Risk of bushfires in parts of England and Wales raised to highest level ('exceptional') as yellow warning for four days of extreme heat takes effect. I was.
The Bureau of Meteorology has raised fire severity indices for much of southern England and west as far as Abergavenny in Wales for this Sunday.
Meteorologist Marco Petagna said much of central, southern and eastern England is at a very high risk of bushfires.
He added: "On Fridays and weekends, it starts to increase further and falls into the highest category of exceptional risk."
Mark Hardingham, Chairman of the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), told The Telegraph that he "can't remember a summer like this" in his 32-year career as a firefighter.
He said: "It won't be as hot as it was three weeks ago, but it won't matter because the ground won't be any drier."
14} Mr Hardingham added: "Wildfires are as rampant in semi-urban areas as they are in rural communities, so it's difficult to know where the next fire will be.Riccardo La Torre, for the National Officers Fire Brigade Union, warns services across the UK 'completely unprepared' for level of risk posed by impending heat wave
He told Sky News: The temperature at which they burn, the speed at which they spread.
"The reality is that as a fire and rescue team we were completely unprepared to do this.
“More than a fifth of our workforce has been cut since 2010, which equates to more than 11,500 firefighters.
"Experts in the field warn that these conditions are coming."
“Firefighters were injured, firefighters were taken to hospitals, families were homeless, businesses were lost, infrastructure was burned to the ground.
"We don't have the resources to deal with it properly."
The Japan Meteorological Agency said Thursday that issued a yellow heat warning through Sunday. Southern England and eastern Wales see maximum temperatures of 36°C.
Petagna said temperatures would be "widely" in the 30s across the UK, peaking locally in the mid-30s on Saturday.
"The hottest day will probably be Saturday, and in one or two places he will see 36 degrees," he said.
A heat stroke warning has also been issued by the UK's Health Security Agency, with experts advising people to beware of the elderly, those with pre-existing health conditions and young children.
The first seven months of the year have been the driest in decades, with intense heat leaving parts of the UK facing looming drought, with implications for agriculture, rivers and wildlife. Hosepipe bans and warnings have been issued.
The latest analysis from the UK Center for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) shows that river levels are either low or extreme. is even low. In southern England and Wales, currents and groundwater levels could continue over the next three months.
Petanha said there could be rain early next week.
"There are signs of rain next week, but details are unknown at this time," he said.
He added that the British needed "weeks" of light rain to water the ground. It's a few weeks of drizzling rain," he said.
``Thunderstorms are more likely to cause flooding problems because the ground is hard and water does not sink easily.''
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