Fire services pushed to 'crisis point' in heatwave

The Independent's Morning Headlines email [View online]( August 11, 2022 [Morning Headlines]( 1 / [Firefighters ‘won’t be able to answer all calls’ as deadly heatwaves push services to ‘crisis point’]( Firefighters have warned they will not be able to attend all call-outs as the second deadly heatwave in weeks stretches services already at “crisis point”. Senior staff from crews around the country told The Independent that unprecedented demand and a lack of resources meant crews are not properly equipped to respond to the scale of heat-related incidents caused by the climate crisis. They also raised concerns that drought conditions could hamper their abilities to tackle wildfires if lakes and ponds can no longer be used to access water. A four-day extreme heat warning has been issued by the Met Office, as well as an “exceptional” warning for how severe fires could become if started.   2 / [Fourth alleged Isis ‘Beatle’ arrested at Luton Airport on terror charges]( Man taken to south London police station by officers and remains in custody 3 / [One dead and three injured in ‘major incidents’ in Scottish Highlands]( Dozens of emergency vehicles deployed to a series of incidents involving a gun 4 /[Vulnerable migrants scammed out of ‘huge sums of money’ by rogue solicitors and immigration advisers]( Exclusive: Fraudsters damaging people ‘emotionally and financially when they are at their most vulnerable’, watchdog says 5 / [Ryan Giggs’ ex tells jury she was ‘a slave to his every need and every demand’]( Ms Greville told the court that violence by Giggs was “not regular” and he would use aggression more as a form of control.     The Big Question Could we really see more swarms of wasps because of hot and dry weather? It has been a hot and dry summer for the UK so far, with scorching conditions expected to continue in August. Record-breaking temperatures and months of sparse rainfall have resulted in dramatic changes to the natural world, with fields parched from a lack of water and burnt by wildfires. Reports have suggested there could be another change as a result of the heat and lack of rain: a surge in the number of wasps. But leading experts tell The Independent this is by no means a given – and the dry weather could even threaten their population. [For the full story click here >](   Watch/ [What is inflation? | Decomplicated](   NUMBER OF THE DAY £100m – Labour have accused the government of favouring [oil]( and [gas]( giants with a “uniquely generous” regime of tax and subsidies, after it emerged that [Shell]( received [more than £100m from the UK taxpayer in 2021.](   QUOTE OF THE DAY “The most embarrassing thing that's happened to me is I struggled to pay for the petrol in a car that wasn't my own’.” – [Rishi Sunak]( has admitted that [someone has had to teach him how to use a contactless card machine]( after he was pictured struggling with one during a photo-op.       Other stories you might like   [Jerry Hall asks California judge to cancel her divorce case against Rupert Murdoch, report says](   [Burglary victims being failed amid ‘postcode lottery’ for police investigations, watchdog says](   [Government delays decision on controversial new coal mine again](       Articles available exclusively to subscribers Sean O'Grady, The Independent - [Fantasy economics will send Truss into No 10 and Britain into a spiral](   Other newsletters you might like [The Race Report] The Race Report Fortnightly, 7am (UK time) Written by Nadine White [Sign up]( [Inside Politics] Inside Politics Weekdays, 8am (UK time) Written by Matt Mathers [Sign up](   If you can spare a minute we’d love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. [The Independent]( Join the conversation or follow us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's Morning Headlines newsletter. Add us to your safe list of senders. If you do not want to receive The Independent's Morning Headlines newsletter, please [unsubscribe](list_name=IND_Headlines_Masterlist_CDP). If you no longer wish to receive any newsletters or promotional emails from The Independent, you can unsubscribe [here](. This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5HF. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345. Read our [privacy notice]( and [cookie policy](.