A deputy chief fire officer said firefighters are likely to be battling the New Forest fire “for some time to come”.

Shantha Dickinson, of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service, said it had been a “very challenging few months so far for wildfires”, adding that tackling them was “incredibly resource-intensive”.

Discussing the New Forest fire, Ms Dickinson told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Our firefighters and all of our emergency responders have been working in incredibly difficult conditions actually for the last 36 hours since the event started on Sunday evening due to a van fire.

“And we’re likely to be there for some time to come.”

She added: “We’re battling hard to get it under control.

“It currently covers an area of about a kilometre square. So just to put that into perspective, that’s about 140 football fields, so rolling heathland of beautiful countryside.”

With a fifth heatwave fast approaching, many are questioning how much longer will the high temperatures last.

Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster David Oliver said: “While Thursday will be the peak of the heat this week, some warmth will remain in the south and southeast on Friday, before easing more widely on Saturday as cooler air spreads south from the northwest.”

The forecaster added that high pressure is likely to retain some influence over the weather in the south of the UK later in the weekend but may begin to weaken into the start of next week.

Details are uncertain, but this may allow showers or some longer spells of rain to spread across parts of the UK for a time.

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As of 9am, heat health alerts issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) are in place across England until Friday evening.

Amber heat health alerts have been issued for most of England including the Midlands, South East, North West and South West, while a yellow alert will be in force for the North East.

Here’s a look at the five day weather forecast:

A dry and sunny day for most with light winds. Cloudier in northwest Scotland and western parts of Northern Ireland with some outbreaks of light rain. Very warm in the sunshine.

Outbreaks of rain will continue in the far northwest, but a drier night elsewhere with clear skies. Staying mild perhaps with a few mist patches.

Outlook for Thursday to Saturday:

Turning hotter through the next few days with extreme heat possible in parts of England and Wales, particularly on Thursday. Largely dry and sunny, but showers possible in the northwest.

The UK’s treasured historic green spaces are under increasing threat from climate extremes, a report warns.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England warn that historic parks, gardens and cemeteries across the country are vulnerable to damage from harsher, more widespread drought, intense rainfall, more severe storms and pests which can thrive in warmer conditions.

These impacts, driven by climate change – which is mostly caused by burning fossil fuels for power plants, cars, heating and industry – are affecting all aspects of these heritage landscapes, from trees and plant collections to paths, terraces and lakes.

The report says historic parks and gardens, including Chiswick House and Gardens, Kew and the Royal Parks, in London, and Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh, employ more than 32,000 people and contribute £2.9 billion to the UK economy each year from international visitors alone.

But they are already being hit by increasingly extreme caused by climate change, with paths and drainage systems not fit for current conditions, trees lost to drought and high winds, and potential loss of entire groups of plants to diseases affecting box, ash, sweet chestnut and oak.

Firefighters are beginning a third day of tackling a fire in the New Forest which they say they are “managing to contain” after working “tirelessly” through the night.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, assisted by neighbouring services, initially scrambled 26 fire engines and four water carriers to the eastbound A31 after receiving 160 emergency calls reporting a van had caught fire on Sunday evening.

The fire service said the blaze spread from the vehicle to the central reservation before progressing into nearby heathland in a south-easterly direction towards Backley Bottom, and is in a “challenging rural location”.

An update released on Tuesday by the fire service said that a change in wind direction had “provided a challenge” overnight but it was managing to prevent “spread and escalation” with the help of a police drone to prioritise hotspots and flare-ups.

A total of seven fire engines with water carriers and off-road vehicles were involved in the operation overnight which continued to use water being pumped through miles of pipes laid from a nearby lake as part of a high volume pump (HVP) system.

And the A31 – the main route through the New Forest – remains closed, with National Highways saying that repairs needed to “significant” damage to the road surface, safety barriers and boundary fencing can only start once the fire is safely under control.

Heat health alerts are to come into force as the UK braces for the fifth heatwave of the year, with almost three-quarters of England in drought.

On Tuesday, highs of 29C in Cardiff, 28C in Manchester and 25C in London are forecast before temperatures soar to the mid-30s in some areas on Thursday, according to the Met Office.

From 9am on Tuesday, heat health alerts issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) are in place across England until Friday evening.

Officials have urged people to take simple steps to stay safe, such as drinking plenty of water, checking on vulnerable friends and family, and avoiding the sun at the hottest part of the day.

Amber heat health alerts have been issued for most of England including the Midlands, South East, North West and South West, while a yellow alert will be in force for the North East.