Britain prepares for fifth heat wave as temperatures near records

Key Points:

• Western Europe, including Britain and France, is experiencing its fifth heat wave of the summer, with temperatures forecast to reach up to 38°C (100°F) in parts of England and 40°C (104°F) in central and southern France.
• Both countries are struggling to cope with the extreme heat, with British hospitals reporting nurses collapsing from heat exhaustion and a general lack of widespread air conditioning.
• Drought conditions are worsening, leading to water shortages and prompting Britain’s Southern Water to seek a rare drought order to restrict nonessential water use.
• Authorities in both countries remain on high alert for wildfires, with over 1,000 wildfires recorded in England and Wales this year and recent fires occurring in northern France, prompting calls for better resources and potential bans on disposable barbecues.
• French firefighters are threatening strikes to demand more support amid increasing extreme weather events, following a summer marked by historic wildfires that displaced hundreds of thousands near Bordeaux.