Heatwave Peaks at 38C as Wildfires Hit Record Levels
England faces the peak of its heatwave today, with temperatures forecast to reach 38C and an amber extreme-heat warning in force, potentially the hottest day of the year. Wildfires have reached record levels for the year, with fire services warning of a national emergency. A woman has been charged with aggravated arson over a moorland blaze in Greater Manchester.
The amber alert warns of dangers to health, transport and infrastructure as the fifth heatwave of the summer builds to its climax, with hospitals braced for a rise in heat-related illness and the rail network expecting speed restrictions. Firefighters, already stretched across multiple blazes, warn that tinder-dry ground makes every spark a threat, and the arson charge underscores how many fires are started, whether deliberately or by carelessness such as discarded barbecues. The heat compounds a drought that has left more than two-thirds of England parched and farmers warning of ruined harvests and higher food prices. Prime Minister Andy Burnham chaired an emergency meeting on the crisis yesterday. Watch whether today’s forecast peak sets a record and how services cope.