Wildfires continue to burn across the United Kingdom, with fire crews warning that some blazes could take days to extinguish as the nation experiences a prolonged heatwave. A significant wildfire that began Saturday on moorland in Greater Manchester has spread rapidly, merging with another fire miles away.
Approximately 70 firefighters, 11 fire engines, and four wildfire units were deployed to the Greater Manchester site, conducting reconnaissance and utilizing helicopters to drop water. Fire officials anticipate their presence will be required for several days due to the lack of significant rainfall and persistently high temperatures. The rapid spread of the fire has been attributed to dry conditions and shifting winds.
In Scotland, fire crews are also battling a large wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park, with smoke drifting toward nearby towns. Four appliances and specialist resources were dispatched to the blaze near Nethy Bridge. No casualties have been reported, but residents in surrounding communities have been advised to keep windows and doors closed, and visitors to the park have been urged to avoid the area.
Experts suggest an increased risk to homes and health, noting that fires are occurring closer to urban areas than in remote countryside. Wildfires have affected multiple regions in recent days, including London, North Yorkshire, County Durham, East Sussex, West Sussex, Devon, and Somerset.
Claire Belcher, director of the Wildfire Lab at the University of Exeter, described the current firewave as the most widespread the UK has experienced. She linked the phenomenon to climate change, explaining that wet winters lead to increased vegetation growth, which is then dried out by extended heatwaves. This combination, she noted, has led to fires burning across the country in an unprecedented manner.
Temperatures in the UK have consistently exceeded 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) for ten consecutive days, peaking at 30.4C (86.7F) in Heathrow, London, on Tuesday. Forecasters expect similar highs in cities like Cardiff, London, and Liverpool in the coming days. A 2025 climate report by the Met Office indicated that such scorching temperatures are becoming the new normal, with the "20th-century climate ... now gone."
Met Office climate information scientist Mike Kendon highlighted the increasing frequency and intensity of temperature extremes. He noted that in some parts of the southeast, the hottest day of the year has warmed by 4.5C, significantly more than the average annual temperature increase. Historically, days exceeding 30C were relatively rare in the UK. In contrast, the number of days with temperatures over 30C has quadrupled in areas like Greater London compared to the 20th century.
The period between 2016 and 2025 is 1.33C warmer than the 1961-1990 baseline. This year has already seen 25 days with temperatures exceeding 30C, surpassing the 24 such days recorded in the notably hot year of 1976. The record for the most 30C-plus days in a calendar year is 34, set in 1995.