Retailers urged to pull BBQs to prevent wildfires
Andy Burnham has urged all retailers to withdraw the sale of disposable barbecues in order to prevent more wildfires this summer.
The prime minister he warned extreme heat conditions “could be with us for some weeks yet”.
The PM was to chair a meeting of the government’s emergency Cobra committee on Wednesday to discuss the UK’s response to the extreme heat.
James Reynolds12 August 2026 18:05
The devastating impact of England’s drought in before and after pictures
Nearly three-quarters of England is officially in drought, affecting up to 45 million people across the country ahead of scorching temperatures this week.
It comes after the East Midlands, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, Kent and East Sussex, and Solent and the South Downs were added to the list of regions already in drought.
According to the National Drought Group, 71.3 per cent of England is in drought, while the North East and Yorkshire are now under a ‘prolonged dry weather’ status.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain12 August 2026 18:00
We’ve had one of the wettest winters on record. Why are reservoirs drying up?
Maryam Zakir-Hussain12 August 2026 17:30
PM to chair emergency Cobra meeting amid ‘extreme heat’ warning and wildfires
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 many parts of 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.
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.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain12 August 2026 17:00
Poll: Almost 80% of Brits want workplace temperature limits to combat heatwaves
A YouGov survey has found that 79 per cent of respondents are in support of the government introducing a legal maximum temperature for workplaces.
Ruth Wilkinson, head of policy and public affairs at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), believes businesses have a duty to protect workers whether the legislation comes into effect or not.
She said: “While legislation may help provide clarity in the future, businesses should not wait for a maximum legal limit before acting to protect workers.
“Extreme temperatures can have a serious impact on worker health and safety as they can impair concentration and increase fatigue, both of which raise the likelihood of accidents.
“The law already requires employers to provide a reasonable indoor workplace temperature. Bosses are also required to assess workplace risks and take reasonably practicable steps to protect people. For hot weather, this can include amending work schedules, moving physically demanding tasks to cooler parts of the day, providing shaded rest areas and free access to drinking water, and relaxing dress codes where appropriate.
“The debate over a UK maximum workplace temperature is an important one. But workers need protection now, not after new legislation has worked its way through Parliament. Good employers will recognise that safeguarding staff during heatwaves is not simply about compliance; it is about preventing harm and demonstrating a genuine commitment to a safe, healthy and productive workforce.”
Maryam Zakir-Hussain12 August 2026 16:45
Emergency services tackle wildfire near Land’s End Airport
A wildfire near Land’s End Airport in Cornwall that has sent thick plumes of smoke into the sky.
The blaze in the St Buryan area, near Land’s End Airport, ignited at about 12:20pm, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said.
In an update this afternoon, the service said: “Crews are responding to a wildfire in the area of Crows-An-Wra, St Buryan.
“On arrival, fire crews requested further assistance and in total 4 appliances are currently in attendance/on their way to this incident.”
In a post online, Cornwall Council said: “There is a lot of smoke in the area. Please avoid the area and keep windows and doors closed if you live nearby.”
Maryam Zakir-Hussain12 August 2026 16:21
Michael Stewart, commercial and customer strategy director at Chiltern Railways, said: “We are asking customers to travel only if essential on Thursday because of the exceptionally high temperatures forecast across our network.
“By operating a reduced timetable during the hottest part of the day, we can provide a more reliable and comfortable service for customers.”
East Midlands Railway said trains between Nottingham and Worksop, and on the Nottingham to Leicester regional stopping route, will not run on Thursday after midday.
The Liverpool Lime Street to Norwich route will run between Sheffield and Norwich only.Another operator, Northern, said it will run fewer trains than normal on some routes in the North West and Yorkshire on Thursday because of extreme heat.
It told passengers: “High temperatures increase the risk of issues on the railway and with the reliability of our trains, which means we have to make adjustments to our usual timetable to keep trains running.”
Maryam Zakir-Hussain12 August 2026 15:44
Wildfire total for 2026 in England and Wales reaches same as whole of last year
England and Wales have been struck as many wildfires in 2026 so far as there were in the whole of last year, new figures have revealed, as the prime minister is set to convene an emergency meeting about the extreme weather facing the country.
Some 1,017 wildfires have been recorded in England and Wales this year, according to data shared by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), the same as last year’s record-breaking total.
Between January 1 and August 12 last year, 869 wildfires had been recorded, in what was then the worst year on record.
Over the same period in 2022, also one of the worst years for wildfires, the figure was 843.
NFCC chairman Phil Garrigan said: “Most wildfires in the UK are caused because of human behaviours, careless, accidental or unfortunately intentional acts.
“But as climate change brings more frequent periods of hot, dry weather, the conditions for wildfires are becoming more dangerous, increasing their scale and intensity.
“Hot, dry weather and drought are turning parts of the UK into tinderbox landscapes, allowing fires to spread faster, burn longer and place greater pressure on fire and rescue services.
“Wildfires are becoming part of our new reality and we need to be honest about both the causes and the conditions that are driving them.
“While over 1,000 wildfires have been recorded so far this year, the incident numbers alone do not tell the full story.
“They do not capture the scale, duration and complexity of these incidents, or the impact they have on communities, the environment and fire and rescue services.
“As their impact grows, we must work with all stakeholders to ensure we have the right capabilities needed to protect our communities and to respond effectively when wildfires occur.”
Maryam Zakir-Hussain12 August 2026 15:23
Train passengers urged to ‘only travel if necessary’ as temperatures soar
Train passengers are being urged to only travel if necessary by some operators on Thursday as services will be disrupted because of hot weather.
Chiltern Railways, East Midlands Railway and Northern issued alerts to “only travel if essential”.
Other operators will either run a reduced timetable or are warning about the potential for short-notice cancellations.
Heat-related issues that can affect the railway include buckled rails, sagging overhead electric wires and lineside fires.
Steel rails can exceed 50C when the air temperature is 30C.
Some ticket restrictions have been eased, and passengers are being asked to check for travel updates before setting off, as well as carry water with them to stay hydrated.
Chiltern Railways said temperatures are expected to reach highs of 38C on parts of its network on Thursday.
It will operate a reduce timetable between 11am and 8pm.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain12 August 2026 15:21
Mapped: The wildfires scorching the UK during summer of record heatwaves
A fire, spreading across more than 1.6 square kilometres of land, started on 9 August and crews say they expect to stay “for several more days” as they contend with water supply issues and volatile wind conditions, amid a near-nationwide drought.
Shantha Dickinson, of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service, said it had been a “very challenging few months so far for wildfires”, adding that tackling them was “incredibly resource-intensive”.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain12 August 2026 15:06