The situation in the New Forest is crying out for some rain.

But on Monday afternoon the National Drought Group announced that the Solent region was among the latest to be moved into drought status.

This means that most of England - away from northern areas - are in official drought, with 45 million people living in a drought area and over 27 million with water restrictions, according to the group.

The announcement comes with no rain in the forecast through most of this week across England and Wales.

We have to look towards Sunday, where there are some signs of rain coming into the UK from the Atlantic - but it is by no means guaranteed even then.

Image source, Google

Bournemouth Airport is urging people to factor in extra travel time for journeys to the airport.

The A31 is closed westbound between the M27 junction 2 for Ower and the A338 for Ringwood and eastbound between the A338 and M27 junction 1 Cadnam.

It is a route thousands of people would usually use to travel to the airport every day.

Diversions are in place, with anyone intending to travel or meet passengers advised to plan ahead for longer journey times to the airport at Hurn near Bournemouth.

Image source, PA Media

The fire service says its crews worked "tirelessly" through the night to keep the fire under control.

It says it is planning an even "larger scale attack" on the situation today, with the dry conditions set to continue.

A total of seven fire engines with water carriers and off-road vehicles were involved in the operation overnight.

This continued to use water being pumped through miles of pipes laid from a nearby lake.

National Highways is urging motorists to use its suggested local diversion routes and not to follow their satnavs.

Drivers will also need to allow extra time and make sure they have enough fuel to complete their journeys.

It is not yet known when the A31 - the main route used to travel through the New Forest - will reopen.

But we do know it has sustained significant damage as a result of the fire.

The A31's westbound carriageway is closed between the M27 junction 2 for Ower and the A338 for Ringwood, and it is also shut eastbound between the A338 and M27 junction 1 for Cadnam.

Traffic travelling westbound:

• Exit the M27 at J2 (Ower Interchange) onto the A326 towards Ashurst Bridge
• Join the A35 and head southbound on the A35 through Ashurst, Lyndhurst, Allum Green, Hinton Admiral and Christchurch
• At the Iford roundabout, take the third exit onto the A3060 towards the Cooper Dean roundabout
• At the Cooper Dean roundabout, take the third exit onto the A338
• Continue northbound on the A338 to the Ashley Heath roundabout to re-join the A31

Traffic travelling eastbound:

• Exit the A31 at Ashley Heath roundabout onto the A338
• Continue south on the A338 towards Bournemouth
• At the Cooper Dean roundabout, take the first exit onto the A3060
• Continue on the A3060 to the Iford roundabout, take the first exit onto the A35
• Continue on the A35 through Christchurch, Hinton Admiral, Allum Green, Lyndhurst and Ashurst until you reach the A326
• Head northbound on the A326 to re-join the M27 at J2 (Ower Interchange).

A police drone is being used to help the firefighters.

The fire service says crews are using the footage to prioritise hot spots and manage flare ups.

The fire service says the fire spread across about a 1 sq km (247-acre) area of heathland with difficult terrain.

Several car parks near the fire - which are usually very busy during the school summer holidays - remain closed and people have been urged to stay away.

Bratley View, the Canadian Memorial and Bolderwood car parks are all shut, and Forestry England says they are unlikely to reopen this week.

“We continue to ask the public to avoid the area and to leave gateways and gravel access tracks clear to allow the fire services and our staff to manage the incident," it said.

Image source, HIWFRS

Water is being pumped along a five-mile (8km) pipeline to fight the fire.

The pipe was set up to draw water from Hightown Lake, near Ringwood.

The fire service said some of the hoses laid as part of the system go across access to homes in the area.

"We thank residents for their support and patience," it said.

It said the pipe, which can pump about 1,300 litres of water a minute, was helping crews maintain a continuous supply as they continued to work.

Image source, HIWFRS

The fire service scaled back its overnight response to seven fire engines and support vehicles but says a "a larger scale attack" was planned for today.

It says a change in wind direction provided a challenge to the firefighters working through the night but "we are managing to contain the fire".

Crews have been working to cool the edges of the area involved in the fire to prevent any further spread and escalation.

Image source, Nenad Žilić

• The fire started when a van caught fire on the A31 on Sunday
• Police say 23 drivers had to abandon their vehicles as the fire took hold
• It is estimated to have affected more than 100 hectares (247 acres) of heathland, Forestry England says. That's about the size of 140 football pitches
• The fire service says it has installed a high volume pump system across Ringwood to supply crews with the water they need
• The public are being asked to stay away from the area as firefighting efforts continue
• There is significant damage to the road and National Highways say they don't know when it will reopen

Image source, HWFRS

This aerial image showing the scale of the blaze has been released by the fire service.

