Welwyn Hatfield residents urged to keep safe during heatwave

The Met Office has issued an Amber weather warning of extreme heat, with the cumulative effects of warm nights and hot days expected to bring widespread impacts to people and infrastructure.

The Local Government Association (LGA) is urging people to check on those who may be more vulnerable, especially the elderly and those with heart and respiratory issues, and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a level 3 heat alert.

Cllr Nick Pace, executive member for governance, public health and IT with Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, said: “With high temperatures forecast for the next few days and a level 3 heat alert issued by UKHSA, we want residents to be able to enjoy the sunshine safely. There’s lots of guidance available and we will be sharing tips on staying safe in the sun on our social media platforms.

The engineers at Affinity Water will also be required to pump an extra 250 million litres of water a day, in order to meet with demands. (Image: Pezi Bear)

“The past couple of years have shown how great our communities are at looking out for each other and so we should continue to check on our vulnerable friends, family members and neighbours to make sure they are OK in the heat. The NHS website - www.nhs.uk - has advice on coping in hot weather and spotting the signs of heat-related illness.

“High temperatures can affect anyone but those experiencing homelessness are at particular risk. If you are concerned about someone sleeping rough then please alert www.streetlink.org.uk who will contact our local outreach services.”

The engineers at Affinity Water, Welwyn Hatfield's water supplier, will be required to pump an extra 250 million litres of water a day in order to meet with demands.

Residents have been urged to be more mindful of their water usage as the hot weather will continue to rise over the week.

Head of communications Kevin Barton said: “Most of us are happy when summer arrives, but we also don’t realise it’s the most dangerous time for our local rivers and streams. High temperatures mean people using more water at exactly the time when supply is at its lowest.

“Most of the water we use comes from local groundwater sources that feed into globally rare chalk streams and we need to leave more water in our local environment.

“That’s why we’re asking customers for help to join over 220,000 customers who have signed up to Save Our Streams. We’re not saying you can’t have fun, and we’re definitely not saying that you shouldn’t be using water. But we are asking you to be mindful of your water use, and make sure you’re not wasting water.”