
Emergency services at the scene of large fire in Cardiff
Emergency services are tackling a fire in the Leckwith area of Cardiff and have warned of multiple road closures.
The fire was first reported at around 2am on Tuesday morning, on Brindley Road. Surrounding roads such as Penarth Road are currently closed in both directions, and police warn they will remain closed for some time.
A spokesperson for South Wales Police said: "We're at the scene of a fire on Brindley Road, Leckwith. Due to the nature of the fire, Penarth Road and surrounding areas, are currently closed in both directions.
"It is expected to remain closed for some time; please avoid the area and use alternative routes where possible. We're grateful for your patience."
A spokesperson for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service confirmed they are also at the scene. A spokesperson said: "We are currently in attendance at an incident near Penarth Road, Cardiff, we recommend local residents keep doors and windows closed. Thank you."
Get the latest breaking news by joining WalesOnline's Whatsapp community. You'll receive our latest breaking news and top stories. Just click on this link , select 'Join Community' and you're in.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


BBC News
43 minutes ago
- BBC News
Derek Brockway: Could AI weather forecasting cost me my job?
Weather forecasts play a huge role in our daily lives. They help us to decide how we get to work, if we need an umbrella and when to hang out the washing. For industries like farming, shipping, aviation and renewable energy, accurate forecasts are essential.I've been presenting the weather on the BBC for nearly 30 years. Over that time, I've witnessed how our changing climate is bringing more extreme and intense weather is so important to keep improving the way we predict the weather, and scientists are exploring how AI could make forecasting more accurate, efficient, and faster than ever before. In some countries, broadcasters have even begun to experiment with AI-generated weather does all this mean that forecasters like me could soon be out of a job? Traditionally, weather forecasting relies on complex numerical weather prediction models which require vast amounts of data and supercomputers - like the ones used by the Met Office. But the Met Office is now working with experts from the Alan Turing Institute, the UK's national centre for data science and AI, to build a new global forecasting system powered by AI. One of their models, called FastNet, uses machine learning to improve prediction Kirstine Dale, Chief AI Officer at the Met Office, said it had the potential to revolutionise forecasting. "AI is phenomenally fast - not just a bit faster, but tens of thousands of times faster," she told me. "That means it can produce up to date forecasts with a fraction of the computational cost and carbon dioxide."She said AI could also produce "hyper-localised" forecasts, "potentially offering more up to date forecasts tailored to your postcode".Forecasts driven by AI could also help to mitigate against the impacts of storms, floods and heatwaves by providing earlier and more accurate warnings of severe weather. But there are challenges - especially in predicting rare or extreme weather events. "The past is no longer a reliable indicator of the future," said Prof Dale."So we need traditional numerical weather prediction (NWP) models to explore how the climate may change and generate recalibrated datasets. "These recalibrated datasets of future climates can be used to train AI-based models."AI-based models simply aren't aware of the physics - and changing physics - of the atmosphere, so NWP will likely continue to play a vital role in forecasting extreme events, as well as adding a layer of validation to AI forecasting outputs." Dr Scott Hosking, Mission Director for Environmental Forecasting at the Turing Institute, said that once trained, AI models were cheaper and quicker to run than traditional forecasting systems."AI has surprised us in a number of ways," said Dr Hosking."One of them is how well it predicts the tracks of cyclones and hurricanes. AI is always learning what it has seen in the past."But he said AI still had some way to go in certain areas, including in its ability to forecast high-intensity rainfall - the kind that often leads to flash could also play a key role in space weather forecasting, helping to predict solar storms more accurately and efficiently. These storms, caused by solar activity, are best known for producing the aurora borealis - the Northern Lights - which have been seen in Wales several times recently. But space weather can be hazardous too, affecting Earth's magnetic field and potentially disrupting communication systems and Huw Morgan, Head of Solar System Physics at Aberystwyth University, led a project to enhance the Met Office's space weather forecasting. Speaking from the university's AI Hub, he told me AI could offer a vital role."It's a very complicated system to try to model. Forecasts exist but they have many weaknesses because space weather is so complex," Dr Morgan said."And unlike on Earth, we can't put recording stations on the Sun or between the Sun and Earth. "We are really dependent on remote data from telescopes. "So AI offers a good solution, because we can't monitor the whole system constantly, and we cannot really build models that are appropriate for the system yet."However, Dr Morgan acknowledges AI has its challenges and scientists will continue to rely on traditional space weather forecasting techniques for now. 'No one wants an AI Derek' So what about AI-generated weather presenters?Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern is not so sure."It's important for people to have presenters they trust," he told me. "No one wants an AI version of Derek. "They want the real Derek - someone who can take all the data and explain it in a way that makes sense."Aidan is optimistic about what the future holds for forecasting."When I started this job 18 years ago, we couldn't really predict beyond four or five days. "Now we're giving outlooks 10 or even 14 days ahead. "We may not be able to give specific details that far out but we can already offer a sense of whether it'll be warm or cold, wet or dry - and highlight big changes on the way."And with AI, the potential only grows."Just imagine - in the near future, we might be able to talk about a month's worth of weather at once, and visualise it in a way that really connects with the public. "That's hugely exciting."The potential for AI in weather prediction is immense, but AI won't replace traditional forecasting methods entirely. It's more likely to work alongside them and be another tool for meteorologists like me to use. For now, at least, I think my job is safe. Hopefully the real Derek will continue to say "hello, shwmae" for a long while yet.


