Major incident declared in Wales as firefighters tackle wildfires across UK

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Over in County Durham, a wildfire as large as 14 football pitches hit fields near Durham University.

County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service said it had received calls at about 14:15 BST, and the fire was put out in about an hour.

West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service said several vehicles had been sent to a fire in a field in Nutbourne, Chichester on Sunday afternoon.

It follows firefighters battling several wildfires across the country on Friday and Saturday, including in Derbyshire.

On Saturday morning, Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service said crews had returned to wildfires near Arnfield Farm and at Tintwistle Moor - with a helicopter also carrying out water drops on hotspots.

The blaze first started on 24 June - during the last heatwave - and has affected about 260 hectares (642 acres) of moorland and woodland.

Firefighters covering Devon and Somerset also battled at least four grassland fires on Saturday.

Crews from East Sussex and West Sussex also tackled two fires in the South Downs National Park - one at Devil's Dyke and one near Eastbourne - overnight on Friday.

Many parts of England and Wales are facing an increased wildfire risk after three record-breaking heatwaves and a prolonged lack of rainfall.

Over the next few days, the continued hot and dry weather, coupled with strengthening winds and lower humidity, is expected to accelerate the drying of vegetation, increasing the risk for fires.

Stronger winds would also allow any fires that do break out to spread more rapidly and become harder to contain.

The risk is expected to ease slightly towards the middle of next week as winds become lighter and the chance of showers increases.

Meanwhile, safety warnings have been issued by campaigners after multiple deaths of people who had been swimming in open water over recent days.

On Friday, the body of an 18-year-old man was pulled from Dovestone Reservoir. Two men died on Sunday afternoon after attempting to assist two children who had got into difficulty in the sea at Seaton Carew Beach off Hartlepool coast.

Hot weather warnings are also in place, with amber and yellow heat health alerts from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued from 09:00 BST on Sunday to 21:00 on Wednesday.

That means significant impacts are likely across health and social care services due to the high temperatures, including a rise in deaths, particularly among those with health conditions or aged 65 and older.

Climate change is driving up temperatures around the world, causing increased summer heatwaves and more intense wildfires.

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