Too hot for solar panels? String of fires at schools across Suffolk force energy system switch-off as heatwave continues
Several fires at schools across Britain over the past year have prompted safety concerns over appropriate materials
A string of solar panel fires at schools across Suffolk have forced officials to turn off energy systems mounted above classrooms over safety fears - as the British heatwave continues.
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Concerned town hall officials have reportedly switched off 80 separate energy systems powering classrooms across Suffolk following three separate blazes in under a year.
It comes as wildfires continue to burn in 19 locations across England and Wales as the UK continues to bake, with more heat-health warnings issued for much of the country.
Seven English regions have been issued with yellow alerts between Tuesday and Friday by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) this week as the Met Office forecasts temperature peaks of 33C in south-central regions.
It's also been revealed that another 81 solar panels were also disconnected in Northumberland last summer following a fire at a primary school.
It's raised questions about the suitability of materials used to construct schools amid rising summer temperatures, with fires leading to growing safety fears.
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Suffolk County Council's switch off, affecting panels mounted on schools between 2011 and 2016, marks the latest precautionary measure after a fire took place at Sidegate Lane Primary School in Ipswich on June 24th, the Daily Mail reports.
The building was subsequently evacuated after staff smelt smoke, ultimately raising security concerns.
The fire brigade confirmed a full investigation was not required given "it has been confirmed beyond reasonable doubt that the cause was a solar panel on the roof".
A separate recent incident saw a fire on the roof of Brooklands Primary School a stone's throw away in Brantham, with another blaze at East Bergholt Primary School last August also being blamed on solar panels.
It comes amid soaring temperatures across the UK, with emergency services currently dealing with 19 active wildfire incidents.
Fire and rescue teams dealing with a combination of large moorland and agricultural fires, according to the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC).
The NFCC said that latest assessments show “severe wildfire risk” remains across large parts of England and Wales, with some locations continuing to have “extreme risk”.
Major incident were declared for wildfires in North Wales and in Glossop, Derbyshire in the Peak District.
Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon told the Press Association: “The heatwave continues for much of the UK this week where we could see temperatures peak on Wednesday, possibly a high of 33 degrees Celsius in some parts of southern-central England.
“Temperatures through much of this week for southern-central parts of England are into the low 30s, and mid to high 20s are even possible elsewhere.
“It’s going to be a sunny and warm week for the vast majority of the UK as high pressure remains in charge of our weather regime and is leading to clearer skies for many and lack of rainfall for many as well.”
However, temperatures are set to ease by the second half of the week.
He added: “What we can say as we get towards the weekend, we can see a slight dip in the temperatures to come.
“So rather than the low 30s that we’ve seen through much of the week, by Saturday we’re looking at peak temperatures possibly in the mid-to-high 20s for many.
“That’s largely because although high pressure is still in charge, we’re seeing more of a northerly influence, which is just helping to drop temperature slightly; still widely above average, and still warm and pleasant for many.
“But not the kind of peak figures that we’ll see through much this week and that we saw through last week as well.”