Open fires quadruple in a year as heatwave and scorching temperatures in Portsmouth and Hampshire create public safety calls and railway disruption

The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for ‘extreme heat’, with the heatwave causing concern for many.

Arid conditions and a lack of rainfall has lead to a drought possibly being declared today in the south.

John Amos, group manager for prevention at Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS), said: ‘Lots of us are currently enjoying the warmer weather, however these conditions increase the risk of wildfires in our areas.

‘Our crews have already been busy this summer tackling fires involving large parts of our countryside, fires which could easily be avoided.

‘We encourage you to do your bit to protect our wildlife by following our guidance and not lighting disposable barbecues as these can spark fires which spread rapidly, causing huge amounts of damage.’

A HIWFRS spokesman said firefighters are very busy but prepared.

They were called to 679 outdoor blazes in July this year, over quadruple the 150 calls the year before.

Today, crews were dispatched to fires in Gosport, Bordon, Andover, Beaulieu, Southampton and Fareham.

Crews tackled an inferno covering more than three acres in Hook, and battled a four-acre woodland fire on the Hampshire and Berkshire border.

Sunseekers across Portsmouth are lapping up the continental conditions, but some are more worse affected than others.

Hampshire County Council executive member for adult services and public health, Councillor Liz Fairhurst, said: ‘These periods of extremely high heat that we are experiencing this summer will have most impact on the more vulnerable people in our communities.

‘It is important we look after ourselves as well as loved ones and anyone who might be at risk, such as the elderly, those with underlying health conditions or the very young.’

The county council said susceptible groups include those pre-existing conditions, the elderly, babies and young children.

They advise those susceptible to stay out of the sun between 11am and 3pm, walk in the shade, wear sun cream, avoid physical exertion, and drink plenty to avoid heat stroke.

Speed restrictions have been implemented by Network Rail to avoid buckling tracks, causing disruption for commuters.

They are in place from Fareham Railway Station to Swanick and Eastleigh. between midday and 8pm today and tomorrow.

Portsmouth Water said it is monitoring the weather, but does not intend to enforce a hosepipe ban.

A spokesman said: ‘Our modelling is indicating we won’t need to implement a ban this summer, but we are monitoring that situation on a daily basis and are keeping this position under review.

‘The weather has been unseasonably hot and dry in 2022, with no significant rain in featuring in the long-range forecast for our region.’

SEE ALSO: Southern Water to impose hose pipe ban in parts of Hampshire

Southern Water has implemented a ban in Hampshire, not including Portsmouth, Havant, Gosport, and large parts of Fareham.

Havant only saw 5mm of rain last month.

The organisers of Victorious Festival said they are not currently implementing any extra safety measures.

A spokeswoman said: ‘As always, we will be assessing the forecast with seven days to go and issuing any necessary extra guidance in conjunction with our partners at the fire service and PCC.’

Visitors at Boomtown Festival are banned from using their own fires for cooking.

A spokeswoman from Portsmouth Water added: ‘Temporary usage bans (hosepipe bans) can only legally be implemented if water companies reach stage two of their drought plans. These plans are agreed with the Secretary of State.

‘We have been consulting DEFRA and the Environment Agency regularly about the status of our water resources. They have confirmed our ground water levels are sufficient for us to remain within stage one of our drought plan. We therefore have no legal powers to issue further restrictions at this point. We do not anticipate reaching stage two of the plan where we have to introduce restrictions unless the dry weather continues significantly into Autumn/Winter.

‘However, this does not mean we have water to spare. The weather has been unseasonably hot and dry in 2022, with no significant rain currently featuring in the long-range forecast. So, whist we don’t expect the need for a formal hosepipe ban to be put in place, we do need to continue to ensure we use water wisely as a business – and we continue to urge our customers to do the same.

‘Portsmouth Water is continuing to take significant measures to protect and enhance the River Ems.

‘We have taken one of our pumping stations out of public water supply and are now using it solely to supplement the River Ems. This results in more than two million litres of water a day pumped into the river once a trigger flow (the flow drops to a certain level) is reached – this is happening at the moment.

‘Due to the geology of the river bed, the location where we pump this water has an impact on how well it improves the flow. We are working to make this supplementary flow as effective as possible by changing the discharge point into the river. All of this work is carried out under licence from the Environment Agency and in collaboration with Friends of the Ems.

‘In the face of climate change and a growing population, we are creating longer terms plans to protect our environment whilst continuing to supply our customers with reliable, affordable, high-quality water. Plans include the introduction of universal SMART metering to help manage demand and linking with the Havant Thicket Reservoir project to further support the River Ems.’