Latest news with #countryside
The Guardian
17 hours ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Fire chiefs warn of barbecue wildfire risk amid amber heat alerts in England
Fire chiefs have issued a warning over outdoor fires and barbecues after a sevenfold increase in UK wildfires, as amber heat alerts were issued across England before what is expected to be a scorching weekend. The UK has already experienced more than 500 wildfires this year, with incidents up 717% compared with the same period in 2024. According to the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), which represents the UK fire and rescue services, responders have been called to 564 blazes since 1 January, with more expected due to the heatwave engulfing the country. Most wildfires in the UK are caused by human activity, sometimes accidentally and sometimes deliberately. The public have been urged not to use disposable barbecues in open countryside, parks and moorland areas, and not to discard cigarettes, matches or glass bottles, as they can ignite dry vegetation. Phil Garrigan, the chair of the NFCC, said that fire and rescue services were already under 'significant pressure' due to the high number of wildfires, and that 'one small error' could lead to a blaze. 'We are deeply concerned about the escalating threat of wildfires this summer, which have the potential to become more frequent, intense and dangerous particularly in areas where communities border the countryside,' said Garrigan. 'We all need to play our part in protecting each other, our environment and our homes and businesses. We want everyone to enjoy the nice weather, we are just asking that they take extra care when out and about because it only takes one small error to lead to a significant wildfire.' Amber heat alerts were issued in England on Thursday as the UK experienced its hottest day of the year so far, with 32.2C recorded at Kew in west London. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said this week there could be 'a rise in deaths' across all nine English regions due to the heatwave, with 'those aged 65 and over or people with health conditions' particularly at risk. The UKHSA said 'significant impacts' were also likely across health and social care services in England. The alerts came into force at midday on Thursday and were expected to remain until 9am on Monday. The Met Office said this week that the UK could exceed temperatures of 40C in the near future, and highs of 45C 'may be possible' in the current climate. This would smash the record of 40.3C recorded in Coningsby, Lincolnshire, in 2022. A report by the Office for National Statistics and the UKHSA found there were 3,000 more deaths in England and Wales that summer than would normally be expected. In the first four months of this year there were more than double the number of rural blazes than in the months that preceded the 2022 heatwave, with the risk to people, wildlife and habitats described as 'catastrophic'. The dangerous 32C heat that may be endured by people in the south-east of England this Saturday will have been made 100 times more likely by the climate crisis, scientists have calculated. Global heating, caused by the burning of fossil fuels, is making every heatwave more likely and more intense. The 32C day expected on Saturday would have been expected only once every 2,500 years without the climate crisis, the researchers said, and June heatwaves are now about 2-4C hotter than in the past. The heatwave is the latest in a series of recent extreme weather events in the country. Between February and April, England had its driest period on record, with the north-west declaring a drought in May and Yorkshire entering one last week. In order to avoid any negative effects from the weather, the UKHSA recommends people keep out of the sun between 11am and 3pm on the hottest days if possible, drink plenty of liquids and wear sunscreen and protective clothing when outside. It also recommends looking out for people aged 65 and over, as they are especially affected by the heat.
BBC News
a day ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Stoke Prior residents criticise green belt housebuilding plans
"We're a countryside village - we're not a town, we're not a city."People living in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, have spoken out against plans to build 9,000 new homes in the coming years, many of which will go on green belt land - which makes up 90% of the are due to meet on Thursday to discuss the blueprint for the new homes, which has been drawn up to meet government housebuilding Bright, a parish councillor in Stoke Prior, said plans to build 500 homes in the village, on the Ryelands Farm site, were "ridiculous". "The infrastructure that we have in this village is just not going to take it at obviously the school... I couldn't get my children in there, so they've had to go to Hanbury First School [three miles away], which is now at its capacity as well."Mr Bright added that he was also concerned about the ability of the roads to handle the extra traffic. In order to meet government housebuilding targets, Bromsgrove district council has put forward a draft plan of potential sites for more than 9,000 houses, for between now and the criticism from residents - as well as Liberal Democrat councillors, the council's Tory-Independent administration warned of the risk of Whitehall intervention if the draft is not put out to public consultation for 12 weeks from 30 June."I absolutely accept that we need to build more houses, but concreting fields is not the answer," said Dr David Nicholl, the Lib Dem councillor for Nicholl would rather see a range of options for building presented to residents."[Stoke Prior] will no longer be a village, it'll be a town," he Tolley's home backs directly onto Ryelands Farm."Every morning I wake up, I open my curtains, you've got people walking their dogs, you've got people chatting," she said. "Cows come up to the fence."Ms Tolley said some of her neighbours had already talked about moving away, and she struggled to get GP appointments at the local surgery."How are we supposed to take on another 500 houses worth of people?" she asked. "We all know that houses do need to be built," said Mr Bright. "But our infrastructure here cannot handle it."And actually, Bromsgrove as a whole can't handle the extra houses that are already being built now, down on Whitford Road, Perryfields Road. It can't handle it."So, a village taking another 500 houses - it'll just be absolute carnage."Besides Stoke Prior, the plans would also see 1,800 homes built to the northeast of Bromsgrove itself, 1,200 in Wythall, 600 in Catshill and 500 in both Alvechurch and Hagley. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram.
