Wildfire warning issued for across Portsmouth area

The Met Office has put the region under its second-highest alert level on its Fire Severity Index (FSI).

Hampshire Fire and Rescue are warning against people having outdoor BBQs and Bonfires.

Hants Fire Control tweeted: ‘The Met Office have now issued an AMBER WILDFIRE ALERT, this means over the next 9 days there is an incredibly high risk of fire spreading spontaneously out of control.

‘We must again repeat our message, NO BBQ's and NO BONFIRES. Please help us to help you.’

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The Met Office’s FSI is an assessment of how severe a fire could become if one were to start.

The level four warning issued for across the Portsmouth area means that if a blaze broke out it could have a very high severity.

It is one level lower than the highest alert – level five exceptional fire severity

According to the Met Office’s website the FSI is not an assessment of the risk of wildfires occurring.

The FSI shows the current day's fire severity and a forecast of likely fire severity over the coming five days.

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