Boomtown Festival bosses have issued a safety warning to attendees as the UK is hit with a rare amber 'extreme heat' alert. The five-day music and theatre event, also known as Boomtown Fair, begins today on the Matterley Estate near Winchester, Hampshire, and runs until Sunday.
Rare Amber Warning Issued
The forecaster has issued rare amber 'extreme heat' warnings for London and parts of the South East, East Midlands, East of England, West Midlands and South Yorkshire from 9am to midnight on Thursday. The Met Office predicts temperatures could reach as high as 38°C on Thursday.
Attendees have been warned to be extra cautious due to the hot weather and dry grasslands, which could pose a fire risk. Disposable barbecues, open flames and camping stoves are prohibited at Boomtown, while smoking is also banned in the car parks.
Festival Rules and Advice
In a statement on Facebook, bosses said: "The site is dry grassland, and the consequences are serious." Smokers are encouraged to use pocket ashtrays, which can be collected from information and welfare points throughout the festival site. Hot water urns will also be provided across campsites as an alternative to using stoves.
Drivers have been instructed not to leave engines idling in car parks or while queuing to access them. The full statement said: "Dry conditions mean there will be dust, especially near roads and high-traffic areas. Our teams will be actively working to manage the conditions, but it's important to bring a face mask or face covering for protection. Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes. If asthmatic, keep your inhaler on you at all times."
Headliners and Alcohol Limits
This year's headliners include Kneecap, Scissor Sisters and Madness, with Skrillex, Faithless, Scooter, Shagy, Eve, DJ EZ, Shy FX, Skindred, Songer and Less Than Jake also taking to the stages. Attendees are limited in how much alcohol they can bring into the festival: 16 x 440ml cans of lager/cider/beer, or 18 x 250ml cans of pre-mixed spirits, or a 3-litre box of wine, or 7 litres of cider/lager/beer in a sealed plastic bottle or can.
Government Response
Following the recent warmer weather, Prime Minister Andy Burnham is to chair a meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee on Wednesday in response to extreme heat, which has caused widespread wildfires and plunged many parts of the country into drought. Ministers from Defra, the Home Office, and the Department for Health will attend, along with the Environment Agency. It will be the second Cobra meeting this year on heatwaves, following one held amid high temperatures in June.
A Downing Street spokesperson said the Government understood firefighters, farmers and NHS staff were all facing challenges connected to the weather. On Tuesday, a firefighter union chief warned the country faces a "national emergency" amid ongoing wildfires. The Met Office said the UK is on course for its hottest summer on record, as parts of the country face their fifth heatwave this summer. Mr Burnham has also stated he will consider imposing a ban on disposable barbecues due to the risk of further wildfires.
