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Firefighters and soldiers have been battling huge grassland blazes across northern England.
The biggest, a week-long inferno that has devastated seven square miles of Saddleworth Moor, in Greater Manchester, may at last be coming under control. Exhausted fire crews called in 100 troops from the 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, to help in the 90F-plus scorching heatwave.
Yesterday the fires on the peat terrain and dry shrubland were said to be “contained” but could still take weeks to be fully extinguished.
However, fire chiefs have asked the Army to extend their stay through the weekend.
Greater Manchester chief fire officer Dawn Docx said: “We are containing the fire. It’s taking a lot of effort, a lot of resources, not only from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service but also from fire and rescue services from up and down the country, and we are very grateful for the military being part of that as well. We can’t say when it might be extinguished. It could be days, it might even be weeks. This weather obviously isn’t helping at all. What we need is a real downpour and that will do the trick.”
But on Thursday firefighters were faced with a fresh grassland blaze 30 miles away on Winter Hill, near Bolton. A 22-year-old local man is being interviewed by police on suspicion of starting it.
Other grass fires have spread across the North as the unrelenting heatwave continues to take its toll on plants, reservoir levels and wildlife.
Thousands of bolts of lightning lit up Britain last night in a spectacular thunderstorm.
A fire suddenly spread across grassland sand dunes at Ainsdale National Nature Reserve on Friday in Southport, Merseyside.
Grass fires at a military training area in Otterburn, Northumberland – caused by sparks from bullets – have been burning since Sunday.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed two fires about 10 miles apart but as the area contains possible unexploded ordinance, no attempt is being made to extinguish them.
A forest fire near Aberystwyth in West Wales has been burning for four days.
Steep and difficult terrain makes it impossible for fire crews to bring in their vehicles so a specialist helicopter team has been called in.
Consumers are being urged to use water sparingly in a bid to avoid crippling water shortages. They have been asked to shower for only four minutes, let their lawns turn brown and wait for the heatwave to end before washing cars. Britain’s first hosepipe ban for the year has been imposed in Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland Water chief executive Sara Venning said: “We need customers’ help to reduce demand. We are asking customers to take heed of the hosepipe ban and stop non-essential water use.”
The Met Office’s long-range outlook until the end of July forecasts “dry and fine weather is likely for most of the time”.
Forecaster Simon Partridge said: “It will be dry, fine and sunny by day and warm at night. Finally we are getting a summer. We’ve had short hot spells but this is different and more prolonged than last year.”
This week is the first time since 2013 that all four nations in the UK have seen temperatures of 30C or above, the Met Office said.
The hottest day of the year was Thursday when a high of that topped 90F and 32C was recorded at Porthmadog in north Wales.
Helicopters try to put out forest fire in Rheidol Valley, which has been burning for four days
As the nation sweltered, roads began to melt and train tracks buckled, causing transport delays.
Thousands have been taking advantage of the sun to take days off work to flock to the coast.
Gritters have been deployed by local authorities in Cumbria, Lancashire, Doncaster and Hampshire, spreading crushed rock dust on to melting roads to improve driving conditions.
The Met Office’s heat-health watch alert remained at level two meaning social and healthcare services are at the ready.
Public Health England issued a warning saying the extreme heat may pose a risk to the most vulnerable.
The heat has already claimed casualties with at least four people found dead after swimming in open water.
But the heat is good news for the economy as retailers reported rocketing sales. Argos said online BBQ sales are up 234 per cent while sales of fans, air coolers and air conditioners have increased by 448 per cent.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/weat...-june-july-hosepipe-ban-fears-grassland-fires
The biggest, a week-long inferno that has devastated seven square miles of Saddleworth Moor, in Greater Manchester, may at last be coming under control. Exhausted fire crews called in 100 troops from the 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, to help in the 90F-plus scorching heatwave.
Yesterday the fires on the peat terrain and dry shrubland were said to be “contained” but could still take weeks to be fully extinguished.
However, fire chiefs have asked the Army to extend their stay through the weekend.
Greater Manchester chief fire officer Dawn Docx said: “We are containing the fire. It’s taking a lot of effort, a lot of resources, not only from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service but also from fire and rescue services from up and down the country, and we are very grateful for the military being part of that as well. We can’t say when it might be extinguished. It could be days, it might even be weeks. This weather obviously isn’t helping at all. What we need is a real downpour and that will do the trick.”
But on Thursday firefighters were faced with a fresh grassland blaze 30 miles away on Winter Hill, near Bolton. A 22-year-old local man is being interviewed by police on suspicion of starting it.
Other grass fires have spread across the North as the unrelenting heatwave continues to take its toll on plants, reservoir levels and wildlife.
Thousands of bolts of lightning lit up Britain last night in a spectacular thunderstorm.
A fire suddenly spread across grassland sand dunes at Ainsdale National Nature Reserve on Friday in Southport, Merseyside.
Grass fires at a military training area in Otterburn, Northumberland – caused by sparks from bullets – have been burning since Sunday.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed two fires about 10 miles apart but as the area contains possible unexploded ordinance, no attempt is being made to extinguish them.
A forest fire near Aberystwyth in West Wales has been burning for four days.
Steep and difficult terrain makes it impossible for fire crews to bring in their vehicles so a specialist helicopter team has been called in.
Consumers are being urged to use water sparingly in a bid to avoid crippling water shortages. They have been asked to shower for only four minutes, let their lawns turn brown and wait for the heatwave to end before washing cars. Britain’s first hosepipe ban for the year has been imposed in Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland Water chief executive Sara Venning said: “We need customers’ help to reduce demand. We are asking customers to take heed of the hosepipe ban and stop non-essential water use.”
The Met Office’s long-range outlook until the end of July forecasts “dry and fine weather is likely for most of the time”.
Forecaster Simon Partridge said: “It will be dry, fine and sunny by day and warm at night. Finally we are getting a summer. We’ve had short hot spells but this is different and more prolonged than last year.”
This week is the first time since 2013 that all four nations in the UK have seen temperatures of 30C or above, the Met Office said.
The hottest day of the year was Thursday when a high of that topped 90F and 32C was recorded at Porthmadog in north Wales.
Helicopters try to put out forest fire in Rheidol Valley, which has been burning for four days
As the nation sweltered, roads began to melt and train tracks buckled, causing transport delays.
Thousands have been taking advantage of the sun to take days off work to flock to the coast.
Gritters have been deployed by local authorities in Cumbria, Lancashire, Doncaster and Hampshire, spreading crushed rock dust on to melting roads to improve driving conditions.
The Met Office’s heat-health watch alert remained at level two meaning social and healthcare services are at the ready.
Public Health England issued a warning saying the extreme heat may pose a risk to the most vulnerable.
The heat has already claimed casualties with at least four people found dead after swimming in open water.
But the heat is good news for the economy as retailers reported rocketing sales. Argos said online BBQ sales are up 234 per cent while sales of fans, air coolers and air conditioners have increased by 448 per cent.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/weat...-june-july-hosepipe-ban-fears-grassland-fires
