The Met Office has issued a Level 3 Heat Health Alert that runs until 11pm on Sunday (14 August).
Temperatures in Havering are expected to top 30C for each of the next three days.
Nightime temperatures may not fall below 18C.
Please look out for those who may struggle to keep themselves cool and hydrated – older people, those with underlying health conditions and those who live alone are particularly at risk.
Here are some tips on dealing with the heat:
- Close curtains on rooms that face the sun to keep indoor spaces cooler
- Drink plenty of fluids and avoid excess alcohol
- Never leave anyone in a closed, parked vehicle
- Try to keep out of the sun between 11am to 3pm
- Apply sunscreen regularly
- Avoid exercising in the hottest parts of the day
- Take water with you, if you are travelling.
For more information on the common signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heatstroke, visit the NHS website.
Reduce fire risks
To avoid the risk of wild fires London Fire Brigade (LFB) advice is not to cook food outside.
Don't forget that the use of portable or disposable barbecues is not allowed in any of Havering's parks and open spaces.
The fire in a field in Lambs Lane North in Rainham yesterday reminds us how tinder dry much of the ground in Havering is, and the increased risk of more wildfires. The LFB say they have attended eight times more grass fires in August this year compared with the same period last year.
Earlier collections
Due to the extreme heat, waste and recycling collections will start an hour earlier tomorrow (Friday, 12 August). This is to allow the collection crews to work in lower temperatures earlier in the day.
If Friday is your usual collection day please have your waste out at 6am. Collection times throughout the day may change as a result.
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Following the discovery by the UK Health Security Agency of polio virus in sewage in north and east London, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has advised that a polio vaccine booster dose should be offered to all children between the ages of one and nine in all London boroughs.
Polio can be incredibly serious for unvaccinated children. Thankfully, no cases of serious illness have been detected so far. Polio can cause paralysis, but with an effective vaccine we have the opportunity to protect our children.
Vaccine uptake in Havering is one of the best in London but some children and young people have not had all the recommended doses.
Parents and carers can check whether their child is up to date with their vaccinations by looking at their child’s personal health record – ‘the red book’ or by contacting their GP if they are still unsure. If they have any gaps they can get vaccinated now.
In addition, all children aged under 10 will be offered an additional booster in the near future. The booster programme is starting in boroughs at highest risk before being extended to the remaining London boroughs including Havering.
Families in Havering will be alerted about the booster programme when it becomes available.
Children with an incomplete vaccination history can start getting their missing doses now from their GP.
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A fire broke out on the top floor of the Queen's Moat House building in St Edward's Way, Romford yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon (pictured).
Fortunately, the Fire Brigade were quickly on the scene and the blaze was extinguished with no reported injuries or casualties.
Council staff were on hand to support residents. Following an inspection by the Council’s building control team most of them were able to return to their homes that night, with others finding alternative accommodation while some repairs are carried out.
Fortunately there was no need for the Council to set up a rest centre, as we did following the devastating Wennington fire last month.
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The Mayor of Havering, Cllr Trevor McKeever (pictured), has announced the mayoral charities he will be supporting over the coming year.
The two chosen charities are Mardyke Youth and Community Centre and PTSD999.
Mardyke Youth and Community Centre provides leisure activities and training for all ages.
The centre partners with the Council and local colleges to support volunteers, provide health and care facilities, and host events to enhance education and improve lives.
PTSD999, is a charity close to the Mayor’s heart. It supports people both serving and retired, or volunteering in the emergency services (including the Police, Fire, Ambulance, HM Coast Guard, and RNLI) who are experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder.
The charity also offers help and advice to family, friends and loved ones of those affected.
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Havering Council has launched the Climate Change Community Champions programme following a successful National Lottery ‘Tackling the Planet’ funding grant.
The awarded grant is to support communities across the UK to take action on climate change.
The Council, working in partnership with Havering Volunteer Centre is inviting residents to register to become a Climate Change Champion and promote becoming greener in their homes and businesses.
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Anyone can catch monkeypox.
You get a rash with blisters plus aches, a fever and swollen glands for up to three weeks.
Spotted these symptoms?
Avoid close physical contact with others.
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You can still help people affected by the Wennington wild fires by going to the dedicated JustGiving page set up by the Salvation Army and supported by Havering Council.
The Romford Salvation Army Wennington Fire Support Fund, will help to coordinate and distribute support to the families and individuals impacted by the fires and provide some extra help to those in need.
Thanks to everyone's generosity - the initial target of £20,000 has already been reached.
