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The effects of dry conditions in the UK are becoming increasingly clear, Neil Connery reports
More grass fires broke out amid dry and hot conditions over the weekend.
Among the fires on Saturday was a fire in the town of Camborne in Cornwall. Just after 3pm, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said eight fire engines were trying to control the blaze on Kerrier Way.
The risk of bushfires is high as the UK has been extremely dry for an extended period and vegetation has been “dried out”, said Dan Stroud of the Met Office.
People are playing football on dry grass at Parker’s Piece in Cambridge as drought is declared for parts of England. Credit: Joe Giddens/Pennsylvania
An amber heat warning is in place across most of England and Wales, where temperatures reached a maximum of 34.9C on Saturday.
In the capital, where July’s record heat sparked a string of devastating fires, 70 firefighters were called to a blaze in Enfield. An area measuring around 900 meters by 600 meters was set ablaze on Saturday, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) said. The fire created a lot of smoke over the M25 between junctions 25 and 26, he added, warning: “The tiniest spark can start a fire that can cause devastation.”
In Nottinghamshire, police are appealing for information following a major fire in Mansfield.
People walk on dry cracked ground at Baitings Reservoir in Ripponden, West Yorkshire, where water levels are significantly low. Credit: Danny Lawson/PA
Officials said a field, a nearby house and a number of vehicles were damaged by the flames.
“This incident should serve as a reminder to everyone of the dangers of setting fires in grassland, particularly in hot weather such as we are experiencing this weekend,” said Sergeant Joseph Hall, from Nottinghamshire Police.
In Dorset, a crew of firefighters worked through the night to bring the Studland bushfire under control, which was believed to have been started by a disposable barbecue. Dorset Police said firefighters found an unexploded piece of ammunition believed to date back to the Second World War in the scorched wasteland on Saturday afternoon.
It is known that no one was injured in any of the above mentioned fires.
Following a spate of drownings during last month’s heatwave, South Yorkshire Police said a body had been found on Saturday after a man got into trouble in a lake.
Emergency services responded to reports that a man in his 20s was in distress in Lakeside, Doncaster.
On Sunday, a yellow warning for thunderstorms will be in place from midday on Sunday until 6am on Monday for most of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
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This warning means there is a “slight chance” of flooding in these nations and the potential for power outages.
The Met Office’s amber heat warning means heat-related illnesses, including sunburn and heat exhaustion, are “likely” among the general population and public transport delays are “possible”.
An official drought was declared in eight areas of England on Friday by the National Drought Group (NDG), which is made up of representatives from the government, water companies, the Environment Agency (EA) and others.
The drought in England could continue into next year, according to the EA.
John Curtin, executive director of local operations at the EA, said that after the driest summer in 50 years, it would take “weeks of rain” to replenish water sources.
The announcement could lead to more measures, such as a ban on hosepipes, but the EA has assured the public that the main water supply is safe.
Eight of the 14 areas designated by the EA have already moved to ‘dry’, the second stage, including Devon and Cornwall, the Solent and South Downs, Kent and South London, Herts and North London, East Anglia, Thames, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, and East Midlands.
Three water companies – Welsh Water, Southern Water and South East Water – have imposed hose bans, while Yorkshire Water has announced a ban will start on August 26 and Thames Water is planning one in the coming weeks.
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