UK Issues Emergency Phone Alert as Heat Raises Wildfire Risk

The UK government issued a wildfire alert to mobile phones on Friday as drought and the tail end of a heat wave left much of the country at very high fire risk.

The alert, sent around 7pm UK time, advised people to avoid activities that could spark fires, including using disposable barbecues and fire pits or setting off fireworks.

Crews have fought wildfire outbreaks across the UK this summer, and “very high” wildfire conditions blanketed much of England, maps from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs show.

The country was gripped this week by its fifth heat wave and is on track for its hottest summer on record, according to the UK Met Office. Temperatures peaked on Thursday at 38.1C (101F) in London, the highest recorded so far this year.

Cooler, wetter weather is set to move into the region over the weekend. Temperatures in southern England, however, are expected to remain unusually warm until next week, when conditions are forecast to return to more typical levels.