologists said record high temperatures in England could put lives at risk.

The current UK record temperature of 38.7ºC was set in Cambridge in 2019, and with this heatwave set to peak on Tuesday, forecasters suggest there is a strong chance that the temperature will top 40ºC.

Temperatures will climb at the weekend, and the Met Office has issued a red warning for Monday and Tuesday in an area from London to the Vale of York.

An amber warning has been issued for the rest of England and Wales from Sunday until Tuesday.

Daytime temperatures on Saturday are predicted to be around 27ºC in London, 26ºC in Cardiff, 23ºC in Belfast and 21ºC in Edinburgh.

On Sunday, they could reach 30ºC in London, 27ºC in Cardiff, 24ºC in Belfast and 23ºC in Edinburgh.

Temperatures are forecast to increase by several more degrees on Tuesday — up to the mid-30s for much of England and Wales.

There is a 50 per cent chance of temperatures reaching 40ºC somewhere in the UK, likely to be along the A1 corridor which runs from London to Scotland through counties including Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and the North East, with the Met Office issuing its first red warning for extreme heat.

“If people have vulnerable relatives or neighbours, now is the time to make sure they're putting suitable measures in place to be able to cope with the heat because if the forecast is as we think it will be in the red warning area, then people's lives are at risk,” said Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge.

“This is a very serious situation.”

The UK Health Security Agency also has increased its heat health warning from level three to level four — a “national emergency”.

Level four is reached “when a heatwave is so severe and/or prolonged that its effects extend outside the health and social care system … At this level, illness and death may occur among the fit and healthy, and not just in high-risk groups,” it said.

UK health service chiefs said heat-related hospital admissions combined with a rise in hospital cases from Covid as the latest wave sweeps across the country, could prove a “nightmare for health workers”.

The Labour opposition meanwhile criticised Prime Minister Boris Johnson after reports said he had failed to attend the Cobra meetings.

“Boris Johnson has gone missing in action again. He's back to his old tricks of skipping important Cobra meetings,” said Angela Rayner, Labour deputy leader.

“Where's the plan for the delivery of essential services and how people will be kept safe at work, on transport, in schools, hospitals and care homes?

“The public will have no confidence in this zombie Conservative government responding swiftly and decisively to this national emergency as this disgraced prime minister prepares to party while Britain boils.

“If he still can't take the responsibility of the job, he should leave right now.”

People in Britain have meanwhile been buying fans and looser clothing to help them keep cool during the heatwave.

Retailer Toolstation said sales of fans have risen by 641 per cent over the last week compared with the week before as tradespeople struggle to stay cool.

The company also said sales of builders' shorts have increased by 50 per cent and T-shirts by 35 per cent.

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Defining head lice

Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.

Identifying lice

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Treating lice at home

Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.

Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital

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Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
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The Emirates Charity Portal

You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments

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Al Noor Special Needs Centre

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Dar Al Ber Society

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Updated: July 16, 2022, 11:20 AM`