22 hours Ago By The Independent
Wildfire alerts have been issued across the UK after the sunniest March since records began , as dry conditions are expected to continue through April. Fire brigades and the Met Office warned of an elevated wildfire risk across the country . Most of England, including London, has been put on alert, which will extend into Northern Ireland and southern Scotland on Wednesday.
The Fire Severity Index, which offers a daily hazard assessment for the responder community, is currently at an amber level, meaning the conditions across the UK are severe and could lead to wildfires. This comes ahead of warmer temperatures this spring, which are expected to peak at 22C on Friday. Londoners and people living in Dorset were urged not to use disposable barbecues and to properly dispose of cigarettes, matches and litter, as fire crews have asked people to act responsibly to prevent the risk of wildfires.
Kathryn Chalk, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “With strong winds and ongoing dry/warm weather this brings a continued likelihood for wildfire conditions through the period.” She added: “However, showers moving into the far South West will bring some relief to these parts. Then dry weather continues Friday and Saturday extending further north across western Scotland.
” England will mostly be affected by the alert, she said, adding that the Met Office couldn’t be specific on location due to the nature of wildfires. London Fire Brigade assistant commissioner Paul McCourt said: “We want everyone to enjoy the sunshine but we urge people to take the necessary precautions to stay safe and help prevent a grass fire from starting. “Recent events in Los Angeles and South Korea have demonstrated how rapidly fires can spread outdoors even when temperatures are not at their highest.
“As the weather warms up and we head towards Friday and the weekend, we would urge Londoners not to have barbecues in open spaces or on balconies, including disposable barbecues, to throw rubbish away, and to dispose of cigarettes carefully to avoid inadvertently starting a fire. “We’re also working closely with partners, such as local authorities, to help manage the risks in outdoor spaces and ensure the public are following the safety advice.” Glasgow’s Kilpatrick Hills already experienced wildfires earlier this week.
Scottish Fire and Rescue warned that the wildfire risk would be “very high to extreme” for the rest of the week. Firefighters also responded to a wildfire in the Swansea mountains as 20 hectares of gorse was set alight earlier in March. The Met Office does not have an official public warning service for wildfire risk, instead contributing to a daily hazard assessment as part of the Natural Hazards Partnership, which brings together expertise across government bodies.
This is then circulated to the government and the emergency services, as well as local authorities. The wildfire alerts follow news from the forecaster that the UK had experienced a record-breaking March. Provisional statistics show that England enjoyed its sunniest March since records began in 1910, while Wales enjoyed its second sunniest.
UK-wide, it was the third sunniest March on record. While the country experienced more sunshine than usual, it also experienced less rain. March was a very dry month, as the UK recorded just 43 per cent of its average rainfall for the month.
Only Scotland recorded more than half of its meteorological average rainfall, while Shetland was the only county that saw above average with 129 per cent..
