Publication Date February 27, 2019 | New York Times

Wildfires Rage in Britain After Record Temperatures

United Kingdom
Firefighters tackled a blaze on Marsden Moor in northwest England that began on Tuesday night. Photo: Jon Super, Reuters
Firefighters tackled a blaze on Marsden Moor in northwest England that began on Tuesday night. Photo: Jon Super, Reuters

On the same day that Britain experienced record winter temperatures, wildfires broke out at some of the nation’s most beloved nature spots.

Firefighters were deployed to tackle the blazes on Tuesday, when a record was set for the warmest February day since 1910 and the hottest winter day temperature.

The night sky glowed orange as fires spread on the picturesque Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh, Scotland, over moorland in Yorkshire, England, and in a forest made famous by A.A. Milne’s “Winnie the Pooh” books.

...

Temperatures set a record on Tuesday when they peaked at 21.2 degrees Celsius (70.16 Fahrenheit) in Kew Gardens, London.

In general, dry ground caused by the unusually warm February weather could have been one of many reasons for the wildfires, said Bonnie Diamond, a meteorologist at the Met Office, the National Weather Service.

“Climate change predictions suggest that, on average, conditions for wildfires in the U.K. are expected to increase as temperatures rise,” Ms. Diamond added.