Wales breaking news plus weather and traffic updates (Tuesday, July 21)

Smoke from a major wildfire in Blaenavon has spread across South Wales, with people reporting the smell as far away as Newport and Cardiff. The fire services has warned those affected by the smell to close their windows and doors.

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) said crews remain at the scene tackling the blaze, which has generated a large number of 999 calls since it first broke out on Monday.

The fire service said smoke from the fire could be seen up to 10 miles away and urged residents not to be concerned if they could smell or see it.

A SWFRS spokesperson said: “Crews are continuing to deal with a significant wildfire in the Blaenavon area, and smoke from the incident can be seen up to 10 miles away.

“We are receiving a large number of calls for this incident and we want to reassure residents, particularly those in the Abergavenny area, that we are aware and we are dealing with it.

“Thank you for your concern.”

In a further update on Tuesday morning, the fire service said the smoke had travelled much further than first reported.

It said: “Smoke from a significant wildfire in the Blaenavon area has spread as far south as Caerphilly and Cardiff this morning.

“If you’ve woken up to this smoke in the air, please be reassured that our crews are continuing to deal with the incident which is causing it.

“If you are living or working in one of the areas affected, please close your windows and doors.

“We’re receiving a significant volume of calls to report this smoke, however we want to let you know we are aware.”