WELSH WILDFIRE HELICOPTER DEPLOYED AS RAIN FORECAST

A specialist firefighting helicopter will be deployed to tackle wildfires in Wales on Friday, Natural Resources Wales confirmed on Thursday. The deployment comes after days of requests from residents, farmers and politicians in affected areas, and follows the Welsh Government's activation of crisis management arrangements on Wednesday in response to multiple significant blazes. The helicopter will support ongoing efforts at Rhinogydd mountains near Harlech in north Wales, where a wildfire first broke out 11 days ago. North Wales Fire & Rescue Service confirmed that crews are also battling a grass fire on Bangor Mountain in Gwynedd.

Firefighters have been fighting a number of major blazes across Wales this week, with some covering areas the size of hundreds of football pitches. A wildfire in Blaenavon created smoke detectable up to 30 miles away. On Wednesday, the Ministry of Defence stated that no helicopters were available to assist crews, a position that drew criticism from those in affected communities. The deployment on Friday arrives only hours before significant rainfall is forecast to reach Wales.

According to weather forecasts, rain is due to arrive in north Wales by early Saturday afternoon, moving southwards towards mid-Wales by late afternoon. Heavy rain is forecast to return in the early hours of Sunday, with both Swansea and Cardiff expected to experience downpours by mid-morning. The Met Office described the forthcoming rainfall as "much-needed" after weeks of dry conditions across the UK. The rain is expected to provide substantial assistance to firefighting efforts already under way across the country.