UK spring/summer and fire season 2022

April 24, 2022

Bumping this to next page.

April 24, 2022

It has been exceptionally dry here in recent weeks. I am only on 4mm / 0.2 inches of rainfall for April so far and have had no rainfall whatsoever for 18 days now. Consequently the fires are still raging here in the UK. They are now more concentrated in southern England, which is the driest part of the UK. I have had several fires in my area in recent days. One particularly bad one which is still currently burning right now and over 10km long. Temperatures have been in the 20-25C range over the past 10 days but they are starting to die down again now, however no rain is forecast. The fire risk is still extreme here. I expect this situation to continue...

1721247254_thumbnail_image2(4).jpg.671c9bf6ecaf85b3e06686494dd4dc29.jpg

1016806732_thumbnail_image2(5).jpg.7fbf77b5da1dc618c0cfca5af2e44819.jpg

1559180372_thumbnail_image1(13).jpg.e42d784364783532fc78a77e2dccf0cc.jpg

So this particular fire is right near my location. In fact it is about 3 miles northwest of my house...

586444537_thumbnail_image0(40).jpg.8af7f68943404f0e889cda69ebb91072.jpg

369050419_thumbnail_image0(39).jpg.c404a0791cebe4eb7d1d7c3818ccf751.jpg

640819228_thumbnail_image1(11).jpg.6b65790ee7d0be3a9fe58bd39cf4b024.jpg

39117686_thumbnail_image1(12).jpg.5c366ba51b05429baed6249184590b62.jpg

Henley Park near me still isn't out tonight...

@Alicante When do the fires start up in southern Spain? Is it normally early summer in June-July?

Edited April 24, 2022 by UK_Palms

April 25, 2022

My county fire crews (SurreyFRS) fought hard on Saturday night and during Sunday to control the wildfires...

One of them has been contained thankfully...

1253251375_thumbnail_image0(47).jpg.98bb2f0124b02962f1a8850b083b16a0.jpg

147513238_thumbnail_image0(46).jpg.bc71550112192c143cdbd7db8a00ed7d.jpg

1138213151_thumbnail_image1(19).jpg.d4d3de005b188020cf269c336eb44fe8.jpg

The Canford fire is utter devastation. I'm hearing that another disposable BBQ has been recovered from the site of that fire.

1844160662_thumbnail_image2(11).jpg.7c7de20c1603768ceec2cb531ae3d8b2.jpg

1213026223_thumbnail_image1(20).jpg.e5ac4ff822f13d8b89abe2e7b4c195ac.jpg

1633821209_thumbnail_image0(41).jpg.6fd9fb99059e6e76f050a379ea25742d.jpg

543467511_thumbnail_image2(10).jpg.31de0449a6a9c17120f3882bbfcdd51d.jpg

396546962_thumbnail_image0(44).jpg.09a85586e16b93150f5250af94fb7bd2.jpg

As soon as one fire is extinguished, another one starts somewhere...

99280073_thumbnail_image3(2).jpg.1dd8299f43277b7953ac44d7cc35ddd7.jpg

243181997_thumbnail_image2(7).jpg.ce8dc70bbb02c2d505c71b60f1e0a1af.jpg

2130087572_thumbnail_image1(15).jpg.865b5f6838396401e07c8be8d63d06f2.jpg

334168164_thumbnail_image1(18).jpg.3316e39eeff5a8fb314eb07c550e0458.jpg

147791375_thumbnail_image0(45).jpg.fd80a36254c1d96e50e7274be705838d.jpg

Edited April 25, 2022 by UK_Palms

April 25, 2022

Certainly been another dry April it’s quickly becoming the driest month of the year over much of the uk. It’ll will be interesting to see what may brings? I have a feeling the second half will turn very wet leading into a very wet cool summer especially June/July it fits into the La Niña pattern we have at the moment so if you like the dry weather I’d make the most of it we will probably be praying for some dry weather by July

April 26, 2022

13 hours ago, Samuel said:

Certainly been another dry April it’s quickly becoming the driest month of the year over much of the uk. It’ll will be interesting to see what may brings? I have a feeling the second half will turn very wet leading into a very wet cool summer especially June/July it fits into the La Niña pattern we have at the moment so if you like the dry weather I’d make the most of it we will probably be praying for some dry weather by July

It is exceptionally dry here. Like there is no water table really. The soil is bone dry down to about 2 inches. You would probably have to dig down 10 foot here to find standing water. Taking my past 5 April's into account (including this one), I have only been averaging 7mm / 0.3 inches for April here. The driest was last April (2021) with 1mm / 0.1 inches.