Leisure centres in Havering run by Everyone Active in partnership with Havering Council and the Loxford School Trust, are hosting events to help families and local businesses who have suffered from the recent wild fires.
Harrow Lodge Leisure Centre, Sapphire Ice and Leisure, and Abbs Cross Health and Fitness, are all hosting events tomorrow (Friday 12 August), Saturday and Sunday (13 and 14 August), running from 11am to 10pm.
Visitors will be encouraged to make a minimum voluntary donation of £2 which will go directly to those affected residents in the Wennington area. This can be done using a JustGiving QR code, which will be on display at the leisure centres.
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 Each year Havering Council's Election Services Team must review and update the Electoral Register.
To do this, forms were sent to every residential property in the borough at the start of August addressed to ‘The Resident’.
Residents are required by law to check the information on the form is correct and update it if necessary.
If you have not completed and sent back your form, please do so as a matter of urgency. This will avoid a member of staff having to visit your property and will save us money.
Anyone not currently registered to vote will need to register to vote - even if you added their name to the form.
The NHS is asking residents across the area covered by the BHRUT hospitals of Queen's and King George for their views on proposals to be able to increase the number of checks, scans and tests.
One proposal is to build a dedicated Community Diagnostic Centre at Barking Community Hospital for a range of diagnostics such as CT and MRI scans, ultrasounds and blood tests.
The NHS wants to hear from residents what is important to you when accessing these services. For example, what should the environment be like at the diagnostic centre, and what appointment times should be offered.
Please complete the short online survey, before 9 September.
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With pupils anxiously awaiting their GCSE and A-level exam results, we thought we’d share an article by Margaret Johnson.
Margaret is a 14-year-old student who attends St Edward’s Church of England Academy, in Romford. She is also a member of the Havering Youth
Council and London Youth Assembly and an advocate for mental health.
Margaret recently took part in the Student Voice Workshop about mental health with the Department for Education (DfE).
The workshop was about young people’s mental health in schools and how the DfE is trying to do more to promote the well-being of students.
Margaret is encouraging young people to talk more about their mental health and has some ideas about what schools can do to support young people.
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 If you are looking for ways to entertain the kids over the Summer holidays then there is a host of fun activities for young people aged 2 to 16 years at myplace in Dagnam Park Drive in Harold Hill.
These activities include musical workshops, sand art sessions, a drum workshop and arts and crafts sessions.
To find out what is available call 01708 376004 or send an email.
A series of Community Family Fun Days are also being held during the school summer holidays across Havering.
The next of these is between 12 noon and 3pm on Wednesday 17 August, at New Zealand Way in Rainham.
It's a chance for free fun for the whole family to enjoy including a bouncy castle, face painting, stallholders representing Havering Council's Housing Services, children's activities and more.
Havering Council’s Arts Development Team is inviting entries for its creative exhibition. Submit your entry on the theme of "summer".
It could be a photograph or painting, or a picture of something you have made like a sandcastle or piece of jewellery. All ages are welcome to take part.
Email your entries before the end of September.
Once the pictures have been received (and consent organised) a video gallery of all the suitable photos will be shared on the Havering Culture and Leisure YouTube account.
You can view previous exhibitions online.
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Have you ever seen Strictly Come Dancing and thought you might want to learn to dance like that?
Then join the Havering Latin and Ballroom Dance Programme.
There are classes in Upminster and Elm Park for complete beginners, as well as those with previous experience.
Book your lessons online.
This Saturday, 13 August, head to the North Romford Community Centre for the Collier Row Market.
Hosted by the Collier Row Business Network Forum there will be a range of stalls including crafts, food and beverages and games for the children.
It's free to attend but items will be on sale on the stalls.
The market will be open from 11am to 4pm. If you want more information, send an email.
The Reading Friends Poetry Group is a relaxed and informal group that meets on the first Wednesday of each month at Hornchurch Library, 44 North Street.
It's free to attend from 3.30pm to 5pm and is intended for poetry lovers. It provides an opportunity to discuss favourite poems and bring in poems on a monthly theme. Some members also write their own poems.
There's more information on the library service website.
There's a summer scheme for special educational needs or disability (SEND) children at MyPlace in Harold Hill.
Fifteen places for children aged 11 – 15 years are available between 10am and 2pm on Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 August.
The scheme costs £15 per young person. Light refreshments are provided, but the young people should bring a packed lunch.
There's a registration form to complete which can be emailed to you and payment can be made over the phone or at the MyPlace's reception desk. Send an email or call 01708 376004 for more information and the registration form.
