Bradwell wood pile fire 'challenging' for crews, manager says
"We're working with the farmer to redirect the fire back into the stack to stop it from spreading."
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Daily Mail
5 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Council deploys fleet of vehicles we only usually see in winter - here's why...
Drivers in the Central Bedfordshire region may have been held up on journeys in the last few days by a seasonally unusual sight... The council confirmed that it has deployed its fleet of road gritters this week, which are typically locked away at this time of year awaiting winter duties to clear busy routes of snow and ice. But they've been sent out in July as part of efforts to protect roads from damage caused by this week's intense heat. Bedfordshire has seen temperatures peak at 31C (87.8F) over recent four-day heatwave. This was some way short of the highest experienced across the country, with St James's Park in London registered 34.7C (94.4F) on Tuesday, while parts of Essex and Kent also topped 33C. Central Bedfordshire Council explained to followers on Facebook that its gritters were needed to ensure road surfaces remained safe for traffic during the sweltering conditions. Central Bedfordshire Council this week took the unconventional decision to deploy its fleet of gritters to help protect road surfaces during the heatwave In the post on Monday, it told its social media followers: 'Some parts of Central Bedfordshire are experiencing very high road surface temperatures. 'When this happens, tarmac can begin to soften, which may lead to surface damage. 'To prevent this, we're sending out gritters to spread a fine layer of crushed stone. 'This helps protect the road surface and provides extra grip for vehicles. 'You might not expect to see gritters in summer, but it's an important part of looking after our roads during extreme weather conditions.' Central Bedfordshire Council's area includes several towns and a mix of smaller villages. The larger towns include Leighton Buzzard, Dunstable, Houghton Regis, Biggleswade, Ampthill, Sandy, Shefford, and Stotfold. Locals took to the comments on the post to respond to the surprising announcement. One said: 'As long as they don't drive too fast when grit-spreading (naturally those chipped windscreens).' Another posted: '[I] see gritters out in Spain and Portugal all the time. I'm surprised we can get hold of any gritters as they're normally all in demand in Dubai.' One of its followers simply said: 'Maybe the roads will melt into the potholes!' The Road Surface Treatments Association says roads are at risk of melting when surface temperatures reach 50C. These surface temperature levels are easily achieved during heatwaves, with prolonged periods of intense sunshine absorbed into the tarmac. Even when conditions drop into the low 20s towards the evening and overnight, road surface temperatures take far longer to cool. Forecasters warned earlier this week that it would be highly likely that road surfaces across Britain would exceed 50C. Central Bedfordshire Councils also said this week that its waste collection crews would be working at earlier times to avoid soaring temperatures experienced by mid to late morning.
BBC News
20 minutes ago
- BBC News
Yorkshire Water warns hosepipe ban is possible
Yorkshire Water has said that continuing warm weather has caused reservoir levels to drop further following a dry company said England's warmest June on record meant that its water stocks were fell by 2.5% over the last week, it said, to 55% - which is significantly below the average for this time of year, when they are usually at 81% capacity.A Yorkshire drought was formally announced by the Environment Agency on 12 June. Reservoir levels have declined in Yorkshire since late January because of the driest spring for 132 years, followed by England's warmest June on record. Dave Kaye, of Yorkshire Water, said last week saw a heatwave across the country and amber heat health alerts in Yorkshire, with restrictions - such as hosepipe bans - an option."The heat and dry weather over the last week have further impacted our reservoir levels," Mr Kaye said."There is some light and localised rain around on Wednesday, forecast for the rest of the week, but without significant rainfall soon, temporary usage restrictions are a possibility," he Water said typically water use increases in warm weather which affects reservoir levels further."Usage almost reached 1.5bn litres on Monday, which is 200m litres above Yorkshire Water's typical daily production," it said. "We know warm weather can lead to an increase in water usage, but we are urging customers to continue using water wisely."He said the company was "incredibly grateful" to customers trying to save water for the last few months, using water butts, bricks in cisterns and saving 'grey' water from washing up and by putting buckets in showers to water said the company was working closely with the Environment Agency and managing resources, moving water to areas that need it most. "We have 100 additional colleagues tackling leaks and ask that customers continue to report leaks to us so that we can repair them as soon as possible," he to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Europe's deadly weather extremes: German town is hit by ice storm despite near-40C heat, as wildfires devastate Spain and US girl, ten, collapses and dies during trip to Palace of Versailles
