hollydolly
SF VIP
- Location
- London England
The UK heatwave was causing havoc today as a fire broke out at a solar farm, a hospital declared a critical incident and wildfires swept across the countryside - with an extreme heat amber warning now extended into next week.
Temperatures have already hit 32C (90F) this week and will do so again today before dipping slightly between tomorrow and Friday – then bouncing back at the weekend with an unprecedented 40C (104F) possible.
Some 20 firefighters tackled a large blaze at the solar farm at Verwood in Dorset, where a 500ft by 330ft patch of grass was ablaze for three hours at the 113-acre site which has 81,400 panels – some of which were damaged.
Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth has now declared a 'critical incident' due to staff sickness and the prolonged hot weather, with staff having to prioritise emergencies amid 'extreme pressure on services'.
And South Oxfordshire District Council warned that bin collections could have to stop because of the heat - with residents advised to leave bins out for two days after their scheduled collection if they are not emptied.
On Salisbury Plain, a fire on open land in a military training area near Urchfont continued today with a huge plume of smoke in the sky. Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service urged local residents to 'keep windows and doors closed'.
Fire crews in Norfolk have battled more than 50 fires over the past 48 hours with undergrowth left parched after weeks with little rain, amid warnings that one spark from a match could set areas alight. And part of a main road linking Norfolk and Suffolk - the A140 at Stonham Barns - now requires repairs after it began to melt in the heat.
Meanwhile homeless charities have activated a severe weather response to offer emergency shelter to anyone sleeping rough; while schools across North Staffordshire are telling students to remove their blazers and ties.
Firefighters tackle a large fire at a solar farm at Verwood in Dorset yesterday,
A fire on open land in a military training area on Salisbury Plain near Urchfont continues today with smoke sent into the sky
Temperatures have already hit 32C (90F) this week and will do so again today before dipping slightly between tomorrow and Friday – then bouncing back at the weekend with an unprecedented 40C (104F) possible.
Some 20 firefighters tackled a large blaze at the solar farm at Verwood in Dorset, where a 500ft by 330ft patch of grass was ablaze for three hours at the 113-acre site which has 81,400 panels – some of which were damaged.
Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth has now declared a 'critical incident' due to staff sickness and the prolonged hot weather, with staff having to prioritise emergencies amid 'extreme pressure on services'.
And South Oxfordshire District Council warned that bin collections could have to stop because of the heat - with residents advised to leave bins out for two days after their scheduled collection if they are not emptied.
On Salisbury Plain, a fire on open land in a military training area near Urchfont continued today with a huge plume of smoke in the sky. Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service urged local residents to 'keep windows and doors closed'.
Fire crews in Norfolk have battled more than 50 fires over the past 48 hours with undergrowth left parched after weeks with little rain, amid warnings that one spark from a match could set areas alight. And part of a main road linking Norfolk and Suffolk - the A140 at Stonham Barns - now requires repairs after it began to melt in the heat.
Meanwhile homeless charities have activated a severe weather response to offer emergency shelter to anyone sleeping rough; while schools across North Staffordshire are telling students to remove their blazers and ties.
A fire on open land in a military training area on Salisbury Plain near Urchfont continues today with smoke sent into the sky
it's 10.30pm, and it's 87 deg in my room right now even though I have the oscillating fan on full blast..
