On Tuesday evening, British authorities announced a state of maximum alert in the capital London to fight fires, while the country recorded the highest temperature in its history.
London Mayor Siddique Khan described the situation as “critical” due to the fires and urged people to take safety precautions, pointing out that firefighters are working under heavy pressure.
According to the British network Sky News, hundreds of firefighters moved to put out at least ten fires in the London area.
In an east London town, several houses were destroyed and others were badly damaged by fires.
The footage, taken from above, shows clouds of thick and black smoke over the cities adjacent to London, while there were no reports of casualties.
Also in the Lichshire region, the fire brigade declared a state of high alert, urging people to contact the authorities in case of fires.
On Tuesday, the United Kingdom recorded the hottest day in its history, with temperatures reaching 40.2 degrees Celsius at Heathrow Airport, as well as elsewhere in the country.
Investigation begins to determine the cause of the fire that ignited 15 fire engines on Mavis Grove in #Hornchurchhttps://t.co/cz50tdjL4ppic.twitter.com/OvSctXZ01n
— London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) July 19, 2022
Source: agencies + British media