Advice offered on water conservation and preventing wildfires as temperatures soar

With the UK currently enduring its second heatwave of the summer, the Met Office has issued an amber warning for extreme heat for the Seaton area from Thursday to Sunday. 

Little rain is expected to help relieve the threat of drought, which has prompted hosepipe bans in some areas of the UK and wildfire warnings.

Temperatures in Seaton are expected to reach 29 degrees over the weekend. 

With the extreme weather adding pressure to water supplies and utilities providers, advice has been offered on simple ways to save water and money, including taking shorter showers, turning off taps when not needed, filling your dishwasher and washing machine to reduce the amount of times they are used, and using a watering can in your garden rather than a hose pipe.

Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Service has also called for the public to help reduce the risk of wildfires and the dry and hot weather continues. 

The service has seen dramatic scenes in recent days as firefighters from across the country have battled wildfires and worked to protect homes and businesses nearby. 

They have attended a high number of 'fires in the open' so far in July – 195, compared to an average of 148 for the same period over the past four years.

A spokesperson said: "Although we are well trained and resourced to deal with wildfires, we need your help to reduce the likelihood of them happening. We have had a number of people getting in touch this week concerned about wildfires.

"Most wildfires are started by human behaviour – a barbecue, campfire, discarded cigarette, or glass lying on dry ground magnifying the sun's rays. They can also sometimes start due to a bonfire, which was intended to be controlled, getting out of control.

To help reduce the risk of wildfires:

• Don't have barbecues or campfires in the countryside, or on any grassland during this very dry weather.
• If you're a smoker, take extreme care with how you put out your cigarettes and dispose of them.
• Don't leave litter, and pick it up if you see it. Don't leave it to someone else. Discarded litter, in particular glass bottles, pose a fire risk when the sun's rays are magnified through it.
• Avoid having bonfires at the moment. If you must have one, follow bonfire safety advice and let the fire service know you're having a controlled burn by calling 0333 399 0014). This is so they can check in with you if they receive any 999 calls reporting a fire in the same area, which stops them from sending firefighters out to bonfires when they're not needed.
• Read more about how you can prevent wildfires.