The UK heatwave has prompted National Grid to fire up a coal-fired power plant in the east Midlands to cope with extra electricity demand for air conditioning. The plant, owned by Uniper, was asked to warm up on Monday morning and could start generating electricity later in the day. The heatwave has seen temperatures reach record highs in some parts of the UK, with London experiencing its hottest...
A warning has been issued for some regions of the UK due to expected high temperatures of 30C, which can pose health risks. An amber alert has been issued by the Met Office for southern England, which includes London, the South East, and the East of England. The alert is in place from 9 am on Friday until 9 am on Saturday. The Met Office said that “hot weather” is expected, with...
A sharp rise in wood burning in urban areas could be bringing harmful pollution to greater numbers of people, and shifting the pattern of pollution from poorer to more affluent areas, one of the UK’s leading air pollution experts has warned.Currently, air pollution monitoring focuses on busy roads, which have been the main hotspots for fine particulate matter (known as PM2.5) and other air...
Long-term direction to even comparatively low levels of air pollution could cause sadness and anxiety, according to a study examining the links between air rate and mental ill-health.Tracking the incidence of pain and fear in almost 500,000 UK adults over 11 years, investigators found that those living in places with higher pollution were more likely to suffer attacks, even when the air rate was...
The thermostat was lowered by 2C across 22 areas temporarily closed over Christmas to reduce energy consumption.The consultancy and accountancy firm informed staff that plans this month expect to result in savings of about £75,000 for December.Energy costs have skyrocketed in the path of Covid and the charge of Ukraine.Deloitte told its 23,000 UK team that its offices would heat 19 and 22C as...
A major conference is being held in Barnstaple to discuss the huge North Devon Biosphere and the economic opportunities it provides. The event will feature leading business leaders including the head of German manufacturing giant Siemens. Organised by South West Business Council (SWBC), hosted by Petroc College and inspired by the Biosphere, the Natural Capital – Business and the...
Atrod path winds between bilberries and heather, a tussocky mossy understorey to a wood of silver birches. The softly mauve heather, fading now, combined with gnarly tree trunks, gives it the feeling of a fairy wood. We fill a tub with small dark bilberries, fingers stained iodine purple, tastier than any shop-bought blueberries. Out into the sunlight, we cross a rough sheep pasture, long grass...
Mediterranean countries and central Europe have been in the grip of high temperatures again this week, with central and southern Spain reaching temperatures of nearly 40C on Sunday. In Bordeaux, France, temperatures climbed to 38C on Monday. As the heat sweeps east, countries such as Bulgaria and Greece will reach the low- to mid-30s by the weekend, nearly 10C above the average daytime maxima for...
Soaring energy costs are threatening the future of the electric car, industry bosses in Germany have warned. A rise in electricity prices as well as in raw material costs and availability, a chronic shortage of parts, and a widespread reduction in disposable income are having a considerable impact on the production and sales of cars. If the trend continues, there is also concern that there will...
There is a risk of food shortages in the UK this winter, experts have said, as the drought and high gas prices put pressure on farmers. While growers who use glasshouses are either not sowing or waiting until spring when there are more daylight hours, the crops that would usually have sustained the country during fallow periods, such as cabbages, carrots and potatoes, are likely to have reduced...