Unions call for relaxed dress as UK hots up

Wednesday, 1 July 2009 12:00 AM

By Liz Stephens

The Met Office has raised its heatwave plan to level three for London and south-east England, as the mercury is expected to hit 32C later today.

The rise led to calls from the TUC for companies to relax dress policies and allow male staff to wear shorts during the hot weather to prevent them "collapsing" at their desks.

The new alert level will trigger measures to safeguard the welfare of thousands of elderly and other vulnerable people at risk from heat-related conditions.

Temperatures in the capital have been higher than Bangkok this week.

The highest level of Britain's heatwave plan is level four, the red or emergency alert, which is declared when a heatwave is so severe or prolonged that the general population, and not just vulnerable groups, are at risk from heat-related conditions.

Head of health forecasting at the Met Office, Wayne Elliott, said: "There are four key things to try to remember during a heatwave.

"If possible stay out of the heat during the middle part of the day; cool yourself down; keep your environment cool and look out for others, especially older people, those living alone and babies and young children."

The Met Office announcement follows a report earlier in the week that warned climate change will put availability of water under strain in future.

The independent Review of Charging for Household Water and Sewerage Services warned that water metering will become the norm in many areas of the country.

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• health
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• public health