Fire chiefs have pleaded with Britons to avoid garden barbecues amid warnings from forecasters of a second heat wave and another week without rain.
Water companies have also been ‘strongly urged’ to introduce hose bans, as drought in Europe has also dramatically reduced river levels.
The With Office has said England and Wales will remain completely dry this week, with temperatures expected to rise above 30°C again.
Temperatures will soar from 29°C today to 30°C on Tuesday and 32°C on Wednesday, with a 40 percent chance of 35 degrees or more.
It comes after 40 people had to be rescued from their homes in Chelmsford, Essex on Saturday, following a fire that damaged 15 homes and backyards.
While the cause of the fire is unclear, firefighters warned people not to use a barbecue in hot weather.
Fire station manager Dan Wastell has urged households not to barbecue because of the risk of fire. The sun reports.
He said: ‘We are dealing with unprecedented temperatures combined with drought-like conditions. Everything is tinder dry.
Two friends sunbathe on the dry grass of Southampton Common, which looked like a sandy beach during the warm weather on Sunday
About 70 firefighters were called in yesterday afternoon to extinguish a fire in Feltham (pictured), with images posted on social media showing the blaze ripping through a backyard
A pond has dried up and conkers have begun to fall in a park in Wanstead, east London due to the current warm weather amid warnings of another heat wave
A view of Blackheath, London, on Sunday as parched parts of England face a garden hose ban in very arid conditions and awaiting another predicted heat wave
A man lays in a chair on parched ground in Green Park on Sunday after a long spell of warm weather and little rain in London
Deep cracks have formed in the ground in South London’s Brockwell Park, pictured Sunday, with the entire region having had almost no rain in the past month
‘That is quite a fire risk. Fire and rescue services in the UK strongly advise people not to make bonfires in their gardens where possible.
‘This is mainly based on campfires and garden fireplaces, but we also advise people to refrain from barbecuing for this period whenever possible.
“I understand it’s the time of year when people like to use their garden and make the most of the sun, but they need to do this wisely and keep the risk of fire low.
“I would urge people to think about whether they should use their barbecue – for example, they can cook inside and eat outside.”
Neil Fenwick, Kent Fire and Rescue Service area manager, added: ‘We strongly discourage people from having any kind of fire at this time.’
A massive grass fire near Heathrow Airport forced 60 people to flee their homes and sent plumes of black smoke across west London.
And some 70 firefighters were called in yesterday afternoon to extinguish the blaze in Feltham.
Social media showed the fire ripping through a backyard as firefighters battled to save an entire street.
Meanwhile, Environment Minister George Eustice has encouraged water companies to introduce garden hose bans and fine customers if they violate them.
Only three of the 11 water companies in England and Wales have announced a ban – which prevents people from watering gardens, washing cars or filling swimming pools – despite no rain forecast for at least seven days.
Drought in Europe has also dramatically reduced river levels, leading to the discovery of a World War II 450kg bomb near Mantua in northern Italy. It was only brought to safety yesterday by military experts after it was located on July 25.
The Met Office said England and Wales will remain completely dry this week, with temperatures expected to rise above 30°C again.
Environment Minister George Eustice (pictured) has encouraged water companies to introduce hose bans and fine customers if they ignore them
Reservoirs in the south west of the UK are reportedly less than half full, with the steep banks of Meldon Reservoir (pictured) exposed due to little rain
A view of Greenwich Park on Sunday, looking back at the Royal Observatory in London, while the grass nearby has dried up
People walk on parched ground in St James’s Park on Sunday after a long spell of warm weather and little rain in London
A view of people enjoying the sun and picnicking in London’s Greenwich Park on a Sunday. The view is looking back towards Queen’s House
Two chairs and an umbrella stand empty on the burnt grass next to the Royal Crescent, Bath, amid calls for a ban on garden hoses on Sunday
Aerial view of the parched fields around the village of Uploders, near Bridport in Dorset on Sunday, where the grass has been scorched by the hot sun and lack of rain during the summer drought conditions
Temperatures will soar from 29°C today to 30°C on Tuesday and 32°C on Wednesday, with a 40 percent chance of 35 degrees or more. A Met Office spokesperson said: ‘All of England and Wales looks completely dry and is getting warmer and sunnier.
There will be no rain in England and Wales until at least next Monday and even then it is uncertain as it is still a week away.
“If we see a change to something wetter, it’s unlikely it will be widespread rain. There is more chance of showers, so changeable. But it will in any case be a whole week without rain.’
The combination of high temperatures and low rainfall affects water levels in reservoirs, and campaigners say not enough is being done to ensure that households do not run out of water.
Feargal Sharkey, the singer turned environmentalist, demanded that Mr Eustice do more and enforce a complete ban on garden hoses across the country.
“I’d be really surprised if there isn’t a ban on garden hoses across England within two weeks,” he said.
‘If another dry winter comes, like last year, London faces the prospect of people going to get water from standpipes.
‘That’s how precarious the entire water supply has become.’
In the government’s first public intervention, Mr Eustice called on more water companies to ban garden hoses to protect supplies.
“Water companies across the country have rightly taken action to mitigate the effects of this ongoing dry weather with the resources available,” he wrote in The Sunday Telegraph.
“I strongly urge others to do the same.” On Friday, Southern Water was the first to impose a hose ban on customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
If the situation worsens, households will have to fetch water from road tankers.
South East Water will impose a ban on garden hoses for customers in Kent and Sussex from Friday, and Welsh Water has also announced a ban on Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire later this month.
Over the weekend, Thames Water asked customers in London to save water by using a can instead of a garden hose in the garden and by taking shorter showers.