Free bottled water and soaring fan sales as heatwave continues
A Scottish council is giving out free bottled water to residents affected by shortages in private supplies caused by the heatwave.
Although the vast majority of Scotland has access to public water supplies, nearly 4 per cent of the population rely on private water supplies and the Scottish Government last week released funding to councils to help those affected by the shortage.
There are more than 800 private water supplies in Moray serving about 4,825 properties.
Monday saw a high of 33.3C at Santon Downham in Suffolk, but it is set to get even hotter, with temperatures expected to peak tomorrow and Friday.
An amber “heat health watch” warning, put out when temperatures are predicted to hit 30C (86F) during the day and 15C (59F) at night for at least two consecutive days, has been issued for parts of England.
The UK has seen the driest half of summer on record, with just 47mm (1.85 inches) of rain falling between 1 June and 16 July.
The Met Office said temperatures of 35C were forecast for tomorrow in East Anglia and London, with the potential for the mercury to climb even higher.
A respite from the heat could come by the end of the week, when thunderstorms are expected in eastern areas.
John Lewis said sales of electrical cooling products were up 315 per cent week-on-week as weather forecasts showed no relief from the high temperatures for at least a fortnight.
Charcoal barbecue sales are up 116 per cent on last year.