The Met Office has warned that parts of Britain could become warmer than the Algarve as a heatwave sweeps across the UK, and Public Health England has responded by issuing an amber heat-health warning – just one level below the ‘national emergency’ red warning. From a pleasant 25°C in Glasgow and Edinburgh to a scorching 35°C in London, the current heatwave could smash the high record of 36.7°C currently held for the hottest day in July. The highest ever UK temperature - 38.5°C - set in Faversham in August 2003, is also currently ‘under threat’.

We often hear that political stability is essential for business continuity, yet we find ourselves in a position where we are having an election for a new prime minister while MPs in the candidates’ own party are openly questioning the immediate viability of their most fundamental commitments. It seems that political stability will not exist for a long time to come.

Avalution Consulting has acquired business continuity research and staffing firm, BC Management with which the business continuity and IT disaster recovery consulting firm has worked for a number years. The combined firm's offering now includes business continuity consulting (both project-based and outsourced), the Catalyst Business Continuity Software solution, permanent placement staffing and data analytics, research and custom benchmarking.

A new study has highlighted the scale of the battle UK business leaders face when business disruption hits, as 54% admit to suffering from stress-related illnesses or damage to their mental wellbeing in the aftermath of cyber attacks, IT outages or network failures. Research from Sungard Availability Services highlights the extent to which senior executives are linked to their company’s resilience. Findings from the study of 250 C-Suite respondents in companies with 500+ employees in the UK, found 49% of CEOs have suffered from stress-related illnesses and/or damage to their mental wellbeing, a figure which rises to 62% among CIOs/CTOs.

It was a big night for CMAC at the Business Continuity Awards... They will be filling the trophy cabinet after a raft of wins at the industry's main event. Find out who took away the coveted gongs from the Mayfair Gala Dinner last night, hosted by the fabulous Sindhu Vee....

A new standard has been launched, designed to help cities protect critical resources and create and sustain opportunities for enterprise. Developed by BSI with the support of the World Bank, UNISDR, UN Habitat, OECD and representatives from UK cities, it is hoped the standard will contribute to the preservation of cities in the face of rapid urban expansion, climate change and disruptive events, such as pandemics.

Online shopping fulfilment provider Ocado has warned staff that they may face redundancy following the fire at its warehouse operations in Andover, Hampshire in February. The £45m high-tech distribution facility suffered an extensive fire that burned for four days, which investigators believe was caused by a faulty battery charging unit.

The National Counter Terrorism Security Office has announced the availability its ACT Strategic initiative, created to help businesses explore ways of preventing, managing and recovering from a terrorist attack. ACT Strategic is aimed at those responsible for writing policies and procedures or strongly influencing them. The events themselves are aimed at 20-30 delegates from a range of organisations and business sectors. Conducted as a discussion-based exercise, delegates will be faced with a series of questions and dilemmas to resolve, both individually and collectively.

An increase in migrant stowaways and labour exploitation are among the current key challenges threatening global supply chains, according to a BSI report published today. Read on for more on the top five supply chain risks for 2019, as well as a list of the key threats from 2018...

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) have agreed two Memoranda of Understanding to ensure continuity once the UK leaves the European Union. Covering trade repositories and alternative investment funds, the two agreements will ensure cross-border cooperation between the two organisations to provide certainty to businesses post-Brexit.

The 2019 Business Continuity Awards finalists have been announced. Now in its 21st year, the Business Continuity Awards recognise those business continuity, security, resilience and risk professionals whose innovative strategies and industry savvy make them stand out above the rest.

By customising an active shooter plan that focuses on prevention, training, feedback and post-incident protocols, employees will be mentally and physically prepared to react to violent threats, according to RIMS new report.

The Department for International Trade has issued an update on trade continuity after Brexit. Nearly half of the UK's trade is currently with the EU; a further 11% is covered by the existing EU trade agreements the government is looking to continue as bilateral deals after Brexit. The 20 smallest of these agreements account for just 0.8% of UK trade. The remaining 40% of trade takes place with other countries.

ISO has released the official ISO 22301 Draft International Standard for Public Comment (DIS). BSI, as the UK’s National Standards Body, is seeking to consult with continuity and resilience practitioners, managers, and other interested parties to participate in this review aimed at improving this standard.

The Financial Conduct Authority has today set out how it will use temporary transitional power in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Intended to minimise disruption for firms and other regulated entities, the Treasury has put forward draft legislation that would make transitional provisions if the UK leaves the EU without a withdrawal agreement.