Cobra Meeting Held as Heatwave and Record Wildfires Grip England
Andy Burnham chaired an emergency Cobra meeting today over the extreme heat, drought and wildfires, with temperatures forecast to hit 38C on Thursday. Wildfires this year have already matched the whole of last year’s total for England and Wales, and the fire service union called the situation a national emergency. Burnham is said to be weighing a ban on disposable barbecues to cut the fire risk.
Convening Cobra signals that the government now treats the heat, drought and wildfires as a national emergency rather than a seasonal spell, with amber health alerts in force and firefighters stretched across multiple blazes. A ban on disposable barbecues, long urged by fire chiefs, is among the measures under discussion, though no formal package had been announced by early evening. More than two-thirds of England remains officially in drought, hosepipe bans are spreading, and farmers warn of damaged harvests and higher food prices. Critics point to thin government preparation, noting how few officials are assigned to climate adaptation as the crisis bites. Watch what measures emerge and whether Thursday’s forecast peak is breached.