UK breaks worrying wildfire record: 113 sq miles of land has already been burnt this year - due to unusually dry spring conditions
The amount of UK land burnt by wildfires has already smashed the all-time record, just four months into the year.
Since the start of 2025, more than 113 square miles (292 square km or 29,200 hectares) of land has been consumed by fires raging across the country.
That is already greater than the previous record of 108 square miles (281 square km) burnt throughout the entirety of 2019, according to data collected by Global Wildfire Information System (GWIS) since 2012.
And experts warn that the worst could still be yet to come.
Although wildfires are common during early spring, the number of fires in some parts of the country has been up over 1,200 per cent.
According to experts, the UK's record-breaking blazes have been driven by an exceptionally hot and dry March and April, likely linked with climate change.
Oliver Claydon, a spokesperson for the Met Office, told MailOnline: 'During dry Springs, there is an elevated chance of wildfire outbreaks in grassland and heather heaths.
'This is often due to the presence of dead undergrowth from the previous year, together with a lack of new plant growth that might otherwise impede the ignition and spread of fires.'
This year, several parts of the UK have been struck by unusually large wildfires.
The most devastating period, according to GWIS data, was the seven-day stretch from April 2 to April 8 in which over 69 square miles (180 square km) of land was burnt.
The largest blazes have occurred in the Scottish Highlands, Northern Ireland, and parts of Wales.
A fire in the Galloway Forest Park, located in south-west Scotland, destroyed 25 square miles (65 square km) according to BBC analysis.
Likewise, a fire just 16 miles (25km) from Aberystwyth destroyed roughly 20 square miles (50 square km).
Meanwhile, Abergwesyn Common in Powys, Wales was struck by a fire which burnt a further six square miles (16 km square).
Although most fires are started by humans, either deliberately or accidentally, natural conditions make it easier for fires to ignite and spread.
The Met Office says that this year's fires are the product of a wet autumn followed by a warm and dry spring.
The Met Office says that last March was the sunniest since records began in 1910 (illustrated left) while the UK only received 43 per cent of the average rainfall for the month (illustrated right)
Mr Claydon says: 'We had an exceptionally dry and sunny March, this followed quite a wet autumn and winter which can have the effect of increasing the vegetation that acts as fuel for any fire that does start.'
According to the Met Office data, this March was the sunniest since records began in 1910, with some areas of Wales and England getting 150 per cent of the average sunshine.
The month was also exceptionally dry, with the UK receiving just 43 per cent of its average rainfall for March.
These conditions led to the fire risk for England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and parts of Scotland being escalated to 'severe' by the start of April.
Researchers warn that the conditions for dangerous fires are becoming more common as human-caused climate change continues to disrupt the climate.
Mr Claydon says: 'Current climate change projections suggest that we are likely to see an increase in the conditions needed for wildfire across the UK as temperatures increase, and spells of low rainfall become more common.'
Research conducted by the Met Office found that the damaging fires during the UK's record-breaking 2022 heatwave were made at least six times more likely due to human-caused climate change
Although the recent bout of wet weather has largely brought this month's blazes to an end, the UK's wildfire woes are far from over.
The peak of wildfire season typically comes later in the year when the warm weather has dried out the vegetation again.
'We are of course still in spring, but further dry, warm and breezy spells could again increase the wildfire risk through summer,' says Mr Clayton.
He adds that it is 'too far ahead to make any predictions for the summer ahead at this stage'.
Yet the UK's record-breaking spring has led some experts to worry that the worst may be yet to come.
Likewise, Guillermo Rein, professor of fire science at Imperial College London, told the BBC: 'My number one worry is what is going to happen in the summer.
'There are fewer wildfires but they are bigger and they can actually be seriously catastrophic.
'You can have 100 [small] wildfires across the whole country and all of them can be handled in one day, or you could have one summer wildfire that actually cannot be stopped in a week and actually goes on to burn houses.'
The increased wildfire risk means there will be more pressure on the UK's already stretched firefighting services.
A spokesperson for the National Fire Chiefs Council told MailOnline: 'So far this year, we have experienced more than double the number of wildfires we saw for the same period in 2022 – which went on to be a record year for wildfires.
'It is early days yet, but if we continue to have warm weather and rising wildfire numbers, then we could surpass what we saw in 2022.
'One inconsiderate action or small mistake can lead to a significant wildfire.
'So we are asking that people take that extra care to prevent wildfires, including by avoiding the use of disposable barbecues in open countryside, parks and moorland areas, and by not discarding cigarettes, matches or glass bottles that could ignite dry vegetation.'
HOW ARE WILDFIRES STARTED?
The 'Thomas Fire' destroyed 281,893 acres in California in December 2017.
Additionally, British Columbia's Nazko Complex Fire last year consumed more than a million acres, making it the largest ever recorded in the province.
But the amount of land destroyed by wildfires each year will only go up in western and northern North America in the years to come, according to a new report published in the journal Plos One.
Up to 90 percent of US wildfires are caused by people, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
These fires can be initiated by unattended campfires, piles of burning debris, haphazardly discarded cigarettes or arson.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
30 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
What is the weather forecast for Glasgow next week?