Forestry England said yesterday that an area the size of about 140 football pitches had been affected.

Firefighters are continuing to work as amber heath alerts come into force across most of England on Tuesday.

Temperatures are set to start climbing again at the start of the summer's latest predicted heatwave.

The amber alerts will be in place until Friday evening to cover high and even extreme temperatures expected through this week.

During the peak of the heatwave, temperatures across England and Wales will widely be in the low to mid-30s Celsius.

It comes after drought officials declared 71.3% of England is now in drought.

The A31 remains closed in both directions until further notice following Sunday's fire.

The westbound carriageway is closed between the M27 Junction 2 for Ower and the A338 for Ringwood.

The eastbound carriageway is closed between the A338 and M27 Junction 1 for Cadnam.

Diversions are in place, with drivers urged to allow extra time for their journey.

Image source, Andrew Matthews/PA Wire

The fire started on Sunday evening after flames spread onto heathland from a van that caught fire on the A31 east of Ringwood near Bratley Wood.

The road has been closed since, with motorists facing lengthy delays on surrounding roads.

Although under control, the operation to contain the fire is expected to last for several days.

We are resuming our coverage of the New Forest wildfire, which has now been brought under control.

Crews have worked through the night again.

Despite the progress, people are still being warned to stay away from the area.

Firefighters are continuing to tackle a blaze in the New Forest which began when a van caught fire on a nearby road.

Crews are set to work into the night, Hampshire and Isle Wight's Fire and Rescue Service said earlier.

People are being asked to avoid the area and Forestry England have said the operation could go on for days, though the fire is now under control.

The A31, where the van caught fire, remains closed and has sustained significant damage. National Highways has said they do not know when it will be able to reopen.

Ann Kemp, who was in one of the first vehicles to be stopped at the scene, described how the fire spread.

Another woman, Lindsey Legg, told the BBC she had to abandon her vehicle which she feared was "going to go up" as she saw "flames licking through the woods".

We're now pausing our live coverage, but we'll be back tomorrow with the latest updates. In the meantime, read more in our news story here.

More than 120 firefighters have been tackling a blaze in the New Forest, here's a reminder of the timeline of the blaze:

A van caught fire on the A31 near Ringwood, Hampshire, shortly after 17:20 BST on Sunday.

Twenty-six fire crews alongside water carriers and specialist off-road units were sent to the scene as the flames quickly spread to the heathland by the side of the road - watch the moment they arrived on scene.

The A31 closed and police later said 23 drivers had to abandon their cars.

Firefighting crews worked through the night to tackle the blaze.

By Monday morning the fire was still raging and crews worked to try and distinguish it.

At midday on Monday, Forestry England said the fire had spread to the size of 140 football pitches and urged people to stay away.

On Monday afternoon, National Highways said the A31 had sustained "significant damage" and there was no estimated time for when the A31 would reopen.

This evening Forestry England, which manages about half of the New Forest National Park, said the fire is under control but the operation could last for days as flames are still on site.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service then said its crews were set to work into the night as they continue to tackle the blaze.

In an update a short while ago, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service said their firefighting crews are "set to work into the night again as they continue to tackle the fire".

The statement adds it expects "a significant presence for several days, as we work to protect this beautiful part of the New Forest".

"We are being supported by the Rapid Relief Team, who provide food and drink to help fuel our firefighters as they work in challenging conditions, to resolve this incident," it says.

Image source, PA Media

A wildfire that spread on to heathland in the New Forest following a van fire on the nearby A31 is now under control, according to Forestry England.

The blaze spread quickly on Sunday as police say 23 drivers had to abandon their vehicles.

More than 120 firefighters are continuing to tackle the fire, which covers about one square kilometre, and crews are expected to work into the night.

People are being urged to stay away from the area as Forestry England spokeswoman Esta Mion says "there are still flames on site" and the incident could go on for days.

She added: "It's nowhere near as bad as it was at the height of the fire last night. But we are very much asking people to stay away... it's unpredictable."

We'll continue to bring you the latest updates throughout the evening, stay with us.

Rozina Sini
BBC News

Image source, Eleanor Kemp

Anna Kemp, who was driving home to Devon from a family weekend in Sussex, says she was in one of the first 50 vehicles to be stopped due to the van fire on the A31.

She says she and her family were stopped before the road was fully closed.

Her daughter Eleanor, 14, took pictures as the fire spread from the vehicle to the heathland.

They show how close drivers were to the blaze as it began to spread, as large plumes of smoke rose up from the heathland.

She tells the BBC that the emergency services instructed people to leave their vehicles and move to a place of safety.

Image source, Eleanor Kemp