Clogher: Slieve Beagh wildfire 'extremely worrying', says councillor
A wildfire that has damaged a third of Slieve Beagh is "extremely worrying", a local councillor has said.On Saturday, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said temperatures dropped overnight, "which has helped the situation", with two appliances remaining at Ballagh Road in Clogher.A warning is in place for wildfires across Northern Ireland this weekend and the fire service has urged the public to stay vigilant.Councillor Gael Gildernew said the Slieve Beagh area has recently secured €6m (£5m) in funding, and locals "are very concerned" by recent developments.
'Devastation'
Last month, Taoiseach (Irish PM) Micheál Martin announced that the Irish government has made allocations from the Shared Island Fund, over the next five years, to develop Sliabh Beagh as an eco-tourism destination."People are worried about that and the possibility of where the funding is going to go," Gildernew told BBC News NI.
The fire ignited on Thursday morning and fire crews have remained on the scene ever since.On Friday evening, 50 firefighters with 10 appliances tackled the blaze on the County Tyrone/County Monaghan border."They currently have the fire out and they are just keeping an eye here, so that it doesn't reignite," Gildernew added."It's a beautiful area. People love it; and you have homes, you have farms, rural life going on."
As a special protection area and special area of conservation, Slieve Beagh is home to the endangered hen harrier and intact blanket bog habitat.Gildernew said wildlife and the habitat will be affected."There are birds nesting in the ground - it's going to take years for the area to come back to where it should be - or where it was at."I have seen the devastation from the fire myself and it's about a third of the Slieve Beagh area."
'Big tourism area'
"This would be a big tourism area. There are lots of local businesses, but tourism would be a big thing," she added."The funding is to increase and improve tourism in the area, so that will have an impact on that - we will have to look at that."Birdlife and vegetation will take time to recover, she added."This is a cross-border fire, and I know on the Monaghan side there have been frantic attempts to move machinery out of the way."
What is a special area?
In Northern Ireland, a special area of conservation (SAC), external has increased protection under the Conservation Regulations 1995.The protection is granted if the area contains special habitats or species that are at risk.It also aims to safeguard biodiversity at both national and international levels.A special protection area (SPA), external is also designated under the Conservation Regulations 1995.They are important areas for breeding, over-wintering and migrating birds.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
11 hours ago
- The Independent
UK hits hottest day of the year so far with provisional high of 33.2C
The UK has recorded the hottest day of the year so far as the Met Office said there was a provisional temperature of more than 33C measured in Surrey. As well as the 33.2C high in Charlwood, temperatures of 26.9C were provisionally recorded in Bute Park in Cardiff and 27.2C in Aviemore in the Highlands, the weather service said on Saturday afternoon. Parts of the country will see the 'perfect conditions' for thunderstorms as the heatwave continues, according to the forecaster. A yellow warning for thunderstorms covering parts of south-east Scotland, Yorkshire, the Midlands and Wales has been issued by the Met Office as it said there could be frequent lightning, large hail, strong winds and heavy rain in the affected areas. Up to 40mm of rain could fall in less than two hours, the forecaster said, as it urged those in the warning areas to consider whether their location is at risk of flash flooding and to prepare accordingly. The alert, which includes Manchester, Derbyshire and Newcastle upon Tyne, is in place from 5pm on Saturday until 3am on Sunday. In an online forecast, Met Office meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey said: 'Provisionally, Northern Ireland has recorded its warmest June night on record, Friday into Saturday, and this hot and humid air is being dragged up a little bit from parts of continental Europe, but we also have low pressure out in the Atlantic, and that is driving weather fronts across the UK, providing instability in the air and the perfect conditions to start sparking off some thunderstorms as that hot and humid air rises rapidly.' As Saturday continues there may be 'sharp showers' heading north, accompanied by 'a few rumbles of thunder' during daylight hours with 'sunny spells' in between, he added. 'Both Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland all recorded their warmest day of 2025 yesterday. 'For the latter two, it is going to be a slightly less warm day today, a touch fresher, but still certainly around the mid 20s is possible for parts of Northern Ireland and into central areas of Scotland,' Mr Vautrey said. An official heatwave is recorded when areas reach a certain temperature for three consecutive days, with thresholds varying from 25C to 28C in different parts of the UK. 