Car and Driver
a day ago
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
Tested: 2025 Audi Q6 e-tron EV Soothes, Lacks Swagger
Roundabouts have been sprouting up across America, including along the little countryside roads connecting Car and Driver's Ann Arbor home base to our 10Best evaluation loop. This mark of progress can rile some drivers, but Audi's Q6 e-tron uses its electric strengths to take the edge off that on-the-ground change. As we approached roundabouts and lifted off the accelerator, this compact electric SUV's regenerative braking reliably scrubbed off just the right amount of speed, letting us glide in easily and accelerate out briskly. Likewise, when approaching tighter curves or going downhill, the Q6 cranked up the regen and simply sailed through. EVs, like roundabouts, are something that makes a world of sense—and whether you love 'em, hate 'em, or land somewhere in between, they're increasingly part of the future. Porsche and Audi got a head start on the fast-charging 800-volt form with the Taycan and e-tron GT, respectively. Now, about five years later, the VW Group has transposed that tech for a broader market with the Audi Q6 and its PPE (Premium Platform Electric) fundamentals, which are shared with the Porsche Macan EV. View Exterior Photos Michael Simari | Car and Driver Those underlying bits help make the Q6 one of today's fastest-charging EVs. Audi says its battery can juice from 10 to 80 percent in as little as 21 minutes on a DC fast-charger, with a peak at 270 kilowatts. During testing, we saw a 35-minute charge from 10 to 90 percent with a peak of 264 kilowatts and an average of 129 kilowatts. That's a far quicker time than we've seen from the BMW iX, and it even beats the 800-volt Kia EV9 (which has about the same-size battery pack) by a couple of minutes. HIGHS: Road-trip-ready fast-charging, real-world range, impressive brakes and regen. Audi has suggested that NACS charging adapters are on the way this year, and when that time comes, the Q6 e-tron will be able to charge at rates of up to 135 kilowatts on Tesla's legacy V3 Superchargers, by splitting its 94-kWh battery pack into two 400-volt halves charged in parallel. To make charging more accessible, the Q6 e-tron has AC charge ports on both sides (with DC on the driver's side, as well, which works out nicely for Superchargers). In 75-mph highway driving, the Q6 e-tron went 250 miles, sailing 10 miles farther than an EV9 while carrying a battery with roughly the same capacity. And that was with our tester's optional 20-inch wheels (19s are standard), which bring a 295-mile EPA range rating. View Exterior Photos Michael Simari | Car and Driver Outside of the Q6 e-tron's excellent charging and range credentials, it's an EV to consider thanks to its overall comfort and easygoing drivability, including that context-sensitive regeneration that varies depending on hills, intersections, corners, and more. It incorporates inputs from long-range radar, the front camera, road-sign data, and navigation-system data for hills and curves. The Q6 e-tron defaults to that auto regen setting with each vehicle start, and given how well it worked for the commute, that's just fine. Coasting and two other levels of deeper regen can be tapped into with steering-wheel paddles, and there's a one-pedal B mode on the shift toggle that lets you gradually come to a stop without pressing the brake. View Interior Photos Michael Simari | Car and Driver Range, efficiency, charging, and the ease of the EV experience clearly distinguish the Q6 e-tron from the rest of the pack of electric luxury SUVs. But our other impressions weren't as decidedly positive. During our testing, editors found the Q6 e-tron to be competent but confoundingly plain. This, despite a pair of electric motors conferring a combined 456 horsepower. With soft suspension tuning and light steering, it doesn't feel like Audi made much of an attempt to dial athleticism into this 5440-pound SUV. Performance-minded drivers should look to the sportier SQ6 e-tron model or the electric Macan. That said, our test car's adaptive dampers and optional air springs make it feel more lithe on the back roads than it initially lets on. The Q6 is also appropriately quiet—except when the run-flat Bridgestone Alenza Sport A/S all-season tires are signaling their relatively low boundaries (we recorded a middling 0.86 g of skidpad grip but a reasonably hushed 68 decibels of noise inside at 70 mph). View Interior Photos Michael Simari | Car and Driver Thankfully, with all of that power underfoot, the Q6 is not poky in a straight line. It reaches 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, which is 0.2 second quicker than the 500-hp Cadillac Lyriq AWD, the same amount slower than the 402-hp Mercedes EQE500 4Matic SUV, and a half-second quicker than Audi's own claims. There's no wheelspin or drama when you unleash this Audi's launch-control function; it all happens in a very anticlimactic whoosh. One downside to the vaultlike interior: In real-world driving, the high level of insulation from the outside world makes it easy to achieve speeds higher than what you