A wildfire ignited on Tintwistle Moor in the Peak District amidst Britain's most severe heatwave, which saw the country register its hottest ever June day. Flames engulfed approximately 400 square meters of moorland and woodland near Glossop, Derbyshire, sending plumes of smoke into the air.
Six fire crews, supported by a water carrier and welfare unit, battled the blaze on Thursday. Helicopters were deployed to drop water on the inferno from above. The fire, which initially broke out around 10 p.m. Wednesday, is being managed by Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Britain is currently experiencing a 'heat dome' effect, with temperatures reaching 36.7C (98.1F) on Thursday afternoon. This surpassed the previous record of 36.1C (97.0F) set in Gosport, Hampshire, just a day earlier. Temperatures were forecast to climb further to 38C (100.4F) on Friday, with swathes of England and Wales remaining under a rare red weather warning issued by the Met Office. This warning signifies a danger to life and adverse health effects for the population.
The extreme heat has led to widespread disruptions and incidents across the country. In South Wales, a 50-year-old man died after entering the sea at Aberavon beach. Emergency services performed CPR, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Transport networks have also been severely impacted. Passengers were advised to avoid non-essential travel to coastal areas like Bournemouth due to the heat. A fire engine caught fire while en route to a crash in Dorset; the crew evacuated safely, but the engine's cab was destroyed, and the fire spread to nearby grass before being extinguished. This incident caused the vehicle's tires and cylinders to explode.
Public services have struggled with the heat. Portsmouth's Queen Alexandra Hospital and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Trust declared critical incidents due to cooling system failures affecting essential infrastructure and equipment, such as MRI scanners. Some schools and nurseries in England and Wales closed or altered their schedules, with others relaxing uniform policies. One primary school in Guernsey moved lessons into a World War II Nazi bunker to keep students cool.
London's ambulance service reported its busiest day in history, responding to 642 category one emergency calls, which include life-threatening situations like cardiac arrests. In total, the service handled 7,900 calls, responding to nearly 3,600 patients. The mayor of London advised residents to work from home if possible. Similarly, the BBC recommended staff work remotely due to the extreme heat.
Overnight temperatures also broke records, with Cardiff experiencing its warmest June night ever, with temperatures not dropping below 23.5C (74.3F), exceeding the previous record of 22.7C (72.9F) set in 1976. In Hampshire, a search was underway for a 15-year-old boy last seen swimming at Testwood Lakes. In Surrey, over ten people were hospitalized for heat-related illnesses following a collision on the M25.