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A live show featuring strings, vocal harmonies and songs from ELO’s hit-filled library including Evil Woman, Telephone Line and Don’t Bring Me Down comes to the Queen's Theatre Hornchurch at 7.30pm on Wednesday 31 August.
Tickets for The ELO Encounter are available now by calling the Theatre's box office on 01708 443333.
Queen's Theatre Hornchurch will also be holding a special programme of new and unusual theatre next month.
Blueprint: a festival of new ideas runs from 12 to 24 September. Some of the work is designed for small audience numbers, so book early to avoid missing out on a show.
Festival passes are also available by calling the box office on 01708 443333.
Lastly, this Sunday (14 August), between 1pm and 5pm a Summer Fair will be held at Langtons in Hornchurch. There will be food and craft stalls, music and performances, croquet, plus lawn games to enjoy.
Havering Council's waste and recycling team will also be there offering waste busting tips on avoiding food waste, home composting, refill options, reusable nappies and single-use plastic alternatives.
Between 1pm and 4pm a family picnic organised by the Havering BME Forum will also be held at Langton House. Details below.
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Have you been diagnosed with dementia?
The Havering Live Well with Dementia Programme is a series of sessions for people who have had a recent diagnosis of dementia or are in the early stages of their diagnosis.
You will gain the understanding, knowledge and skills to live better with dementia.
The sessions will increase your confidence in managing day-to-day and help you to better plan for the future.
Do you care for someone with dementia?
With the Carers Information and Support Programme you will gain increased knowledge of dementia.
The sessions will help you feel better informed and empower you to access support services and financial benefits and entitlements. Trained facilitators will be on hand to guide the sessions, provide information on other support services and direct you to further help and advice.
Booking for both of these programmes is essential. There will be one session per week for four weeks. Each session is around two hours long including a refreshment break.
Please email for more details of venues and dates for these courses, or call Nyree to book your place: 07759 119516.
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 Last week NHS England re-launched its ‘Help Us, Help You’ lung cancer campaign to encourage people with a cough lasting three weeks or more to contact their GP practice.
Many people don’t realise that a cough for three weeks or more could be a sign of lung cancer, and so it is vital that patients act on a persistent cough and don’t wait to see if it resolves on its own.
While a cough for three weeks or more is probably nothing serious, it can be a sign of something that needs treatment. If it is cancer, finding it early means it is more treatable and can save lives.
Road resurfacing work is scheduled to take place in Corbets Tey Road, Upminster, between The Approach and number 130 Corbets Tey Road from 7.30pm tomorrow (Friday 12 August) until 6am on Saturday 13 August.
During this time Corbets Tey Road will be closed to vehicles between The Approach and Cranston Park Avenue.
Havering Road in Collier Row, between Chase Cross Road and Orange Tree Hill, will be resurfaced from 15 to 18 August with work taking place between 8am and 5pm on each of those days.
Following the completion of the road resurfacing a return visit on 30 August is planned to apply a special surfacing to the pedestrian crossing by Bower Park School and the approach to the junction of Lower Bedfords Road and Chase Cross Road.
South Street in Romford, between its junctions with Victoria Road and Eastern Road, will be resurfaced in overnight work that will begin at 7.30pm on Thursday 18 August, and should be completed by 6am on Friday 19 August.
Lastly, resurfacing work is planned for Drummond Road and Drummond Avenue, Romford, to take place during the daytime (8am to 5pm) from 22 to 25 August.
Public transport
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Due to Network Rail undertaking overhead line renewal between Upminster and Pitsea, Ockendon line c2c services on Sunday (14 August) trains will be diverted via an alternative route between Upminster and Pitsea.
Trains will call additionally at Laindon and Basildon but will not call at stations via Ockendon or Tilbury.
On the same day (14 August) Rainham line c2c trains will not be running due to overhead line work by Network Rail between Barking and Grays.
Rail replacement buses will run between Upminster and Grays via Rainham and Purfleet.
Scheduled strike action means that London Overground trains will not run this Saturday (13 August). Services should be back and running by Sunday morning.
Greater Anglia servcies will also be affected by this industrial action on Saturday. A heavily reduced service will run between London Liverpool Street and Norwich, Colchester and Southend Victoria.
Work is ongoing to replace the footbridge at Upminster Station, which has been out of action for a while. The nearly-century old bridge has been taken to a factory to be spruced up before it returns.
Lastly, this weekend (Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 August) there will be no District line tube service between Tower Hill and Upminster. Replacement buses will be operating.
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