The UK is bracing for a heatwave, with temperatures expected to reach a scorching 24C on Friday, posing a significant risk of wildfires across the country.
The UK is bracing for a heatwave, with temperatures expected to reach a scorching 24C on Friday. This could make it the hottest day of the year so far, and fire services are urging people to be cautious.
A heatwave is a prolonged period of abnormally hot weather, typically lasting for several days.
According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a heatwave is defined as a temperature anomaly that exceeds the average high temperature by 5°C or more over a 24-hour period.
Heatwaves can be caused by various factors, including global warming, urbanization, and changes in atmospheric circulation patterns.
They have significant effects on human health, agriculture, and ecosystems, leading to increased mortality rates, crop damage, and water scarcity.
Firefighters are battling big blazes across the country, with Northern Ireland and Scotland particularly affected. The Scottish fire and rescue service has issued ‘extreme‘ wildfire warnings for Thursday in south-west, eastern, central and northern Scotland.
Wildfires are uncontrolled fires that occur in wildland areas, such as forests, grasslands, and brushlands.
They can be caused by lightning, human activity, or drought.
According to the National Interagency Coordination Center, there were over 58,000 wildfires in the United States in 2020, burning nearly 10 million acres of land.
Wildfires can have devastating effects on ecosystems, including loss of biodiversity and habitat destruction.
They also pose a significant threat to human safety, with many people killed or injured each year.
The London fire brigade is also warning of a heightened risk of wildfires due to low rainfall. LFB assistant commissioner Thomas Goodall said that the wildfire risk in the capital was increased due to low rainfall, with 48% more call-outs last weekend compared to the same period last year.
At least 286 wildfires have hit the UK so far this year, more than 100 above the number recorded in the same period in 2022. The National Fire Chiefs Council warned that it needed ‘long-term and sustained investment‘ to cope with the climate crisis and ‘increased demand‘ on its services.
A Growing Concern
The meteorologist Dan Stroud said that high pressure in the UK was keeping fronts and clouds largely at bay, allowing for settled, dry conditions. However, this also meant that temperatures could soar above average, making it a particularly hot day.
England had its sixth driest March after historically low rainfall, while Wales had its fourth driest since records began in 1836. The hottest day of the year so far was on 4 April with a high of 23.7C in Otterbourne, Hampshire.
Precautions and Prevention
Firefighters are urging people to be responsible when enjoying the warm sunshine over the Easter holidays. LFB assistant commissioner Thomas Goodall said that a minority of fires were believed to have been started deliberately, and warned parents to teach their children about fire risks to help protect open spaces.
He also asked Londoners to take steps to ensure they were not inadvertently starting a fire, such as not using barbecues or leaving outdoor fires unattended. By taking these precautions, people can help reduce the risk of wildfires and keep themselves and others safe.
- theguardian.com | Wildfire warnings issued as UK temperatures set to reach 24C on Friday
