What are the Royal Parks doing to cut the risk of grassfires?

The UK has seen the hottest summer on record this year with more than two thirds of England now officially declared in drought.

South-east England received just 1% of the expected average rainfall for July.

The prolonged heat and lack of rainwater has made forests and grassland particularly vulnerable to wildfires and the capital's many parks and green spaces have been no exception - London Fire Brigade were called to 63 grass fires in one day alone in July when temperatures topped 30C.

These kinds of hot and dry summers are projected to bring more severe droughts in the future.

So how how are London's Royal Parks future-proofing against this increasingly extreme weather and the higher risk of fire?

One method to prevent fires raging through parks and being further ignited by dried-out plants is to ensure grass is regularly mowed, especially where it lies in between bushes and near houses or fences.

Paul Richards, park manager of Richmond Park, said: "We've been cutting it really short, so that if we do get a fire it's a natural break that would then stop [the flames] and hopefully the fire would put itself out."

Park managers have also decided to cut large amounts of grass and leave it out to dry as part of its annual hay cut. Work began earlier than usual at the start of July when temperatures had not yet soared.

Public awareness campaigns are being used to remind park users to take their litter home, especially glass bottles which can "act as a magnifying glass and can cause fires", Richards said.

Volunteer officer for Richmond and Bushy parks, Fiona Megarrell, added: "Our volunteers are also out and about just talking to people letting them know there is a huge fire risk and what they can do to stop that from happening."

As London is in drought, the Royal Parks, a collection of eight parks across the capital and other green spaces, has also kept its reliance on mains water to a minimum.

Royal Parks' director, Darren Share, said: "Most of the water used across the Royal Parks is drawn from our own boreholes and water bodies.

"Throughout the year, we restrict the use of mains water to essential purposes and only where alternative sources are not available."

Visitors are also being warned not to go swimming in any of the open bodies of water due to the risk of cold shock syndrome.

"Not many people know it doesn't have to be freezing temperatures, it's that change in temperature because it is so hot in the air," Megarrell added.

Another major aspect of extreme heat is what happens when the weather turns from constant sunshine to heavy downpours.

With such deluges, dried-out soil cannot absorb large volumes of water in a short space of time, so it runs off, potentially causing flooding.

To prevent this, the park has increased the size of its ponds, dug a number of ditches as well as leaky dams to ensure the water stays in the ground for longer.

Long-term measures are being taken as well, with more meadows being cultivated to help the soil stay damp for longer.

One example is Pembroke Lodge in Richmond Park, of a South African wildflower meadow which is more likely to withstand hotter summers.

Charlotte Cass, biodiversity manager at Richmond Park, said: "Not only are they brilliant biodiversity, they're helping with pollinators, and other insects that are important food for the birds and the bats, but they also help to hold on to moisture.

"They create almost a microclimate, so that the moisture is trapped down by the roots, whereas with shorter grass, it will evaporate off as soon as the sun hits it."

The park already has drought-tolerant flora, such as harebell, yarrow and wild thyme and the native drought-resistant hawthorn.

Pockets of scrub - made up of shrubs and grasses - have also been sown to build up resilience.

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