Generally speaking, La Nina summers seem to be cooler and wetter than normal with more volatility. Some La Nina years have produced hot, dry summers, like in 1995 and 2018. While they are more likely to be cooler and wetter than normal, there is no guarantee. If we do end up having a hot, dry summer you can only imagine the extent of the fires come July.

There definitely appears to be a correlation of drier Aprils and drier springs. There is quite a noticeable decline in spring rainfall, especially during April. Some people would say that is evidence of climate change in the flesh, which is also the cause, and extent, of all these wildfires. Although the relatively dry winter is also to blame for this situation.

Last April was the driest on record for me here with only 1mm / 0.1 inches.

2021_4_Rainfall_Actual.jpg.19f58f3417b24cc517a1cab0b9879593.jpg

2021_4_Rainfall_Anomaly_1991-2020.jpg.0757bd57aad30b0d255a613c99a3644e.jpg

So far this April I have received 4mm / 0.2 inches here, so it has actually been wetter than last April, just. Rainfall still way below average for the month, although it seems to be declining in general each year now. Northern Scotland appears to have experienced above average rainfall for the month so far...

1642531544_thumbnail_image0(56).jpg.2c4c290d12eecd4d33953efbff248b4b.jpg

While the fire situation has improved somewhat compared to the weekend, there are still fires raging across the UK...

779557316_thumbnail_image0(52).jpg.14041bdaf420cfb274c5fc34265928cd.jpg

1885838606_thumbnail_image1(21).jpg.37bc32fa45c003445d62d04b30387fff.jpg

1592598388_thumbnail_image1(24).jpg.9f20bc7d7af5c71aaba22cc6d842c7bd.jpg

1067206813_thumbnail_image6(1).jpg.8f31e5ab3693836cdf30469d6f4ead71.jpg

1477583863_thumbnail_image7(1).jpg.415df134777accd2a8d1e3af22874446.jpg

1756553770_thumbnail_image2(13).jpg.18df3cb9ed1d72d696d1d7ebd8d3bd0c.jpg

779778885_thumbnail_image0(51).jpg.cb2ec534273cc691a0cb2c56879a7ff6.jpg

1434172107_thumbnail_image2(14).jpg.af6e48e716ed325a9c08b1d7c0747a8d.jpg

1371563146_thumbnail_image1(22).jpg.b8a7ed85c1d6eb1e400cdcec65be71a6.jpg

1247413159_thumbnail_image0(53).jpg.24ad4037856498da4ecd276c09b254ee.jpg

1260814361_thumbnail_image0(55).jpg.785c90fc956bdf7dec8d428ef249e1d1.jpg

FRMytUuXMAEXl5N.jpg.864fe0bd12ca5869b6fe6335bba63252.jpg

Fire crews are currently working on the Swansea fire in Wales on Monday night...

1547535233_thumbnail_image1(23).jpg.04e8d544c82c53b7980c56535341f87d.jpg

1835346018_thumbnail_image0(54).jpg.22bc00bc9b0910418fa8e9a42d74c22a.jpg

1375011412_thumbnail_image3(3).jpg.5845c25df840a84c170d950fee62262c.jpg

Edited April 26, 2022 by UK_Palms

April 27, 2022

I better catch up with this thread as events continue to develop here. The fire devastation is really quite significant...

1516503432_thumbnail_image0(59).jpg.6be7600a687a85e19ccc84ecb896c254.jpg

1910567407_thumbnail_image3(4).jpg.aed3f3a0c690d8e45e6ab01b438cdd79.jpg

992424582_thumbnail_image1(25).jpg.cde4b848a3cb5146a03165e1ea60e279.jpg

Look at all the dead snakes...

The Ash Ranges, which is only 3 miles from my house, suffered significant fire damage over the weekend. It took 3-4 days for the fire crews to extinguish.

1511799301_thumbnail_image0(64).jpg.2969e7e407df84afa04daa4ce3198a67.jpg

It really is time to get serious and start using water bombers as well as utilising fire breaks more, to control these fires quicker and more easily.

All of these fires are becoming a joke now...

Some places managed to pick up a few paltry mm of rainfall on Monday, but I didn't receive anything here. Quite a few places would have gone 3 weeks now since their last measurable rainfall. A few stations may be lingering on 1mm for the whole of April so far.

