Wildfires Yorkshire: Live updates as clean up operation begins following wildfires in Yorkshire
A number of wildfires broke out in Yorkshire on the hottest day the region has ever seen.
The temperature has hit 37 degrees in the country for the first time, beating the previous record of 36 in 2019.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdBut the scorching temperatures led to fires breaking out across Yorkshire, and major incidents being declared by the emergency services.
A temperature of 40.3C was provisionally recorded in Coningsby, in Lincolnshire, on Tuesday afternoon, beating the previous record for the UK of 38.7C in Cambridge three years ago, by 1.6C.
The Met Office said at least 29 observation sites across England have provisionally broken the previous all-time record, from Bramham, in West Yorkshire, to Charlwood, in Surrey.
A huge fire broke out in Doncaster, sending plumes of smoke into the air and making the streets look like something more usually seen in Australian wildfires.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdHouses were on fire in Barnsley and South Yorkshire Fire Service said it was at "many incidents" on Tuesday.
Emergency services in Humberside, South Yorkshire and North Yorkshire all declared major incidents.
Follow the latest in our blog below.
Yorkshire heatwave and fires latest as major incident declared
Key Events
Travel warning
Rail passengers in Yorkshire are being told not to travel on the East Coast Main Line to London today after a major fire during yesterday's record-breaking heatwave.
Train operator LNER said "significant damage" had been caused to signalling equipment by a fire between Peterborough and Sandy on Tuesday.
All the latest
Welcome to our blog where we’ll bring you all the latest on the major incidents across Yorkshire as we have them.
Some good news
We’ll kick off with some good news.
All lanes on the M1 southbound are now open after a fire on the roadside earlier today.
Major incident
Emergency services in South Yorkshire have declared a major incident.
A joint statement said: “The emergency services working across South Yorkshire have now declared a major incident due to the demand on services from fires across the county. The fires are being prioritised in relation to risk to life and risk to property.
“ All of the agencies are working closely to bring resources together and minimise risk. Please avoid calling 999 unless life is at risk. “
Firefighters doing an incredible job
Firefighters are doing an incredible job in extremely testing circumstances this evening.
Hottest ever day
A temperature of 40.3C was provisionally recorded in Coningsby, in Lincolnshire, on Tuesday afternoon, beating the previous record for the UK of 38.7C in Cambridge three years ago, by 1.6C.
The Met Office said at least 29 observation sites across England have provisionally broken the previous all-time record, from Bramham, in West Yorkshire, to Charlwood, in Surrey.
Major incident in Humberside
A major incident has now been declared by Humberside Fire and Rescue Service.
A statement said: “Humberside Fire and Rescue Service has declared a major incident due to the unprecedented number of 999 calls being taken during today's record-breaking heatwave.
“We are urging people to only call 999 if they have a genuine emergency or if there’s an immediate risk to life. Our Control Room is responding to a very high volume of 999 calls and mobilising crews to fires across the Humber region.
“If you smell smoke in the area, please keep windows and doors closed. During prolonged periods of high temperatures and minimal rainfall, grass and foliage can be at risk of fire as everything is very dry.”
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.