Europe is bracing for another day of scorching heat and violent weather as deadly wildfires continue to rock the continent. Germany was bracing for 40C heat today, with authorities warning of an increased risk of forest fires across the country and preparing for major travel disruption. Local media showed heavy 'heat hail' in communities around Lake Constance, in the south, even as temperatures surpassed 30C on Wednesday afternoon. The municipality of Sipplingen was also struck by hailstones up to five centimeters (two inches) in size on Tuesday. Specialised vehicles were needed to clear the roads. The north of Spain, meanwhile, continued to grapple with the aftermath of wildfires after a blaze erupted in a farming area in Catalonia on Tuesday afternoon. Two people died in the fires yesterday as around 14,000 residents were told to stay indoors. An area stretching some 35 miles was affected, firefighters said. Footage shared on social media showed smoke billowing high above tile rooftops in rural Spain. Temperatures up to 43C were expected on Wednesday. Several heat-related deaths have been recorded across Europe since the heatwave began. Authorities continue to investigate possible heat-related complications. A 10-year-old girl died after suffering a heart attack in northern France on Tuesday as the heat forced some 2,200 schools to shut nationwide. The American tourist, who was travelling with her family, collapsed in the courtyard of the Palace of Versailles yesterday evening. Firefighters arrived promptly on the scene as the child, understood to have been undergoing treatment for underlying health issues, suffered a heart attack. Within an hour of her collapsing, she was declared dead. An investigation is expected to be opened to determine the cause of death, local media reports. Initial reports suggest that the extreme heat may have played a role in aggravating her illness. France The minister for ecological transition in France said on Wednesday that two people had died as a result of 'heat-related illness' as the country registered its second-hottest June since records began in 1900. 'More than 300 people have been treated by firefighters and two have died following heat-related illnesses,' ecology minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said. 'June 2025 has become the second hottest June since records began in 1900, behind June 2003,' she added. Meteo-France, the meteorological agency, said June 30 was the hottest day in June since measurements began in 1947, beating the previous record set in 2019. Tens of thousands of people have died in Europe during past heatwaves, prompting authorities to issue warnings for old and young, the sick, and others vulnerable to what experts call a 'silent killer'. Under scorching skies, Paris imposed its first 'red alert' in five years, empowering officials to limit or ban sporting events, festivals and school outings for children. Some 2,200 schools were also closed on Tuesday as teachers reported students feeling unwell. Research from Allianz Research showed that the recent heatwaves across the continent could slow economic growth by half a percentage point in 2025. China, Spain, Italy and Greece could each see GDP losses of nearly one percentage point due to the current heatwaves, the Allianz Research report said. The U.S. may face a decline of around 0.6 percentage points and France of up to a third of a point. Relief will start to arrive from the Atlantic today, bringing thunderstorms and cooler temperatures to parts of western Europe. FRANCE: A labourer drinks water to cool down as he works on a construction site of tramway lines along the Garonne river during a heatwave in Bordeaux, July 1 Spain Spain, facing temperatures in the low 40s on Wednesday, continued to grapple with wildfires in Catalonia as Barcelona recorded its hottest June in more than 100 years. Some 6,500 hectares (16,000 acres) burned on Tuesday before firefighters got some help from a rainstorm and established a perimeter. Authorities issued warnings to residents via messages to smartphones and ordered 14,000 people to stay indoors, firefighters said. That order was lifted late yesterday. The fire destroyed mostly farmland, but it also incinerated at