Wildfires are blazing in 19 locations across England and Wales as the UK continues to bake, with more heat-health warnings issued for much of the country. Seven English regions have been issued with yellow alerts between Tuesday and Friday by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) this week as the Met Office forecasts temperature peaks of 33C in south-central regions.
Active Wildfire Incidents
Emergency services are currently dealing with 19 active wildfire incidents, with fire and rescue teams tackling a combination of large moorland and agricultural fires, according to the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC). The NFCC said that latest assessments show “severe wildfire risk” remains across large parts of England and Wales, with some locations continuing to have “extreme risk”. Major incidents were declared for wildfires in North Wales and in Glossop, Derbyshire in the Peak District.
Met Office Forecast
Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon told the Press Association: “The heatwave continues for much of the UK this week where we could see temperatures peak on Wednesday, possibly a high of 33 degrees Celsius in some parts of southern-central England. Temperatures through much of this week for southern-central parts of England are into the low 30s, and mid to high 20s are even possible elsewhere. It’s going to be a sunny and warm week for the vast majority of the UK as high pressure remains in charge of our weather regime and is leading to clearer skies for many and lack of rainfall for many as well.” However, temperatures are set to ease by the second half of the week. He added: “What we can say as we get towards the weekend, we can see a slight dip in the temperatures to come. So rather than the low 30s that we’ve seen through much of the week, by Saturday we’re looking at peak temperatures possibly in the mid-to-high 20s for many. That’s largely because although high pressure is still in charge, we’re seeing more of a northerly influence, which is just helping to drop temperature slightly; still widely above average, and still warm and pleasant for many. But not the kind of peak figures that we’ll see through much this week and that we saw through last week as well.”
Heat-Health Alerts
The North West, South West, South East, East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England and London have all been given yellow heat-health alerts by the UKHSA, with the North East and Yorkshire and the Humber regions spared.
North Wales Wildfire
In North Wales, the fire service urged people not to enter the area near the village of Capelulo, where dozens of homes had been evacuated, as they tackled a wildfire at Conwy Mountain. On Monday evening, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service (NWFRS) stood down its major incident and allowed the residents of 36 properties evacuated in Capelulo to return to their homes. The service’s head of prevention Jody McEachern said: “Firefighters worked tirelessly throughout yesterday and overnight responding to a number of significant wildfire incidents across North Wales. Significant work continues at Conwy Mountain and we will continue to monitor conditions closely throughout the day. I would like to thank local communities for their patience and co-operation, and our firefighters, Control Room staff, partner agencies for their ongoing support.”
Precautions and Warnings
The NFCC also said that Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service and West Midlands Fire Service were taking precautions to manage exceptionally high demand. NFCC chairman Phil Garrigan said: “Fire and rescue services are currently responding to multiple significant wildfires across the UK, with challenging conditions helping fires to spread quickly and over large areas. When vegetation is this dry, it only takes one spark to start a fire. What may begin as a small incident can escalate at speed, placing communities, firefighters and the environment at risk. We are strongly urging everyone to take extra care while enjoying the outdoors. Avoid using disposable barbecues in parks, moorland, countryside areas and other open spaces, never discard cigarettes on the ground, and make sure any litter is taken home. Wildfires can cause immense damage to landscapes, wildlife, agriculture and local communities, while also placing significant pressure on emergency services. A few simple actions can make a huge difference in helping to prevent fires before they start.”
