A field of barley went up in Faversham, where one of my neighbours works, a few days ago a park was set alight on the island and last night another country park went up in nearby Sittingbourne. I suspect it's only a matter of time until the country park in Leysdown goes up, all it takes is a discarded barbecue, a cigarette end or even a broken bottle!

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/faversham/news/six-fire-engines-called-to-blaze-in-barley-field-as-temperat-343219/ 

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/sheerness/news/field-fire-that-burned-for-hours-being-treated-as-suspicious-342941/ 

https://scontent-lhr11-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/758765119_1820866032241039_3291595712203938250_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_tt6&cstp=mx750x536&ctp=s750x536&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=aa7b47&_nc_ohc=bvMxOw3ZMjIQ7kNvwEBMP0_&_nc_oc=AdppT62DU4K6SXkCBMauAxlDkmK8Xzqj_r1y5KFlVyApqoIaMKKJ2YXluU3LLPsEJx8&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-lhr11-1.xx&_nc_gid=f1tuX-dKzlcPWEKUOsz1eQ&_nc_ss=7b2a8&oh=00_AQDz6BktqsNEuj6p_Kd5goeLds0WofcQYqEgLSEeWYcQHg&oe=6A6E42EB 

This July for me is genuinely the only total rainless month I have known. It's incredible to experience.  🙂🙂🙂

The last rainfall here was 24th June but up till that date June was very wet (about 70mm in Kew IIRC) which we can now see was probably just as well as even with this accumulation everything round here is now totally parched

Another way is an arsonist doing it for a variety of reasons. One could also hypothesise it's sometimes a 'hybrid' affair. The financial/environmental costs of dealing with these fires must be enormous but certainly of benefit to someone. 

The last rain here was from that massive Thunderstorm in early to mid june, during the second heatwave. cant remember the date. 

But we had about a months worth in one go.  I assume some of it made it down to root level which is helping the trees get through this

Last time this happend was back in 2022.

Most of the south is the same except in the extreme S.E. corner, whilst we got the 70mm at the start of June, there was just 18mm from mid  to late March in the months preceding that. That's the problem.

More than half of England officially in drought, Environment Agency says