least three old farmhouses and some other farm buildings. The fire was declared under control early Wednesday. The heat wave in parts of Europe has set record high temperatures for June in Spain and Portugal. Barcelona's Fabra Observatory reported an average temperature for last month of 26C (78 F), breaking records since the data began in 1914. It said a single-day high of 37.9 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) for June was recorded Monday. Barcelona is usually spared the worst heat in Spain, thanks to its location between hills and the Mediterranean. Police in nearby Tarragona reported the tragic death of a two-year-old on Tuesday, who they said had been left in a car in the sun for several hours. Emergency services in Valls were alerted in the early afternoon but were unable to resuscitate the child, a police spokesperson told the AFP news agency. 'Everything seems to indicate that it was negligence on the father's part. The child spent the entire morning in a locked car under the sun,' they added. 'It was heatstroke. Even an adult would have died.' Temperatures in Valls reached up to 32C in the shade on Tuesday morning, according to the national meteorological agency Aemet. Germany The punishing heatwave loosened its grip on western Europe somewhat on Wednesday and started to roll eastwards, with Germany today expected to record some of its hottest temperatures of the year so far. Germany's national weather service (DWD) issued blanket weather warnings for heat and extreme heat covering the entire country. The agency said it expected 'maximum temperatures with exceptionally high peaks of up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit)' in the course of the day. It added that it was expected severe thunderstorms from midday, and heavy rain of up to 25 litres per square metre per hour, gusts of wind up to 55mph, and hail. The unusually hot weather was causing disruptions to transport, with the national rail operator Deutsche Bahn saying it expected services to be affected in the west of the country where temperatures were rising most. In the north of the country, the heat had caused the surface of the motorway to buckle in places, creating a danger for drivers, local media reported. The rising heat has already caused disruption to traffic on the Rhine River, with water levels reduced by the scorching heat. The Ostalbkreis District Office warned that low water levels and high water temperatures would lead to oxygen deficiencies, killing aquatic wildlife. Early this morning, forest fires broke out in the Harz Mountains. Images showed heavy smoke emerging from a dense forest area. Around 150 emergency personnel were drawn in to help extinguish the blaze. Italy Italy, which has suffered floods and wildfires in recent days, issued warnings in 18 cities today as the heatwave continued unabated. Level 3 alerts, the highest, were issued by the Ministry of Health for cities across the country, including Rome, Florence, Venice, Genoa and Milan. Local media reported that record temperatures were causing damage to crops in the countryside, with fruit and vegetables being burned. Coldiretti Lombardy reported that in the region, high temperatures were causing production to fall by 10 to 15 per cent, with potentially far-reaching consequences. High temperatures were also said to have damaged electricity cables, causing blackouts in Bergamo and Florence on Wednesday. Wildfires were the most imminent threat to life on Tuesday. The Campobasso fire brigade said it had responded to 14 vegetation fires yesterday. More than 90 hectares of land were said to have burned, and authorities were only able to get the fires under control by 9pm. Authorities in Palermo, Sicily continued to warn of fire risk on Wednesday, with a Level 3 warning in place. 'The fire risk expected for today is of medium danger,' the Sicilian Civil Protection assessed, with temperatures reaching 36C. Several regions of the country have imposed bans on working outdoors during the hottest hours of the day. Italy, like Spain, can expect some relief from the heat by Thursday. The heatwave peaked in Britain on Tuesday as London saw highs of 34.7C. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) had activated a five-day alert starting on Friday due to concerns that there could be 'a rise in deaths, particularly among those ages 65 and over or with health conditions'. Provisional figures from the Met Office found that last month was the warmest June on record in England, and the second warmest for the entire UK. The mean average temperature for England across the month was 16.9C, beating the previous June record of 16.7C set in 2023. For the UK as a whole, the mean temperature was 15.2C, just behind 15.8C set in 2023. Wales saw its third-warmest June, behind 2023 and 2018. Met Office temperature data began in 1884.
