Kent faces 37°C heat weeks after the taps ran dry
A red heat alert triggers water worries, plus huge housing plans, far-right disruption, and lots more
Kent could reach 37°C this week, putting pressure on water supplies, transport networks and public services only weeks after the county’s latest water failures. Plus major housing schemes in Halling, Bobbing and Aylesford, a new Margate Town Council, Primark’s move into Ashford, and the rest of the week across Kent.
Kent faces 37°C heat weeks after the taps ran dry
Less than a month after parts of Kent were left without water during a warm spell, the county is preparing for temperatures that could reach 37°C.
The UK Health Security Agency has issued a red heat-health alert covering the South East, warning of impacts across the wider population rather than only the most vulnerable. Councils are urging caution, train operators are preparing for disruption, and schools have been told to record the effects of the heat through Kent’s severe weather monitoring system.
But, this being Kent, the sharpest question hangs over the water supply.
In May, residents in parts of Kent found themselves queueing for bottled water after outages hit during hot weather. South East Water faced intense criticism, politicians demanded answers, and Kent County Council responded by establishing a Water Resilience Partnership to examine the county’s longer-term water security.
Ed Jennings
Now the county is heading into a more severe heatwave. South East Water is already listing Kent as amber on its new water levels tool, indicating that water resources are running low. The company is asking customers to reduce hose use and be mindful of demand as temperatures rise.
That may be sensible enough. It is also a fairly blunt reminder of how narrow the margin can be. For most people, the promise of a water company is that you can turn on a tap and get water. Kent’s recent experience has made that assumption feel rather less secure.
This week will test whether May was an isolated failure or a warning shot.
The problem for Kent is that hot weather does not arrive evenly. When the sun comes out, the county effectively gains a temporary population. Beaches fill up. Roads towards the coast become congested. Trains heading for the seaside become busier. Emergency services face increased demand. The Met Office has specifically highlighted the increased risk of water safety incidents as people head to beaches, rivers and lakes.
Anyone who has tried driving towards Whitstable, Broadstairs or Margate on a hot Saturday will understand the principle.
Southeastern says it is providing additional carriages on busy coastal routes and running extra services as people head towards destinations including Margate, Broadstairs, Folkestone, Herne Bay, Whitstable and Ramsgate. Its summer travel campaign carries the reassuring slogan 'Don’t sweat it.' Less reassuring is the explanation that rails in direct sunshine can be significantly hotter than the surrounding air and have been known to reach around 50°C.
Hot rails expand. If monitoring systems indicate a risk of buckling, speed restrictions can be imposed. The railway can continue running, but journeys become slower, and timetables become less flexible. Extreme heat leaves the network functioning on worse terms.
Care providers face increased risks for vulnerable residents. Outdoor workers in construction, agriculture and logistics will be expected to work through conditions that are becoming harder to dismiss as merely uncomfortable. Fire services will be watching the risk of grass and countryside fires as conditions become hotter and drier.
Taken together, the coming week will place pressure on multiple systems simultaneously. Water supplies, transport networks, schools, hospitals and public services will all be affected by the same weather event.
None of this means Kent is about to grind to a halt. But after May’s water outages, the county is entering this week with less room for complacency than usual.
When South East Water customers were queueing for bottled water last month, the company said its network had come under exceptional demand during the hot weather. The coming days will provide a clearer indication of how resilient that network is when temperatures climb even higher.
Whatever happens, nobody will be able to argue Kent wasn’t warned this time.
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Three big reads
1️⃣ Searchlight magazine reports from Faversham, where far-right activist Harry Hilden and his minions have disrupted a Faversham Town Council meeting. This follows repeated similar scenes at Swale Borough Council in recent months.
2️⃣ It's been a busy week for Hilden, who also spent the weekend addressing a Britain First rally in Birmingham, as reported by our friends at the Birmingham Dispatch.
3️⃣ Byline Times reports on remarkable scenes at Kent County Council, where the new Reform chair banned a Green Party councillor for calling a neo-Nazi a neo-Nazi.
Council matters
Meetings this week:
- Gravesham: Cabinet meets tonight (Monday) to discuss the financial outturn and Gravesend town centre regeneration.
- Dover: Council will hold an extraordinary meeting on Wednesday to debate the adoption of an affordable housing supplementary planning document.
- Swale: Council meets on Tuesday to debate car parking charges on the Isle of Sheppey, HMOs, and DBS checks on councillors.
- Folkestone & Hythe: Cabinet will discuss a damp and mould policy, private sector housing civil penalties, and more on Wednesday.
- Folkestone & Hythe: Council meets immediately after that to talk about solar schemes on Romney Marsh.
- Swale: Planning Committee will hold an extraordinary meeting to decide on 2,500 homes west of Bobbing on Wednesday.
- Tonbridge & Malling: Planning Committee will meet on Wednesday to decide on 1,300 homes west of Aylesford.
- Kent: Cabinet meets on Thursday to discuss the final overspend of the previous financial year.
- Dartford: Cabinet gathers on Thursday to talk about empty homes, HMOs, the Local Plan, and lots more.
- Thanet: Cabinet meets to discuss antisocial behaviour, support funding, and Microsoft 365 on Thursday.
- Tunbridge Wells: Cabinet will discuss roughly half a million items on Thursday.
New planning applications:
- Medway: Scoping opinion for 2,000 homes and new local centre south of Halling.
Keeping track of Kent properly takes time, travel and a fair amount of patience.
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In brief
🗳️ The first elections for the new Margate Town Council will be held next May.
🏥 An abandoned hospital in Gravesend could be compulsarily purchased so it can be converted into housing.
🚒 Fire engulfed a large abandoned building at Chatham Docks over the weekend.
🚰 Homes near Sittingbourne lost their water supply following a burst water main.
👨💼 South East Water has announced that John Halsall will take on the role of CEO, succeeding the ever popular David Hinton.
🚓 Kent Police has banned a TikTok star from visiting parts of Thanet following antisocial behaviour last month.
🌲 Parts of ancient woodland in Maidstone have been destroyed by vandals.
🛍️ Primark is taking over the former Debenhams in Ashford.
✍️ Folkestone & Hythe District Council might need a new proofreader.
📱 Kings Hill might finally get mobile phone signal.
Property of the week
This week’s property is a two-bedroom lower-ground-floor apartment in Cliftonville, which sounds fairly normal until you get to the private garden wrapping around it. For a flat this close to the sea, that is a fairly serious perk. The apartment sits in a secure block near the seafront, with an open-plan kitchen and living space, a turret-style corner because even flats need a bit of drama, and direct access outside from the main room. There is a main bedroom with a walk-in wardrobe, a second double bedroom and a modern shower room, plus electric central heating and double glazing. It is close to local shops, Northdown Road and fancier parts of Margate, and it is available for £250,000.
Events this week
🌍 Thu 25 Jun - People's Emergency Briefing // Film screening and discussion on the climate crisis. Where Else?, Margate. Tickets £5.
🎛️ Fri 26 Jun - The Streets // Mike Skinner brings The Streets performing A Grand Don't Come For Free in full for the first time. Dreamland, Margate. Tickets £63.
🍴 Sat 27 Jun - Ashford Food & Drink Festival // Local food, Kent wines, music and family activities. Elwick Place, Ashford. Free.
✈️ 27 - 28 Jun - Headcorn International Airshow // New airshow with both modern and historical flight displays. Headcorn Aerodrome. Tickets from £30.
Footnotes
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