Amber Heat Alerts as Wildfires Burn on Drought-Hit Ground
Amber heat-health alerts were issued across much of England on Monday as wildfires broke out on tinder-dry ground and forecasters warned a fifth heatwave could push temperatures towards 36C. Firefighters tackled blazes including one in the New Forest and a peatland fire in Cambridgeshire. Drought is expected to be declared in more regions this week.
The alerts warn of a likely rise in illness and deaths among the elderly and vulnerable, and forecasters have not ruled out red warnings if the peak is severe. Weeks of record heat and the driest July on record have left the countryside primed to burn, straining fire services already stretched thin. Water companies have signalled that more hosepipe bans are likely as reservoirs run low. Farmers warn the conditions are damaging crops and will push up food prices. Watch how high temperatures climb and whether the alerts are raised to red.