Recycle glass bottles to avoid starting blazes, say fire chiefs
With temperatures forecast to reach more than 30C later this week, the Met Office is expecting it to be the first official heatwave of the year at the weekend.
A heatwave must see three consecutive days of more than a threshold temperature, which ranges from 25C for Scotland and Northern Ireland to 28C for London and the home counties.
Meteorologists expect soaring temperatures from Thursday onwards, resulting in the hottest days of the year, with fire chiefs warning that dry conditions would increase the risk of fires.
Advice on how to enjoy the weather safely includes ensuring that all glass bottles are disposed of appropriately, avoiding using disposable barbecues directly on grass, putting cigarette ends into bins and creating 'fire breaks' of ploughed ground to ensure that built-up areas are protected.
'Prevention is everyone's responsibility'
Charlie Pugsley, of the London Fire Brigade, said : 'Extended periods of hot and dry weather can greatly increase the risk of a grass fire and, particularly when that grass is tinder dry, the spread of fire can be rapid.
'The rapid spread can be particularly worrying if it is in the direction of homes and livelihoods, so it is vital we all do what we can to protect those areas ahead of periods of hot and dry weather.'
James St John Davis, the chairman of the City of London Corporation's Natural Environment Board, said: 'Prevention is everyone's responsibility – even a single glass bottle or cigarette butt can spark a serious blaze. Our teams are proud to work with the London Fire Brigade to help protect people, property, and precious habitats.'
Last week, the UK Health Security Agency issued a yellow heat health warning, the first of the year, in response to warm weather.
Warmth of this level is of no concern to the majority of the population, but officials warned that it could pose a threat to the elderly and vulnerable. No such alert has been issued for the weekend ahead at this point, but may come in the next few days.
'Several places could exceed 30C'
Tony Wisson, a deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: 'Over the next few days, settled weather and warm sunshine will allow temperatures to rise day on day.
'Temperatures will then rise further towards the end of the week as winds turn more southerly and even warmer air over continental Europe will be drawn across the UK.
'We could very well see several places exceeding 30C, which will be the highest temperatures of the year so far.'
The public has also been warned that pollen levels are very high. Hay fever sufferers, especially those with an allergy to grass pollen, have been advised to take precautions to ensure they are not overwhelmed with high and very high levels this week.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Jersey Water uses desalination plant to boost supplies
A desalination plant is being used to bolster water supplies in Jersey after reserves fell to lower than average for the time of Water said it had started using its plant due to its reservoir levels being down by about 140 million litres, which equated to about a week's supply of water for the whole company said it had already converted 30 million litres of sea water in the last seven days. In England, millions of people are facing temporary hosepipe bans following the country's driest start to the year since Bowden, head of water resilience and emergency planning, said no water bans were currently in place but they would not be ruled out if needed. He said: "The recent rainfall has been very welcome, but we remain cautious and will continue to monitor conditions closely over the next month or so. "Bringing the desalination plant into operation was a strategic decision to safeguard our water supply, but it's a safety net, not a silver bullet. "If we face more dry weather over the summer and into autumn and winter, we will need the collective efforts of the whole island to make sure we have enough water." Jersey Water said with no further rain, the island had enough water for 93 company said islanders could make simple changes to reduce their water use, including cutting time in the shower down to four minutes from seven, using watering cans instead of hosepipes and sprinklers in the garden, and not washing asked islanders to do their best to save water as the desalination plant on the south west coast cost more than £5,000 a day to run.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Seaton Hole beach protection scheme worth £1.4m begins soon
A cliff and beach protection scheme costing £1.4m will be begin in Devon District Council said the work at Seaton Hole, in Devon, would reduce erosion and lower the risk of cliff falls, which would help protect the coastline and nearby said the contractor would start setting up from 26 August and work was due to be completed by council added sections of Seaton Hole beach would close at times, and local businesses would remain open and accessible as usual. Improvements include putting large rocks at the base of the cliffs, refurbishing and removing wire baskets filled with stones that support the cliff base next to Check House seawall and carrying out repairs to the Paul Arnott, leader of the council, said: "This part of the coast has seen repeated landslides and ongoing erosion. "It's vital that we act now to protect local homes and ensure this beautiful area remains safe for future generations."
Sky News
3 hours ago
- Sky News
Coastguard responded to 'multiple incidents' involving small boats in Channel
The UK coastguard has said it responded to "multiple incidents" involving small boats in the Channel on Friday. HM Coastguard said Border Force and RNLI vessels had been deployed as part of the response. It came hours after Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron announced a deal they said was designed to crack down on small boats. The number of crossings tends to be higher when the weather in the Channel is calm, as it was on Friday morning. At least 21,000 people have already made the journey since January, putting 2025 on course to be a record year for crossings. The latest Home Office figures show 573 people made the crossing in 10 boats on Thursday. According to the Red Cross, many people cross the English Channel in the hopes of finding and joining family who have already made it to the UK. It says people are often separated from their loved ones as they flee their homes or on their journey in search of safety, which can take many years. Hundreds more migrants arrive on 'red day' Sadiya Chowdhury News correspondent @esadiya Today is an example of what the Home Office calls a "red day". It's 22C at the port of Dover, the wave level is low and visibility is good. The government says these conditions increase the likelihood of small boat crossings. Within an hour of us arriving, a Border Force vessel docks and a stream of people wearing bright lifejackets walk off and up the jetty to an asylum processing tent. Someone is carrying what looks like a small child - 81 people have arrived on this boat. It's deceiving standing on this cliff top, looking out at the blue-green English Channel glistening in the sunshine. This is not the calm body of water it appears to be. One of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, the journey across from France is treacherous, and as full of risks as it may be of hope and ambition. Judging by the numbers Sky News teams have counted today (296 arrivals so far), those making the journey have not been deterred by the prime minister's deal with the French. The UK hosts less than 1% of the world's refugees, with 71% seeking safety in neighbouring countries to their own. For example, the Red Cross says Jordan currently hosts 1.3 million refugees from neighbouring Syria. Many of those seeking refuge in the UK rather than other European countries do so because they can speak English. Under the terms of the "one in, one out" scheme agreed between the UK and France, people who cross the Channel will be returned to France each week in exchange for the same number of asylum seekers who have been accepted to come to the UK. Speaking next to France's President Emmanuel Macron at a news conference in north west London, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said it would come into force in a matter of "weeks". "Migrants arriving via small boat will be detained and returned to France in short order," he said. "In exchange for every return, a different individual will be allowed to come here via a safe route - controlled and legal - subject to strict security checks, and only open to those who have not tried to enter the UK illegally." The prime minister said the arrangement would begin as a "pilot", with reports suggesting that just 50 people per week will be sent to France back across the Channel.
