The UK is set to experience its fifth heatwave of the summer this week, with temperatures forecast to reach 38C, prompting the Met Office to issue an amber weather warning for extreme heat. The government has convened an emergency Cobra meeting, the second this year in response to a heatwave, to coordinate the response.
Record-breaking summer and wildfire crisis
According to the Met Office, this summer is on course to be the UK's hottest since records began. The heat has led to wildfires and drought across many parts of the country. The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) reported that firefighters have responded to 966 wildfires in England and Wales this year, including 185 in the first 10 days of August alone.
Steve Wright, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), told Times Radio that the country faces a national emergency “right now”, with wildfires seen “all across” the UK. One notable incident at Dunwich Heath in Suffolk burnt through over 371 acres (150 hectares) of heathland and required more than 600 firefighters to tackle the blaze.
Drought conditions and water restrictions
Nearly three-quarters of England and the whole of Wales are in drought, creating tinderbox conditions that have fuelled the rapid spread of wildfires. Southern Water has applied for a rare drought order that would restrict businesses in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight from using water for non-essential activities, including cleaning cars and filling swimming pools, citing exceptionally low rainfall and concerns over supplies. If approved, it would be the first such ban since May 2006, with the decision resting with the environment secretary, Angela Eagle.
Government response and health warnings
A Downing Street spokesperson said ahead of the Cobra meeting, which will be chaired by Prime Minister Andy Burnham: “We know how challenging this summer is proving, particularly for firefighters tackling wildfires, farmers working in drought conditions, and NHS staff in busy A&E units. We will continue to take the action needed to keep communities safe, protect water supplies, support farming communities and safeguard the environment.”
The Met Office forecast temperatures could reach 33C today and up to 38C tomorrow, with an amber heat warning in place for large parts of England, including London, St Albans, Cambridge, Oxford, Milton Keynes, Peterborough, Leicester, Birmingham, Nottingham, Lincoln and Sheffield, from 9am tomorrow to midnight.
The Met Office warned that the “extreme heat” could cause “adverse” health effects for vulnerable people, delays to travel, and potential power cuts as “heat sensitive systems and equipment may fail”. Chief forecaster Chris Bulmer said: “While the peak heat will be more short-lived than recent heatwaves, temperatures widely into the mid-30s Celsius on Thursday brings the potential for impacts for some, which is why a Met Office warning has been issued.”
Earlier, the Met Office said another record-breaking summer was increasingly likely, after the UK recorded its second-warmest June and July on record, with temperatures reaching 38C in June and 35C in July. It said the repeated heatwaves were a stark reminder of the changes taking place in the UK's climate. The climate crisis, caused by pollution from fossil fuel burning, makes every heatwave more likely and intense, as the heatwave at the end of June was the most severe ever recorded in Europe and would not have been possible without human-caused global heating.
