APTOPIX Britain Extreme Weather Drought

With more than two-thirds of the UK under drought conditions the historic packhorse bridge at Baitings Reservoir near Sowerby Bridge is exposed as water levels drop throught the country, in Sowerby Bridge, England, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026.

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UK firefighters out in force to tackle fires on hottest day of the year

UK firefighters out in force to tackle fires on hottest day of the year

Firefighters are tackling multiple fires in central England on a day that the U.K. recorded its hottest day of the year as an intense stretch of hot weather continued to grip Europe. Thursday's fire outbreak across the West Midlands, which saw several houses burned to the ground, have been “one of the most significant” incidents the region’s fire service has ever dealt with, chief fire officer Simon Tuhill said. A child and three firefighters were taken to hospital following the wildfire in Stourbridge. The fires, the cause of which remains to be determined and which could take days to put out, came on a day the mercury struck 38.1 degrees Celsius (100.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in west London.