The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Data capturing hot spots and burned acres show Canada wildfire season off to wild start
While images of wildfires capture their ferocity, data can provide insight into how bad a fire season is. Such is the case with two graphics, powered by satellite data, that showcase a Canadian wildfire season off to a wild — and scary — start. Twice a day a NASA satellite sends images to the ground, giving a real-time view of where fires are burning. This is especially useful for remote areas where no sensors are stationed. As of Tuesday that satellite had picked up four times as many fire hot spots across Canada than is typical for early June. That's more than any year since the satellite began transmitting in 2012, except 2023, according to data from Global Forest Watch. Though the satellite has recorded thousands of hot spots so far this year, that does not mean there are actually that many active fires. Each hot spot could be detected repeatedly over the course of days. And because each detection is about the size of 26 football fields, it can represent part of a much larger blaze, said James MacCarthy, wildfire research manager at Global Forest Watch. Based on data from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, about 200 fires are actively burning in Canada and have consumed about 7,700 square miles (19,900 square kilometers) of terrain, most of it in the last week. Only 2023 saw such high numbers so early in Canada's fire season, which runs from April through October. That year wildfires burned a record 67,000 square miles — more than twice the surface area of Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes. Taken together, the hot spots and acres burned mean 2025 is the second-worst start to the season in years. 'A warm and dry finish to May and early June has created a significant fire season,' said Liam Buchart, a fire weather specialist with the Canadian Forest Service. The weather conditions are made more likely by climate change and encourage wildfires to start. That means even though 90% of wildfires in Manitoba this year have been human-caused, according to the provincial government, climate change helps enable their spread. 'Climate change is creating the conditions that make it more likely that human-caused fires are going to spread, or even start,' MacCarthy said. 'It might be a human starting it, but it's going to spread quickly because now there's hot and dry conditions that are occurring more frequently and more intensely than they have in the past.' The hot and dry weather is likely to to continue for at least the next week across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, according to Natural Resources Canada. The agency's forecasts also call for 'a warmer and drier than normal July and August for large portions of Canada,' Buchart said. 'The remainder of the fire season looks to remain above normal, especially over the northern prairie provinces and southern British Columbia,' he said. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at


The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Canadian wildfires prompt air-quality alerts across five US states
Smoke from wildfires in Canada is spreading across multiple states in the US including the eastern seaboard, prompting multiple states to issue air-quality alerts. The poor air quality stretching across the US came as a result of dozens of wildfires burning across Canada as the country's annual wildfire season roars into destructive action. The fires, which have been sparked by both humans and natural causes, have prompted at least 25,000 residents in three Canadian provinces to evacuate in recent days. On Wednesday afternoon, a map from the US Environmental Protection Agency's AirNow forecast showed large swaths of moderate to unhealthy air quality across the east, midwest and southern parts of the US, featuring smoke and dust. Also on Wednesday, the New York state department of environmental conservation issued an air-quality advisory from 11am to 11pm for multiple counties including parts of New York City. New York officials recommended that individuals consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity to reduce the risk of adverse health effects. Officials also said that people who may be especially sensitive to the effects of elevated levels of pollutants include the very young and those with pre-existing respiratory issues. Similarly, New Jersey's department of environmental protection issued a code orange air-quality alert for the multiple parts of the state on Wednesday. A code orange air-quality alert means that air pollution concentrations within the region may become unhealthy for sensitive groups including children, elderly people, and people with asthma, heart and lung diseases. Meanwhile, the Iowa department of natural resources issued a statewide air-quality alert on Tuesday that is set to last until Thursday. The department warned that intermittent thick smoke can be expected over the state. In New Hampshire, officials declared an air-quality action day on Tuesday, and in Maine, the state's department of environmental protection issued an air-quality alert from 11am Wednesday to 11pm Thursday. It said people can be active outdoors but symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughing, throat irritation or an uncomfortable sensation in the chest should prompt them to limit their outdoor activities.