Hundreds of holidaymakers have been evacuated as firefighters battle large wildfires in London and Suffolk. 

The blaze on Dunwich Heath, Suffolk, which began at around 5.30pm yesterday, is spreading rapidly in the direction of Sizewell B nuclear power station, about 2.5 miles away. 

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service said it was working hard to protect seaside holiday homes – with around 200 caravans evacuated overnight.

Meanwhile, in Romford, east London, around 30 acres of grassland were destroyed in a large fire yesterday.

Around 100 firefighters were also called to another blaze in Rainham, where around four acres of land were damaged. 

Britain is on high alert for ‘exceptionally severe’ wildfires, with parts of the country left bone-dry after weeks of hot weather.

Around half of England has been placed in drought. Some areas have not seen rain in 43 days and temperatures soared again to 34C yesterday. 

A 50-year drought record from the long, hot summer of 1976 is now on the brink of being beaten. 

Amid the rising temperatures, supermarkets have resorted to rolling out Mediterranean-style fridges – with Waitrose buying up new equipment that can withstand outdoor temperatures of up to 48C.

The blaze on Dunwich Heath, which began at around 5.30pm yesterday, is spreading rapidly in the direction of Sizewell B nuclear power station, which is about 2.5 miles away

Fire crews are seen battling a fire in Romford, east London, yesterday where around 30 acres of grassland were destroyed

Fire crews tackle a blaze in London yesterday after temperatures reached 34C

In Suffolk, people have been urged to avoid the area and to keep their windows and doors closed due to the smoke.

Suffolk Fire and Rescue has declared the blaze a major incident ‘due to the size and complexity’.

It began in heathland near the Coastguard Cottages, which are properties on the Suffolk coastline.

Although the fire is heading in the direction of Sizewell B – Britain’s largest nuclear power station – it is not believed to be a threat to the site. 

Station manager Dan Davis said: ‘Crews from Leiston attended the scene and were met with what is a large-scale, wind- driven forestry fire.’

‘The incident has subsequently been upgraded to a major incident.

‘We currently have approximately 90 firefighters on scene working incredibly hard in arduous conditions to bring this fire under control.’

Mr Davis added: ‘I’d like to provide reassurance that we are going to remain on scene until we bring this fire under control.’

The fires in London and Suffolk come after the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued an amber heat-health alert for large swathes of the country. 

The alert remains in place until 9am on Thursday, with the agency previously warning that rising temperatures may increase health risks, particularly for vulnerable groups.

The increased heat has led to fears and warnings that wildfires could ‘spread rapidly’ with southern and eastern parts of England’s already bone-dry landscapes particularly at risk.

Helen Wakeham, director of water at the Environment Agency and chair of the National Drought Group, said: ‘The hot and dry weather means we are currently using water faster than nature can replenish it.

Grass in Blackheath, south-east London, has turned entirely brown

Weeks of minimal rain and the second hottest month on record in the UK has left the fields severely parched

‘A second consecutive summer drought is an exceptionally serious situation and one that will have long-lasting impacts on our environment, wildlife and the economy.’

The Met Office assessment showed any fires could be ‘exceptionally severe’ by Wednesday if they start in parts of London, the South East and eastern England.

Fire services in England and Wales have so far responded to 706 wildfires in 2026, with more than 200 recorded in the last two weeks, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said.

Eight wildfires are currently burning and ‘being monitored’ across the UK, with fire chiefs warning that there remains an ‘elevated risk’ of more igniting.

Separately, in Scotland, crews said they were making ‘significant progress’ tackling a wildfire in the Cairngorms that broke out two weeks ago.

A number of homes in the remote region were evacuated as plumes of smoke billowed into the sky, and vast swathes of trees, heather and grasslands have been left charred and blackened.

Speaking on the track on Wednesday, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) deputy assistant chief officer Michael Humphreys told the Press Association that fire crews are making progress in tackling the blaze.

However, he warned the risk of flare-ups remains high.

‘It’s been an absolutely devastating fire for wildlife and for the local community who have come out in force to really support us, which we really do appreciate,’ he said.

‘To control this fire, what we’ve had to put in place is a significant number of fire breaks.’