The Met Office has forecast spells of rain with highs of 19 to 20 degrees from Monday, June 23 to Saturday, June 28. Monday, June 23 On Monday, there will be light showers changing to overcast in the afternoon. Temperatures will sit between 13 degrees and 17 degrees. Tuesday, June 24 Tuesday will bring light rain, again changing to overcast in the afternoon. Temperatures will vary from 12 degrees to 17 degrees. READ NEXT: I tried Glasgow's newest food and drink tour - my verdict Wednesday, June 25 On Wednesday, the mercury will climb slightly with highs of 20 degrees. Glaswegians can expect overcast changing to light rain by early evening. Thursday, June 26 Thursday will again see light showers changing to cloudy by late morning. There will be highs of 20 degrees and lows of 13 degrees. Friday, June 27 On Friday, things will dry up a bit with light showers changing to cloudy by early evening. Temperatures will range from 13 degrees to 19 degrees. READ NEXT: 'Local legend' Glasgow road sweeper retires after 43 years Saturday, June 28 Finally, on Saturday, the city will experience some sunshine with light showers forecast to change to sunny intervals in the afternoon. There will be highs of 19 degrees and lows of 12 degrees. It comes after Glasgow was as hot as Ibiza on Friday, June 20, with the mercury climbing to 26 degrees during the early evening. People flocked to the city to soak up the sunshine with many spotted sunbathing in popular spots including the Botanic Gardens in the West End. For the latest forecast, visit the Met Office's website HERE.
The Independent
38 minutes ago
- The Independent
Highs of 28C with ‘fresher' and ‘breezy' conditions forecast on Sunday
Highs of 28C with 'fresher' and 'breezy' conditions are forecast in the UK on Sunday after the country reached its hottest day of the year so far, the Met Office has said. On Saturday, a provisional high of 33.2C was recorded by the weather service in Charlwood, Surrey, making it the warmest day so far of 2025. The cooler temperatures come after thunderstorms swept across parts of the country overnight, including north England and south-east Scotland, where some areas saw up to 25mm of rain in one hour, according to the forecaster. Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland saw 31.1mm of rainfall overnight and was among the locations that saw the wettest weather. Met Office meteorologist Marco Petagna said of Sunday's forecast: 'We could get 27, 28 in the South East. 'Obviously, yesterday we got 33.2C so it's not as warm as yesterday, but (temperatures) still well above where they should be in the South East. 'Elsewhere, there's a fresher feel, quite breezy as well so most places, high teens, low 20s for temperatures, and it stays quite showery tonight, even the South East could get a few showers coming in from the west so a mixture really of clear spells and showers tonight. 'It could turn a bit chilly in Scotland, down to three or four degrees in some rural spots, but for most places, temperatures, certainly towns and cities, generally holding up in double figures, but a fresher feel compared to what we've had recent nights.' On Monday, the South East will see the most sunshine and highs of up to 25C, Mr Petagna said. For the other regions, temperatures will be around the high teens and low 20s which is 'near-average' for the time of year, he added. Into next week, conditions look 'changeable' with 'most areas' seeing rain at points, the forecaster said. 'It does become very warm again in the South East around the middle of the week, so we could see high 20s again around Tuesday, Wednesday in the South East, but at the same time as that heat builds again briefly in the south and South East, we could see further thundery downpours for a time as well.'
BBC News
44 minutes ago
- BBC News
Heatwave eases as rainy weather blows in across parts of UK
Wind and rain are drifting across the UK, bringing more mild temperatures following a wave of extreme heat, the Met Office forecast Sunday would feel fresher for most, with sun and scattered showers, and that a weather front was due to push in from the west over Monday evening, bringing a wet end to the Saturday, the UK experienced its hottest day of the year, with temperatures of 33.2C (91.8F) recorded in Charlwood, near amber heat health alert covering England, first issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on Thursday, remains in place until 09:00 BST Monday. An amber alert warns health and social care services are likely to be "significantly" affected by the high temperatures, including through an increase in demand and a rise in deaths particularly among those aged 65 or over or with health the hottest weather of the year on Saturday and some late thunderstorms, Sunday has felt very different. Temperatures are lower and the humidity has dropped. Temperatures have reached around 27C in southeast England but more cloud is streaming over the UK on a brisk westerly wind that is bringing showers or longer spells of rain to many week ahead will remain more unsettled with some rain at times, together with some sunshine. It will still be cooler and fresher than it has been but there will be some very warm weather at times in eastern parts of will see fewer showers and more sunshine. There could be some light and patchy rain on later on Wednesday and Wednesday night, muggy air from France means there is the risk of heavy rain and thunderstorms. This should clear on Thursday with more wet and windy weather for northern areas to end the week with warmth further south. During Saturday's extreme heat, passengers on trains in south London had to evacuate after a fault on a train near Loughborough Junction brought all services in the area to a halt."Without power and air conditioning on such a hot day, we pulled all resources from across Sussex and Kent to get personnel on site to safely evacuate passengers as quickly as possible along the track," Thameslink and National Rail said in a statement. How do heat health alerts work?Will heatwaves become our new normal?What does hot weather do to the body? Suffolk was the first area during the recent set of higher temperatures to reach the threshold for a heatwave when it recorded temperatures of over 27C for the third day on a heatwave to be declared by the Met Office, a threshold temperature needs to be met for at least three consecutive threshold varies from 25C across the north and west of the UK, to 28C in parts of England.