intend or what the local constabulary may approve of. But the well-blended brakes allowed precise control in parking lots and traffic, as well as a solid 169-foot stop from 70 mph. View Exterior Photos Michael Simari | Car and Driver The Audi Q6 e-tron is unmistakably an Audi, but is it unmistakably an EV? Does Audi want people to realize that from a few paces away? From first look, those questions amount to a puzzle that Audi enthusiasts will be able to put together, but this isn't a vehicle for Audi enthusiasts. In terms of profile, proportions, and contouring, Audi hasn't yet transformed the look of EVs like it proposed in its exciting "-sphere" concepts, nor has much creativity gone into interior space and design. The Q6 e-tron doesn't break the mold of the gas-burning Q5 much, although there is a two-cubic-foot frunk. LOWS: Quick, not sporty; anodyne proportions; Audi cabin swagger's gone missing. Though the cabin may not be revolutionary, it's not light on space. The interior feels tall and airy relative to other aero-styled electric SUVs, with supportive, well-bolstered seats, including uncompromised adult-size seat contouring for the rear outboard positions. View Interior Photos Michael Simari | Car and Driver However, the Q6 e-tron Quattro doesn't quite keep up with the cabin standards we expect in an Audi—especially one with this example's $76,790 as-tested price. Our test car's natural wood inlays add some character, particularly to the door panels, but it wasn't enough to offset a range of comments panning the ubiquitous piano-black dash and the cost-cutting look and feel of some materials. This Audi did deliver a luxury experience in terms of ride, comfort, and quiet. The top-spec Prestige trim's upgrades include acoustic front side glass and an adaptive air suspension that excelled in soaking up lumpy back-road surfaces and freeway expansion strips. It amounted to a silent and soothing in-cabin experience. Hopefully you can learn to ignore the Q6's synthetic propulsion sounds, which can't be disabled. View Interior Photos Michael Simari | Car and Driver The Prestige package also adds a panoramic sunroof, heated rear seats, a Bang & Olufsen sound system, a 10.9-inch front passenger touchscreen that allows video streaming, and an augmented-reality head-up display that's customizable but cluttered. Thankfully, Audi's AI-informed digital voice assistant was able to turn the HUD on or off with one simple request, which beats sifting through a legion of screen menus—Audi's infotainment didn't elicit much praise in our logbook. There's a deep trove of assistance features here as well: dynamic exterior lighting, remote- and cloud-based controls, an overzealous lane-keeping system that you'll probably want to turn off. The Lyriq, the iX, and the EQE SUV do not have 800-volt charging systems or anything close to the Q6 e-tron's fast-charging times. But each offers a distinctive cabin experience. View Exterior Photos Michael Simari | Car and Driver The Q6 e-tron represents a bet on a different kind of experience—one that's quick and soothing and respects that people want to spend less time charging. And, perhaps, less time on traffic-clogged roundabouts. VERDICT: The Q6 e-tron is loaded with tech and quietly primed for mainstream luxury, not four-ring enthusiasts. Specifications Specifications 2025 Audi Q6 e-tron Quattro Vehicle Type: front- and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon PRICE Base/As Tested: $67,095/$76,790 Options: Prestige package (adaptive air suspension, adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist, acoustic front side windows, head- and taillight animations, head-up display with augmented-reality overlays, Bang & Olufsen audio system, cabin preconditioning, dynamic interaction lighting, heated steering wheel and outboard rear seats, headlight washers, LED headlights and interior lighting, 10.9-inch passenger display, panoramic sunroof, configurable daytime-running-light signatures, 360-degree camera system), $6800; Warm Weather package (manual rear side-window sunshades, ventilated front sport seats, front headrest speakers, Stone Grey birchwood inlays), $1300; 20-inch 5-spoke bi-color wheels with all-season tires, $1000; Glacier White Metallic paint, $595 POWERTRAIN Front Motor: induction AC, 188 hp, 203 lb-ft Rear Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC, 375 hp, 428 lb-ft Combined Power: 456 hp Battery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 94 kWh Onboard Charger: 9.6 kW Peak DC Fast-Charge Rate: 270 kW Transmissions, F/R: direct-drive CHASSIS Suspension, F/R: multilink/multilink Brakes, F/R: 13.8-in vented disc/13.8-in vented disc Tires: Bridgestone Alenza Sport A/S RFT F: 255/50R-20 109H M+S REO R: 285/45R-20 112H M+S REO DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 113.7 in Length: 187.8 in Width: 76.3 in Height: 66.6 in Passenger Volume, F/R: 52/47 ft3 Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 60/30 ft3 Front Trunk Volume: 2 ft3 Curb Weight: 5440 lb C/D TEST RESULTS 60 mph: 4.4 sec 100 mph: 10.4 sec 1/4-Mile: 12.8 sec @ 111 mph 130 mph: 19.0 sec Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec. Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 4.7 sec Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 1.8 sec Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 2.4 sec Top Speed (gov ltd): 130 mph Braking, 70–0 mph: 169 ft Braking, 100–0 mph: 346 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.86 g C/D FUEL ECONOMY AND CHARGING Observed: 94 MPGe 75-mph Highway Range: 250 mi Average DC Fast-Charge Rate, 10–90%: 129 kW DC Fast-Charge Time, 10–90%: 35 min EPA FUEL ECONOMY Combined/City/Highway: 95/102/89 MPGe Range: 295 mi C/D TESTING EXPLAINED
