A major incident has been declared in North Wales due to the spread of a wildfire. Emergency services rushed to deal with the blaze near Sychnant Pass on Conwy Mountain.

The news comes as a significant portion of the UK faces an elevated risk of "exceptional" wildfires over the coming week, according to a warning issued by Natural England. The alert highlights growing concerns about fire outbreaks across large areas of the country, driven by conditions that increase the likelihood of severe and rapidly spreading wildfires.

Service Delivery Manager Jami Jennings, of North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said: "Firefighters remain on scene working in challenging conditions to contain the fire and protect surrounding communities, property, infrastructure and the environment.

"The incident involves a co-ordinated response from multiple fire appliances, specialist wildfire resources and partner agencies.

"Due to the size and complexity of the incident, operations are expected to continue for some time.

"We would ask members of the public to avoid the affected area to allow emergency services to work safely and efficiently."

Penmaenmawr Town Council has advised those living in parts of Capelulo, around the Fairy Glen public house, to evacuate the area due to smoke.

Firefighters have been responding to a series of wildfire incidents across the UK as hot and dry conditions continue. Derbyshire Fire and Rescue attended two moorland wildfires in recent days, while a vegetation fire near Stratford station led to the closure of several London rail services on Friday evening.

Elsewhere, emergency crews tackled a blaze at Devil's Dyke in the South Downs National Park in West Sussex, and firefighters in East Sussex were called to a large outdoor fire on the South Downs near Eastbourne, highlighting the growing wildfire risk across the country.

Heat-health alerts issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have been extended, reflecting ongoing concerns about the impact of high temperatures across England. Amber alerts remain in force for the West Midlands and South West, while yellow alerts continue across the East Midlands, North West, South East, East of England and London, all set to stay in place until 9pm on Wednesday.

The UKHSA warned that the prolonged heat could place significant pressure on health and social care services and increase the risk of water-related incidents, including cold water shock and drowning, as more people seek relief in open water during the hot weather.