Reduced water flow in homes due to burst main in Swindon
"We know how inconvenient it is if you lose your water supply, so we'll work hard to get things back to normal as soon as we can," Thames Water added.
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The Guardian
42 minutes ago
- The Guardian
2025 on track to beat UK record for wildfires, warn firefighters
UK firefighters have warned that 2025 is on track to beat the national record for wildfires, with frontline staff 'pushed to their limits'. On Wednesday, a major incident was declared in the North York Moors national park, with 20 fire engines deployed to tackle at least 5 sq km of moorland which has been burning since Monday. It follows a similar major incident over the weekend tackled by Dorset and Wiltshire fire service and a blaze at Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh. In England and Wales alone, crews have already tackled 856 wildfires this year, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said – a third higher than the record-breaking totals seen in 2022 and six times the number recorded last year – warning that hot and dry weather means the figures will likely only increase. The NFCC warned members of the public not to use barbecues in open countryside, parks, and moorland areas. In addition, the organisation advised people not to discard cigarettes, matches or glass bottles, as they can ignite dry vegetation. The NFCC chair, Phil Garrigan, said firefighters were 'already being pushed to their limits' with recent major incidents 'showing just how demanding and dangerous these events can be'. 'Each wildfire can take days – sometimes weeks – to bring under control, tying up crews and specialist equipment and placing huge strain on other vital fire and rescue work. There's a real human toll on our firefighters too who are undertaking the most arduous work in the toughest conditions. 'We are already seeing more wildfires at this point in the year than in 2022 – which itself was a record year – and that is deeply concerning. This is against a backdrop of sustained cuts in funding and reducing firefighter numbers – with 11,000 fewer firefighters in England now than there were 10 years ago, alongside a 20% increase in demand over the same period. Climate change is fuelling more frequent and intense extreme weather events, and wildfires are no longer a seasonal threat; they are a persistent and growing risk to life, property, and the environment. He called for ' long-term, sustained investment so that fire and rescue services have the people, resources, and equipment they need to protect our communities, no matter how many fronts they are fighting on'. It comes as researchers say the sea surrounding the Yorkshire coast is likely to break temperature records in 2025. Temperatures are 2C higher than in the 1980s, putting at risk some species that are a key part of the food chain. Prof Rodney Forster, of the University of Hull, told the BBC the North Sea 'appears to be a bit of a hot spot, warming faster than anywhere else and we don't know yet why that is'.
Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Telegraph
How heatwaves are ruining British roads
Heatwaves have ruined British roads and driven a rise in pothole-related breakdowns. The AA said it received more than 50,000 call-outs in July caused by poor road surfaces, up by 2.1 per cent compared with the same month last year. It reverses a trend of declining pothole-related breakdowns earlier in 2025. High temperatures this summer are partly to blame for the increase, according to the motoring organisation. AA president Edmund King said: 'This summer's heatwave has starkly exposed the fragility of Britain's roads. 'While investment and repair campaigns have made a difference, the recent setback illustrates that much more must be done to create a safe and reliable road network for everyone. 'We urge the Government and local authorities to redouble their efforts in tackling the pothole crisis, prioritising rural routes and frequently-used cycling and motorcycling corridors.' It comes after the Government pledged £1.6 billion to local councils for pothole repairs this year.
BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
Shropshire barn fire 'ripped the heart out' of family farm
A huge fire has "ripped the heart out" of a Shropshire farm, its owner has Unwin, who farms near Ratlinghope in south Shropshire, lost two farm buildings which had been built by his grandfather in the 1960s during the fire."There isn't a lot left, apart from the charred remains of the straw," the farmer said, adding that recent weeks of hot weather made tackling it more difficult. The cause of the fire is not yet known, but Mr Unwin said investigators told him arson was unlikely. The fire took hold on the afternoon of 7 August, with multiple fire crews attending from stations across Shropshire."Driving up the lane [to the farm] we could see the smoke from a long way away," Mr Unwin said."It was just panic, really." Temperatures in the county were in the mid-20s that day, and Mr Unwin said the hot, dry weather made the damage caused by the blaze even worse."In the past, [firefighters] would have pulled some of the straw out [of the barn] and then wet it down on the fields," he said, but the "tinder-dry" ground meant there was a risk of setting the fields of the burned barns was "packed completely with straw", Mr Unwin added."It's been a dry year, straw is in short supply - we thought we'd got all our supply in ready for the year," he said."We worked very hard over the last couple of weeks, but that hard work is now in vain because there's nothing left." He added that Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service was "struggling initially to find water" because "all the brooks and ponds have dried up.""They did find water eventually, but they had to have the Bridgnorth and Leominster bowsers lugging it to them which added an extra layer of complication," Mr Unwin said. The second barn to burn down took with it valuable farming equipment."There's nothing left of [the machinery], they're just burnt shells now," Mr Unwin farmer added that it was "quite a shock to see [the buildings] in such a state", and said it had "ripped the heart out of the farm". Mr Unwin added that his neighbours "have been very kind" and offered his farm straw to help tide them over in the short term. "But ultimately it's 12 months until harvest 2026 when large quantities of straw will be available again."It puts our living in jeopardy." Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
