A major outbreak occurred in London on Tuesday as fires broke out in residential areas of the capital during the 40C heat wave. London Fire Brigade (LFB) was under “huge pressure” as crews tackled a number of major fires spreading across the capital. It came as the mercury soared to 40.3C in Coningsby in Lincolnshire, beating the previous UK record of 38.7C in Cambridge three years ago by 1.6C. At least 29 observation sites across England have temporarily breaking the previous all-time record, the Met Office announced. The hottest temperature in London was recorded at Heathrow at 12.20pm, where the mercury reached 40.2 degrees Celsius. A major incident issued by the LFB remained in place as of Tuesday afternoon, with Londoners being warned not to barbecue or call the emergency services unless life is in immediate danger.
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Fire in Wennington Village: London Summer Heatwave 2022 Homes in Wennington, Essex, were evacuated after the fire spread to grass just after 1pm. Fifteen fire engines and 100 firefighters were sent to tackle the blaze, which is believed to have started in nearby bushland. Aerial footage showed several properties completely destroyed by the flames, with fields engulfed in black smoke. A firefighter at the scene said conditions at the blaze were “absolute hell”, while those affected by the fire said it spread “quickly”. In Dagenham, two people were taken to hospital after a fire broke out across a large area of grassland. Footage shared on social media also showed a large fire breaking out on Dartford Heath. Kent Fire and Rescue Service said a dozen fire engines and a height vehicle had been sent to the scene near Darrell Den, Joyce Green. Elsewhere in London, LFB sent fire crews to: • Pinner, where a dozen fire engines tackled a blaze involving garden fencing and trees on Uxbridge Road • Southgate, where ten fire engines attended a restaurant fire in Green Lanes • Croydon, where eight fire engines tackled a grass fire • Dagenham, where eight fire engines tackled a grass fire on Ballards Street • Wembley, where eight fire engines attended a fire in Broadway • Hendon, where six fire engines tackled a grass fire in Sunningfields Crescent • Croydon, where four fire engines tackled a grass fire at Chapel View • Eltham, four fire engines attended a fire in Sidcup Road Getty Images Jonathan Smith, assistant commissioner at the LFB, said the “rapid spread of the fire” had “affected properties, people’s homes, schools, churches and other types of buildings”. “Right now, because of the sheer number of incidents that we’ve seen today, we’re going to gather all that information and make sure that every incident is thoroughly investigated,” he said. “Once we do that, we’ll be able to give an accurate picture of the incidents we’ve attended, how many homes have been affected and whether there have been casualties.” Disruption to transport and schools continued on Tuesday as the UK experienced its hottest day on record, with scientists warning that extreme heat is likely to become more common as a result of climate change. The Met Office’s chief scientist, Professor Stephen Belcher, warned that temperatures would become more extreme in the future and the only way to stabilize the climate was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero. For parts of the UK, the sweltering temperatures are adding to months of below-average rainfall, leaving conditions dry and putting most of England at “extreme” fire risk, with fire crews battling hundreds of blazes across the country . / PA wire Nigel Arnell, Professor of Climate Change Science at the University of Reading, said global warming was “increasing fire risk across the UK and we need to be prepared for that”. Track fires and damage to overhead lines also disrupted rail services, while there were widespread suspensions, disruptions, reduced services and temporary speed restrictions to deal with the risk of buckling rails. Nine people have died or are feared dead in open water accidents since Saturday, including several teenagers, and a swimmer who went missing at sea after an incident near Clacton Pier in Essex on Tuesday. The Met Police said officers will be patrolling open spaces at night to ensure Londoners comply with the LFB’s advice not to have barbecues or bonfires. They called on residents of the capital not to leave broken bottles or glasses on the ground and to dispose of cigarettes safely.