'Many places' in England and 'one or two areas' in Wales, including Cardiff, entered a heatwave following Friday's highest temperatures, Becky Mitchell, meteorologist at the Met Office, said. An amber heat-health alert, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the first time since September 2023, for all regions in England remains in place over the weekend. The agency has warned that significant impacts are likely across health and social care services, including an increase in demand, during the alert period. Sunday will see a day of 'sunny spells and showers' with highs of around 27C and 28C, Met Office weather forecaster Dan Stroud said. Conditions are expected to feel 'a lot fresher' in the west of the UK whilst remaining 'very warm and humid' in the east, he added. 'For the vast majority of the country, the temperature is going to be much, much closer to the mid, late June average. 'As we move our way through Sunday night into Monday, it's going to feel a lot fresher for us all, a lot more comfortable sleeping conditions.' Temperatures reached 32.2C in Kew, west London, on Thursday while Friday saw highs of 30.8C recorded in both England and Wales. Ireland's hottest temperature for almost three years of 29.6C was recorded on Friday in Mount Dillon, Co Roscommon, Irish forecaster Met Eireann said. Pharmacies have advised their patients to store medicines safely as the heat-health alert continues, adding that most medicines kept at room temperature should be stored in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight and hot areas, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has said. Warmer temperatures may lead to some medicine losing its effectiveness or unwanted side effects, the NPC added. The hot weather comes as thousands of people watched the sunrise over Stonehenge in Wiltshire to celebrate the summer solstice on Saturday, marking the year's longest day.
BBC News
12 hours ago
- BBC News
Weather: Northern Ireland records first heatwave in two years
Northern Ireland has recorded its first heatwave in two years as temperatures rose above 25C on Met Office weather station at Castlederg in County Tyrone saw the thermometer reach same site recorded heat of 29.5C on Friday and 25.7C on Thursday, meaning a heatwave threshold of three consecutive days of temperatures of 25C or above has been highest temperatures on record for Northern Ireland in June is 30.8C recorded at Knockarevan in County Fermanagh in June 1976. High temperatures on Friday were followed by the warmest June night on record with temperatures falling no lower than 18.2C at Aldergrove in County Antrim. The last time a heatwave was recorded in Northern Ireland was early in September 2023, when a new monthly record of 28C was set at Castlederg in County Tyrone. Cooling down from Sunday The short three-day heatwave will come to an end quickly on Sunday with temperatures expected to reach between 15-17C, more than 10 degrees lower than cooler conditions will also come with a breakdown in weather with fresh westerly winds bringing a scattering of showers, which could be heavy and thundery.
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Britain swelters on hottest day of the year as temperatures soar towards 34C and experts say 600 will die in roasting heatwave
Sunglasses, sun cream and umbrellas are out in full force today, as sweltering Brits continue to be gripped by blistering weather as the temperatures continue to soar. Today has become the hottest day of the year so far with parts of eastern England set to be basking in sizzling temperatures of 34C. But it's not all sunshine and smiles as an amber heat-health alert has been issued for the whole weekend across England, as experts warn nearly 600 people in England and Wales could die in upcoming heatwaves. Parts of England and Wales experienced heatwaves yesterday, while Northern Ireland its warmest June night on record with temperatures staying above 18.2C until Saturday morning, the Met Office said. Elsewhere in London, terrified passengers were stuck in heatwave hell as customers said they felt like they were being 'slow cooked' in 'an oven' when services came to a halt with no air conditioning or ventilation. Early this morning, large crowds gathered at Stonehenge for the annual summer solstice, with temperatures soaring 18C by 5am for those observing the annual spectacle. But ice-cream and hot weather aren't the only items on the menu, as stormy weather threatens to put a screeching halt to the sweltering sunshine with a yellow thunderstorm warning on the horizon. Northern England, from Nottingham to above Newcastle, have been issued a yellow thunderstorm warning, which will come into force from 5pm until 3am tomorrow. The Met Office warned the most intense storms could produce 'frequent lightning, large hail and gusty winds', along with a chance of flooding. Met Office spokeswoman Nicola Maxey said: 'There are scattered thunderstorms coming through. 