Latest heatwave could see amber alert reached

Britain is sweltering in record temperatures again as the heatwave continues. Temperatures soared to 31.8C (89.24F) in Wisley, Surrey, on Tuesday, as June became the hottest month in three years. With the high temperatures hitting areas around London hardest, legions of workers swapped their suit trousers for shorts and took extended lunch breaks to make the most of the weather. The Government has set up a heatwave advice page on its own Directgov website as NHS Direct received hundreds of calls from patients suffering symptoms related to the heat. Forecaster Gareth Harvey said today could match yesterday - the hottest day of the year. He said: "This has been the hottest week we have had in several years. Areas of west London could be hottest." NHS Direct received 378 calls on Monday from people suffering symptoms related to the heat. As the capital's heatwave saw temperatures even higher than Bangkok, Trafalgar Square's fountains turned green as algae spread. The weather has sent sales of electrical fans and ice-cream soaring. Martin Doherty, commercial manager at Tesco, said: "This week's sunshine has meant that demand for fans has soared, and with more hot weather on the way, we would expect other summer products to be off the shelves." David Whiffen, Sainsbury's ice cream buyer, said: "We're expecting the best week for ice cream since the heat wave of 2006."

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ITN | July 1, 2009

Tags:. .electrical. .sweltering. .martin. .direct. .heatwave