Senior Correspondent Jonathan Swain reports from the site of a wildfire in South Wales as the prime minister is due to hold an emergency Cobra meeting about the extreme heat and wildfires.
Andy Burnham has urged all retailers to withdraw disposable barbecues from sale in an effort to prevent wildfires as the heatwave continues.
The Prime Minister urged “retailers big and small” to pull the barbecues from their shelves as he warned extreme heat conditions “could be with us for some weeks yet”.
His comments came after he chaired a meeting of the government’s emergency Cobra committee in response to the prolonged spell of exceptionally hot and dry weather.
The Met Office said the UK is on course for its hottest summer on record Credit: Jamie Lashmar/PA
Speaking from the Downing Street garden, the PM said: “The big risk in terms of risk to the wider regions across the country is the risk of wildfires. What we are seeing is multiple serious incidents across the country.
“Fire services by and large are supporting each other through mutual aid to deal with those incidents, but we are keeping a very close watching brief on them.
“There is advice to the public here not to use disposable barbecues. We have today confirmed through the National Fire Chiefs Council that the framework restricting the retail sale of those disposable barbecues is being extended.”
“Longer term we will look at whether a temporary ban in the summer months is justified,” Burnham added.
Burnham also told broadcasters there had been a “significant number of excess deaths from heat this summer already”, and urged the public to “check in on elderly friends and relatives who may need support at this particular moment in time”.
The prime minister met 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 Environment Agency, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Home Office, and Department for Health also attended.
This was the second Cobra meeting this year on heatwaves, after one took place amid high temperatures in June.
The prime minister was also asked if there was still a case for drilling the outstanding North Sea fossil fuel deposits given the impact of climate change.
Burnham said: “It is really important that we deal today with the situation that we are in right now and we focus on making sure that we have the serious incidents under control across the country, and those incidents are under control.”
There are concerns disposable BBQs could contirbute to wildfires as conditions remain hot and dry. Credit: iStock
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.
The government urged the public to pay attention to UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) heat health alerts, and advised people to drink plenty of fluids and check in on family, friends and neighbours who may be at high risk.
It comes as 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.
(PA Graphics) Credit: PA Graphics
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.
Wright told Times Radio: “In many parts of the country, firefighters do not have the new modern equipment to deal with these.
“They do not have the new modern personal protective equipment, the lightweight fire kit that we wear, the right helmets, lightweight helmets, breathable uniforms to make sure they’re better protected, their health is protected when they’re out dealing with these incidents for hours and hours on end.”
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.
Southern Water has applied for a rare non-domestic drought order which would ban businesses from non-essential water use, including cleaning cars and filling swimming pools, saying an “exceptional” lack of rain has threatened supplies in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
It warned that 165,000 people in the Southampton West supply area could face restricted supplies.
Environment Secretary Angela Eagle will decide on the application, which would be the first such ban since May 2006.
Record-breaking heatwaves in May and June led to the deaths of more than 2,800 people, while parts of the country were hit with further heatwaves last month as England and Wales endured their driest July since records began in 1836.
The UK is bracing for another heatwave. Credit: PA
The Environment Agency said 71.3% of England is now experiencing “flash drought”, as a dry start to August followed the country’s driest July on record.
Flash drought is one which develops very quickly because of a combination of very low rainfall and high temperatures.
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “I want to thank NHS staff who are once again stepping up to cope with the extra pressures that hot weather brings.
“Extreme heat can be dangerous, so staying aware of warnings and alerts in place can make a real difference.”
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