Andy Burnham will chair a meeting of the Government’s emergency Cobra committee on Wednesday in response to extreme heat, which has caused widespread wildfires and plunged the country into drought. The Prime Minister will meet with ministers, officials and agencies as high temperatures continue across the UK on Wednesday afternoon, with temperatures of 33C forecast, and up to 38C on Thursday.
Government and agencies to attend
Ministers from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Home Office, and Department for Health will attend. The Environment Agency will also be present. It will be the second Cobra meeting this year on heatwaves, after one took place amid high temperatures in June.
A Downing Street spokesperson said the Government understood firefighters, farmers and NHS staff were all facing challenges connected to the weather. The Government urged the public to pay attention to UK Health Security Agency heat health alerts, and advised people should drink plenty of fluids and check in on family, friends and neighbours who may be at high risk.
Firefighters warn of national emergency
On Tuesday a firefighter union chief warned the country faces a ‘national emergency’ amid ongoing wildfires. The Met Office said the UK is on course for its hottest summer on record, as parts of the country face their fifth heatwave this summer. Rare amber ‘extreme heat’ warnings have been issued by the forecaster for London and parts of the South East, East Midlands, East of England, West Midlands and South Yorkshire from 9am to midnight on Thursday.
Steve Wright, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), warned the UK faces a national emergency ‘right now’ with fires across the country. Firefighters have responded to 966 wildfires across England and Wales this year, including 185 in the first 10 days of August alone, while July was the busiest month on record for wildfires with 458 incidents, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said.
Funding and drought
Crews from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service have battled a fire in the New Forest, which started after a van caught fire on the A31 near Ringwood on Sunday. The area hit by the blaze is protected heathland and home to a number of rare species, according to the New Forest National Park Authority.
The Government said it had announced £97 million in new funding to upgrade national firefighting capabilities, including off-road vehicles and specialist equipment. Nearly three quarters of England and the whole of Wales are in drought, after a record dry July and very dry start to August has combined with high temperatures to put pressure on water resources.
