Summer wash-out brings mosquito plague
Pastor Dale Morgan
Summer wash-out brings mosquito plague
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By Richard Savill
Last Updated: 2:21am BST 17/08/2007
Britain is experiencing a plague of mosquitoes after a population
explosion caused by the summer's heavy rain and recent warm weather,
experts revealed yesterday.
This year's wet, warm summer has created an ideal environment for
mosquitoes to thrive in
NHS Direct has seen a large rise in the number of people seeking advice
about mosquito bites following a combination of rain and a warm climate
that has encouraged them to thrive.
During the first 12 days of August, the service handled 1,491 telephone
calls, a rise of 28 per cent on the 1,157 inquiries received in the same
period last year. Advice on mosquitoes was also sought by 2,076 callers
in July.
There was also a big increase in the number of searches on the NHS
Direct website. Between August 6 and 12, an article on insect bites was
the most popular out of more than 700 health encyclopaedia features.
Paul Pearce-Kelly, senior curator of invertebrates at the Zoological
Society of London, said: "This year's summer, with its combination of
wet weather and a warm climate, has created an ideal environment for
mosquitoes to thrive in. These insects need stagnant water to breed and
this has been provided by the recent rains, leading to a dramatic
increase in numbers."
Helen Young, clinical director and director of nursing at NHS Direct,
said: "Most insect bites result in small, local reactions where the
symptoms can be easily treated.
"When an insect bites it releases a form of saliva that can that give
rise to inflammation, blisters, and irritation.
"These can vary depending on the type of insect involved, and the
sensitivity of the person who is bitten."
Meanwhile, weather experts predicted more wet weather in the weeks ahead
and said an Indian summer was unlikely.
Piers Corbyn, a long-range weather forecaster who runs Weather Action,
predicted a "miraculous" period of sunshine and above-average
temperatures over the August bank holiday weekend.
But otherwise the weather in the weeks ahead would be cool and showery.
"September is probably not worth waiting for," he said. Asked if the
summer was over, he said: "It hardly began."
Temperatures over the bank holiday weekend could reach 25C (77F), about
four degrees higher than normal, he said.
The forecast for the next few days is a mixture of showers and sunshine
with the temperature set to rise no higher than 20C (68F).
"The radar looks like a dalmatian, with showers here and there and blue
sky five miles down the road," a Met Office spokesman said. More
showers, some of them heavy, are forecast next week.
Asked if an Indian summer was likely, the spokesman said: "There is no
sign of it on the horizon."