Scientists have issued a chilling warning about a new weather pattern that could devastate UK cities amid exacerbating climate change effects.
Experts revealed a new weather phenomenon termed “Firewave” has the potential to start wildfires that could spread within the heart of Britain’s biggest cities.
As climate change is making summers in the country hotter and drier, researchers at Imperial College London have coined the new term which they define as:
“Multiple wildfires simultaneously erupting in urban areas due to prolonged hot weather.”
Professor Guillermo Rein has identified the key factors which drive wildfire outbreaks in the city using data from London Fire Brigade.
In an interview with BBC, the well-known fire researcher said, “Even a small spark can lead to a fast-spreading fire, once the moisture content of the vegetation drops below a certain threshold.”
He warned that the Firewave could start this weekend, adding that the chances of multiple wildfires igniting at once could significantly increase just after 10 days of extreme dry weather.
The research published in journal Fire Technology also identified an interesting phenomena as his research found that the primary factor in initiation of a wildfire is not heat or relative humidity but the capacity of atmosphere to extract water from the land, a process known as “vapour pressure deficit.”
This warning comes after firefighters in London rushed to put out three separate grass fires within a time frame of only 24 hours recently. The temperature in the British capital has soared to 33.3°C.