In the last week, London Fire Brigade (London not being known for endless miles of greenery) has seen the daily call rates increase from around 500 to 700. As I was looking at the live incident screen today every third call seemed to be to grassland/bushes/fields alight in the suburbs.

On July 30th 2006, at one point late in the afternoon we had 160 of our 168 Pumping appliances attached to incidents.I took charge of a large fire in Hornchurch Country park right at the very edge of East London and requested two additional Pumps, both of which were despatched from Bow and Homerton in the inner city part of East London... almost unheard of in a large Metropolitan Fire Brigade

With the look of the parks and open spaces, I think the next couple of weekends may see us getting very busy again, thus my interest in this site moving from curious weather watcher to a more professional assessment.

Should have known that even the very wet autumn and winter would have a silver lining in the end 

I'm not sure how long the groundwater levels can hold up without fresh input at this time of year, but I have a book of weather extremes that details a lot of lengthy summer dry spells causing only relatively minor disruption to water supplies, so I'm hopeful that we can enjoy the continued largely or totally dry weather without having to worry about much more than watering the garden

Shame about the risk of fires... once upon a time they were nature's way of moving things along quickly, but these days they so often threaten our immovable possesions (and other not easy to move ones). As a whole I consider it a small price to pay, but of course I wouldn't be saying that if my house burnt down, so here's hoping the fire brigades keep on top of things!

As a cheerful footnote, the abundant sunshine is making me delirous with satisfaction

I enjoy looking at the parched landscape and look nice for a change from green and muggy landsape.

Thankyou for bringing us back to reality, its hardly surprising there are, and will be problems, arising from the lack of precipitation. Locally I have only measured 11.6mm of rain since the 31st May.

For those wishing for and extolling parched and burnt landscapes, may I remind you we live in Englands green and pleasant land.(well some us of anyway) The next thing you know we will be suffering water shortages, with the attendant problems that brings. Be careful what you wish for.

I really don't understamd this almost religious worship for the sun, sure I like a bit of sunshine, but I don't cream my pants when its forecast to last for days/weeks on end, nor so I moan when cloud/rain is forecast longterm. The UK weather is a bit of this and that, or to put it a bit better, changeable, and that is what most folk are comfortable with.

oh its funny the people who say they like it hot and sunny for long periods . put them to hard graft outside 90% will change thir tune. thing is hard manual labour is a thing of the past and they just dont get how hard it is to sweat it out all day every day. i dont think there is any chance of water shortage yet as resevoirs are mainly high for the time of year .in my area water is from chalk aquifers and they must still be pretty full as some winterbournes are still flowing.the surface though is getting very dry in parts and with the forecasted hihg temps will soon parch.

May had ample rain here, and June was cool and not especially dry.
Surface springs which can be drying out in some years by now are generally running surprisingly strongly and even the driest banksides are barely showing drought stress.
It has only been two hot days anyway (so far) here. 

Don't get me wrong... I wasn't complaining, I love the hot weather and would move to warmer climes at the drop of a hat. In terms of Firefighting, it may do us a favour.... along with increased Fire prevention the run of appalling summers has seen the Fire Service across the UK get a lot quieter in terms of call numbers which has played right into the modernisation/cuts agenda. My own Fire Service is on the verge of shutting 10 Stations and deleting 550 Ff posts... this summer is too late, but the increase in calls will buck the 'downward' trend of the graph.

Meanwhile, I'll continue to look at the model output discussions with increased joy and excitement.

I disagree. The more sun the better. It just makes such a difference to my mood when the sun is shining. And we had a winter that lasted about eight months with endless grey grey days and having to wrap up warm before doing anything outside. Just being able to step outside and feel the warmth on your skin is heaven.

Also I haven't had to mow the lawn for about three weeks as it has just turned to straw and stopped growing altogether.

Another great benefit of the dry weather: the best strawberry crop I've had in years. Recent summers have been so wet that the few fruits that did manage to struggle to ripeness were instantly devoured by slugs. This year I've had bowlfuls of big juicy strawbs, and it looks like the apple and blackberry crop will be massive too 

I just wish they'd turn the air-con down at work. Seems like the hotter it gets outside, the more fridgelike it is inside. I want to be able to wear a T-shirt in this weather but I've had to give up and bring a jumper in. Crazy when it has been high-20s outside!

People were saying "we need the rain" back in March 2012, well they sure got what they wished for in the end. I'd gladly take zero rainfall until early September.

I am not sure how the Midlands are affected in times of water shortage Brummie, but here in the SE we are usually amongst the first to get cut-backs. Remember also, we are already 6 weeks into a drought with only 11.6mm in this locality during that time.

I think it's too early to panic yet. The rain will come eventually and I don't think we're in any immediate danger. If we get a dry autumn and winter, then it will become a more serious concern.

I think the problem for southern areas is you get most of you're drinking water from sources like boreholes? and even rivers? whilst we get ours from the Pennine and Lake district reservoirs so we tend not to run out as quick as it obviously rains more in those upland areas where we get it from, but it is by no means unlimited up here though, we can have problems sometimes.

Chew Valley Reservoir  is reading 84% full ..No doubt the next week or so will lower that figure..Then th waterboard will start sending out messages... 

Anglian Water had better not start.  We have had a leak in our road for weeks.  They have dug it up 5 times in the last 6 weeks, and the final reinstatement on Thursday fractured the main.  It has now been pouring gallons of water down the road since 4pm on Thursday.  The road is now collapsing into a hole and despite several people reporting it we have JUST had an engineer out to look at it and said "We will be digging it up today HOPEFULLY". 

Edges of the lawn at the back of the house looking very dry heat from the patio has really burnt it in places

Anyway in general, whatever the weather, there's always going to be some who don't like it.  I'm loving it!  

Are most of the call outs hot weather related? Just asking the question, surely cuts aren't made on the lack of hot weather?

In addition to my previous post, there is currently a large fire in Sheffield.  I'm at least 25 miles away and I can see the plume of black smoke.  Early reports say ten crews are attending what was initially a refuse fire that has spread to a plastics depot.  Fire does spread more readily in hot dry weather and dry materials are more combustable.