Scorching weather, politics in crisis and a time like no other
Pedestrians cool off with their feet in the water of the Trafalgar Square fountain, in central London, on July 13, 2022, during a heatwave.
Has there ever been a time quite like this?
Britons last week sweltered under record-breaking temperatures, while forest fires ravaged much of the European continent.
A very small section of the population – ruling party MPs and paid-up members of the Conservative party – joined in considering who our next prime minister would be.
The cost of living continued to soar, particularly fuel prices, and illegal immigrants hit our shores from France in ever-increasing numbers.
Thousands of ordinary people responded to the heatwave by crowding onto the many beaches of this island nation.
Blowing cool air
With temperatures challenging England’s record 38.7C set in Cambridge in 2019, those who avoided the seaside mostly sat at home in a shady room, often in front of a fan blowing cool air over a basin of iced water.
Some airport runways melted under the fierce sun and no trains ran through the first-ever Red Alert area between the south coast and York and Manchester. Many hospitals cancelled operations and officials warned against bathing in rivers after at least four males died in separate incidents.
Few events brought into sharper focus the need for the world’s nations to cut back on the use of fossil fuels and reduce carbon emissions. A widespread feeling was that cut-back promises made at a recent climate conference in Glasgow simply must be kept.
As for national politics, right now Britain has a lame-duck prime minister. After a major rebellion in his Cabinet, PM Boris Johnson announced he would resign as soon as a successor could be found.
Right now that looks like being the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, who has consistently polled ahead of other runners in the race. If he gets the job, to be announced on September 5, he will be the first British prime minister of Indian descent.
The independently wealthy Mr Sunak was born in Britain, but married his wife, Akshata Murthy in Bengalaru, India, in 2009. They have two children.
Whoever gets the top job, the immigrant crisis will be one of his or her first concerns. According to the latest statistics, around 10,000 people crossed the English Channel in the year up to June. This compared to 5,917 in the same period last year.
The government has indicated that it will resume efforts to send immigrants to Rwanda in a scheme that is meant to deter would-be arrivals. However, border force officials say that immigrants do not seem to be put off by the Rwanda plan.
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It is something we hear more and more about – early-onset dementia – but when it happens to a star athlete and he responds with horror and despair, this awful condition is brought into full focus.
Ryan Jones was captain of the Wales Rugby team between 2004 and 2014, and won 75 caps. He also played in three Tests for the British and Irish Lions.
Now aged 41, Jones was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) last December, when specialists told him he was one of the worst cases they had seen.
“I feel like my world is falling apart,” he told the Sunday Times.
“I am really scared. I’ve got three children and three step-children and I want to be a fantastic dad.”
The Alzheimer’s Society has established a partnership with the Rugby Players Association to assist players with dementia.
At the same time, the Football Association is experimenting with a ban on heading the ball by children playing soccer.
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Dieting is generally healthy and necessary for obese and overweight people, but it can be unnecessary and harmful for others, including children who are slim anyway.
A survey of 34,000 children showed a rise in slimming among children and teenagers from 21 per cent in 1997 to 27 per cent in 2016. This means one in four children in England are dieting and one in seven are children who are slim.
Dieting can be harmful, medics say. “We have to get the right message across about what is healthy and what is not.”
Although more girls than boys slim, there has been an increasing in slimming among boys.
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The Brits never tire of talking about the weather and right now the topic is just how hot is hot? Try these:
It’s so hot that chickens are laying hard-boiled eggs. Hot water comes out of both taps. Potatoes are already cooked when you pull them out of the ground. You suddenly remember that asphalt actually is liquid. The cows are giving ready-boiled milk and the trees are whistling for dogs to come and do their business.