'Some of the rain could be quite intense, and frequent lightning, hail, gusty winds and some heavy downpours, which we haven't seen for a while. 'Some of the ground is quite hard at the moment, and when you get heavy rain hitting hard ground, it can cause surface water issues. 'You might find surface water on the roads, drains finding it difficult to cope and a small chance of homes being flooded.' An official heatwave is recorded when areas reach a certain temperature for three consecutive days, with thresholds varying from 25C to 28C in different parts of the UK. It comes after the Met Office confirmed that 'many places' in England and 'one or two areas' in Wales, including Cardiff, entered a heatwave on Friday. Aidan McGovern, meteorologist at the Met Office, said: 'At the moment, the temperatures will be highest towards the east, [with] lower temperatures in the west compared with Friday but still high humidity. 'So, it's going to feel oppressive in many places, and [there is] always a chance of some showers developing as the day progresses, particularly towards the west. 'Temperatures [will be] peaking at 31 to 33, or 34C, somewhere between London and Midlands and north-east England.' There will also be very high UV and pollen levels across the country on Saturday, the forecaster said. The Met Office also warned of more of heavy downpour battering parts of the country later this evening. Ellie Glaisyer, meteorologist at the Met Office, said: 'We do have a yellow warning in place for thunderstorms for the very far north of Wales, northern parts of England and in the very south east of Scotland. 'That warning is in place from 5pm this evening until 3am tomorrow. We could see around 30 to 40mm of rain falling in a couple of hours as well as some strong winds. 'These could be around 40 to 55 mph and some frequent lighting and large hail could be experienced in that warning area. 'There is a chance we could see some heavier downpour elsewhere, particularly across the south east of England in the early hours of the morning and in the north west of the country.' BERKSHIRE: Two kayakers stop off at Whiitington's Tea Barge to buy cans of beer on a hot and humid afternoon The forecaster also added there could be 'the odd rumble of thunder' across the north and west of the country. Ms Glaisyer added: 'Generally tomorrow it'll be a lot fresher with temperatures much closer to average. 'The south east will still hold onto those warm temperatures for a little while longer and into next week.' It comes as nearly 600 people in England and Wales are predicted to die as a result of this week's heatwave, researchers found. Experts at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Imperial College London used decades of UK data to predict excess mortality during the hot temperatures from Thursday to Sunday. Their study, released on last week, forecasts that around 570 people will die because of the heat over the four days, with the excess deaths estimated to peak at 266 on Saturday when the heat will be at its most intense. London is predicted to have the greatest number of excess deaths with 129, as researchers say their assessment highlights how extreme heat poses a growing threat to public health in the UK. A amber heat-health alert was issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the first time since September 2023, and is currently in force until 9am on Monday. It warns 'significant impacts are likely' across health and social care services because of high temperatures, including a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or people with health conditions. Following the hot weather, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) urged the public to take heat and water safety seriously. During 2022's heatwave, temperatures rose past 40C, leading to 320 people being treated in hospital. Steve Cole, policy director at RoSPA, said: 'Heat is no longer just a holiday perk - it's a growing public health risk. 'We're seeing more frequent and intense heatwaves, both in the UK and globally, and the data shows a clear rise in heat-related illness and fatalities. 'Warm weather can also be deceptive when it comes to going for a dip. 'While the air may feel hot, water temperatures often remain dangerously cold, which can lead to cold-water shock, even in summer.' Previously, World Weather Attribution (WWA) research group released a study which found a heatwave was about 100 times more likely and 2-4C hotter due to climate change. Dr Garyfallos Konstantinoudis, lecturer at the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London, said: 'Heatwaves are silent killers - people who lose their lives in them typically have pre-existing health conditions and rarely have heat listed as a contributing cause of death. 'This real-time analysis reveals the hidden toll of heatwaves and we want it to help raise the alarm. 'Heatwaves are an underappreciated threat in the UK and they're becoming more dangerous with climate change.' It comes after temperatures reached 32.2C in Kew, west London, on Thursday, making it the warmest day of the year so far, while Friday saw highs of 30.8C recorded in both England and Wales.