It's not hard to see why we are getting the fires. I have only had 6 inches of rain here during the past 6 months. November, January, March & April have all had 0.2 inches or less here. Also May 2020 and June 2018 both had zero rainfall here, so there is definite cause for concern moving forward.

It appears in northern England they are experiencing 1/3 less rain in April just since the year 2000. I have seen roughly the same % of decline here in the south too

0.8mm / 0.03 inches of rainfall in central London over the past 3 weeks is crazy. Still technically wetter than last April however, which was the driest on record here.

Literally zero rainfall in the forecast for the next 2 weeks as well. Some places are going to go 5 weeks without any rainfall...

These pictures really illustrate just how dry it has become here in recent weeks...

This is the worst lawn on my street...

My lawn is slightly better but the verges are going completely...

The term 'tinder box' is an understatement right now...

@Alicante Your thoughts on the scale of this drought and the wildfires? I haven't even posted about the current fires that are active right now. There are lots still burning.

Edited April 27, 2022 by UK_Palms

April 27, 2022

The scenes in Scotland this evening...

458519925_thumbnail_image0(62).jpg.22cf1f1f622981ef23f8da8b7c1b8def.jpg

1931423634_thumbnail_image0(67).jpg.481d937e4de3d2314899e4f3a240f236.jpg

738218224_thumbnail_image2(18).jpg.cba1872764d8663c2fa343950920a0cb.jpg

1303492574_thumbnail_image1(32).jpg.4793302640c118b9e4035cb514b9ecf7.jpg

929771582_thumbnail_image0(70).jpg.7c108fd280550c14951a6a57f50fa33f.jpg

1254145589_thumbnail_image0(66).jpg.373bd2628387e91c003bfb254756242c.jpg

1299707487_thumbnail_image1(28).jpg.34e4ec0df1bf08895d853cecf81ca258.jpg

2079073916_thumbnail_image1(30).jpg.96c360eeb1b6c6cc1af172f5b082f948.jpg

Ireland hasn't been spared either tonight ...

1678637284_thumbnail_image1(29).jpg.d5910e1f10da40cfd2219018e8bbac68.jpg

1174181453_thumbnail_image0(68).jpg.c7aece1ae135f3f8e5e7407deffaac8e.jpg

Cave Hill in Belfast, northern Ireland is also on fire tonight...

1944995124_thumbnail_image2(17).jpg.ae2ad5642d78e1efd45bd9b957de3d64.jpg

423332368_thumbnail_image0(69).jpg.7e5ba14b0b80b6662d3799884ea0f49b.jpg

No idea where this one is, but one of many fires currently burning in Ireland...

Edited April 27, 2022 by UK_Palms

April 28, 2022

The scenes are like something out of Terminator or Armageddon...

FRY6oPeXIAIRWPd.jpg.6bd275248c1f4e63b5c28fc26a1e10a9.jpg

824940342_thumbnail_image1(34).jpg.46f36b1d4606f6d040cfe7b03ea4a606.jpg

Galway Fire has got worse over night...

2109984052_thumbnail_image1(37).jpg.bde6e9682bd13f021ebecaee9d5d4129.jpg

1687184007_thumbnail_image0(78).jpg.bba8b2794545620a06339c561bc4c1a5.jpg

2130955909_thumbnail_image1(35).jpg.0adbd4dfa5d8bbd86f374f723d5e0901.jpg

113305224_thumbnail_image0(80).jpg.928f5a4c6125f8dac752d43decc1bcbe.jpg

The fires that are burning up in Scotland are even more ridiculous...

929054194_thumbnail_image0(81).jpg.e2e81806e5ccadf0212ef859d56b55df.jpg

1896574080_thumbnail_image0(77).jpg.066a5cab5f253bb2bd332f9097f9ff56.jpg

1040707477_thumbnail_image0(82).jpg.cf3616b506b72ca8f4a274033e8d7be4.jpg

All hands on deck this morning. The helicopters are still trying to get the fires under control in Kilmaley and over in Kyle of Lochalsh.

1044219502_thumbnail_image0(75).jpg.b312dbbf76d95c6279482b5832cce6aa.jpg

1927571511_thumbnail_image0(74).jpg.78e3737f0c87e53572bbe6242f80003a.jpg

1997677600_thumbnail_image1(33).jpg.0d2f40b204dbb5e1a84d0af8737d6784.jpg

690316840_thumbnail_image0(72).jpg.46ab0f6029b58a06d3dd2a3000e3569d.jpg