ANDY Burnham will chair a meeting of the UK 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.
It comes after Green Party leader Zack Polanski previously slated Burnham for failing to hold a Cobra meeting over the extreme weather, describing climate change as the “greatest threat to human security we face”.
It will be the second Cobra meeting this year on heatwaves, after one took place amid high temperatures in June, although it will be Burnham's first as Prime Minister.
A Downing Street spokesperson said the UK Government understood firefighters, farmers and NHS staff were all facing challenges connected to the weather.
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.
No such warnings are in place in Scotland, although the country has still felt the impact of the rising temperatures, with a wildfire raging in the Cairngorms for a number of weeks.
The UK 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.
A No 10 spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister will chair a meeting of COBR – the government emergency committee – this afternoon on the UK’s ongoing response to extreme heat, wildfires and drought.
“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 and safeguard the environment.”
Met Office 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.
“High pressure is now becoming dominant and temperatures will build day by day. Southerly and south-easterly winds will also tap into the hot conditions over Europe which helps develop this further notable heat in what has been a hot and dry summer so far for many in the south of the UK.”
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.
The National previously told how record-breaking heatwaves in May and June led to the deaths of more than 2800 people in England and Wales, with both nations also enduring their driest July since records began in 1836.
The UK Government's 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.”
