UK weather: Met Office warns of fire risk with extreme heat warning in place for England and Wales - live

The Met Office says increased risk of fires as well as adverse health effects for the vulnerableDorset and Wiltshire fire service say there has been a 500% increase in wildfires during the first 10 days of August this year compared with 2021.Jason Moncrieff, area manager for the service, told the BBC's Today programme:It is a massive difference. The first 10 days of August this year versus last year there were 492% more of these types of fires. So that's field fires, grass fires, heathland fires - all those sorts of fires in the open, a 492% increase this year.Amazingly, yesterday's fire looks as though it was started by a disposable barbeque. There can't be many people in Britain who don't know the advice at the moment is not to bring a barbeque, do not use a barbeque, especially disposable barbeques at these places such as Studland Heath. That's our message, bring a picnic - don't bring a barbeque.It's under control, it's a lot better condition than it was yesterday [but] we're probably going to be carrying on operations throughout the remainder of the day. How much longer I can't really tell. Continue reading...