Here comes the summer …

Beware of the summer! The season that was once anticipated as the lightest, brightest, balmiest time of the year now comes with a health warning.

For the first time, the UK’s Met Office issued an extreme heat advisory this month. The warning was very staid, very British, but a clear shift away from the ethos of Keep Calm and Carry On. The amber alert urged precautions against adverse health effects for vulnerable populations, while flagging pressure on water resources, potential power cuts and increased likelihood of transport delays. Given the temperatures were only a little over 30C for a few days, this might seem risible to people living in far hotter parts of the world, but it is part of a growing