A dried up Hyde Park – visitors are being advised to keep hydrated and stay in cool places in the heatwave

PARKS authorities are stepping up fire precautions and temperatures soared to 31°C in central London yesterday (Thursday) as the Met Office issued another Amber warning of extreme heat.

Barbecues are already banned in the Royal Parks where grass, foliage and vegetation have been looking increasingly parched.

Large cracks appearing in the ground due to drought, and fallen leaves from trees mean some paths resemble those of October, not early-August.

Michael Rowland, head of operations at the Royal Parks, which manages Hyde Park and Regent’s Park, said he expected to see the barren parkland recover and was not watering grass during the prolonged heatwave.

Regent’s Park

He said: “We are prioritising watering where we can make a difference, such as newly-planted trees and shrubs, newly-laid turf, and bedding, where roots are still developing. Most of the water used is drawn from boreholes or our waterbodies, and the use of mains water is restricted as a last resort where alternative sources aren’t available.

“Where possible we’ll water when it’s cooler, either early morning or evening. We will monitor all water use across the parks and will adapt our approaches to ensure that we are in line with the latest guidance on potential restrictions around water supply.”

Thames Water has said it will follow other areas of the UK in introducing a hosepipe ban, and said: “Given the long-term forecast of dry weather and another forecast of very hot temperatures coming this week we are planning to announce a temporary use ban in the coming weeks.”