BBC News
a day ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Public advised on how to prevent wildfires in hot weather
The public are being urged to be mindful of wildfires in the hot weather. Devon and Somerset Fire Service said people could prevent the risk of a wildfire by not having campfires or barbecues in the countryside and to discard cigarettes carefully. It said it wanted to keep the public and countryside safe from the dangers of wildfires and fires in the open. Wildfires are very dangerous, fast spreading and threaten wildlife, livestock, domestic animals, the environment, property, and people, the fire service said. Devon and Somerset Fire Service said wildfires were often caused by human activity, either deliberate or accidental, and on rare occasions could be started by a lightning added only 10 to 15% of wildfires happened on their own in nature. It also advised the public to prepare for the risk of a wildfire by making an escape plan. People should make sure family members or members of staff know what to do, where to assemble and how to round up and care for pets and domestic animals in the event of a advised those living in a rural area made sure their home number or name was clearly visible from the road or main access point so that firefighters could easily locate the address in the event of a should check the current wildfire risk in their area using the Natural England Fire Severity Index, Devon and Somerset Fire Service said. It added the public could prevent wildfires by Taking litter homeDiscarding of cigarettes carefully and never throwing cigarette ends on the ground or out of car windowsEnsure there is no glass lying around as in direct sunlight it could cause firesDon't have campfires or barbecues in the countryside, only have them in safe designated areasAvoid having bonfires in very dry weather and if you must have a bonfire, follow bonfire safety adviceTalk to your children about the dangers of playing with fire and matchesKeep matches and lighters stored well away from children and teenagers
News.com.au
a day ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Ellen DeGeneres' life after being ditched by Hollywood exposed in new video
Ellen DeGeneres is giving fans a glimpse inside her home in the English countryside. In an Instagram post shared on Monday, the 67-year-old former talk-show host shared videos of the inside of her home, which she shares with her wife, Portia de Rossi, after their sheep found their way inside. 'Our sheep keep coming inside,' she wrote in the caption. 'To be fair, we do have a piece of furniture that looks like a sheep, but that one doesn't try to eat our rugs.' In the first clip, the sheep can be seen coming inside via a floor-to-ceiling glass sliding door which had been left open. The view from the room featured a gravel courtyard with big bushes and trees, with a grass field visible in the background. In the clip, the sheep can be seen getting a bit too close to the couple's dog, Kid, who leapt from his bed and quickly ran away from the flock of sheep. De Rossi can be heard in the background asking, 'They're coming inside?' to which DeGeneres responded, 'Yeah, they're inside.' A second clip was shot in a different part of the home, which also has floor-to-ceiling glass siding doors and large cement-style slab flooring. De Rossi can be heard in the video gently encouraging the sheep to go back outside, and praising one as it listens to her. The couple moved to the Cotswolds in England in November 2024, after selling their home in Montecito, California in August of that year. A second home owned by the couple in the idyllic Santa Barbara town was later sold in 2025. 'Ellen was in England house hunting in the beginning of October,' an insider told People in November 2024. 'She ended up finding a house that she loved and purchased it shortly after.' Not long after moving into the home, DeGeneres shared a clip on Instagram, humorously hinting she isn't cut out for a specific household chore. She posted a video of herself attempting to mow the grass surrounding her home in the countryside. The video began with the talk-show host successfully mowing a small section of grass, with the words 'how it started' written on the screen. It progressed to a video of DeGeneres struggling to drive the lawnmower uphill, as someone had to help her by pushing the mower from behind. The on-screen caption then changed to 'How it ended.' 'Portia thought it would be fun to film my first time on the mower,' DeGeneres wrote in the caption. 'She was right.'
