Andy Burnham to chair emergency Cobra meeting amid extreme heat

The Guardian ^ | August 12, 2026 | Caroline Davies and Peter Walker

[MinorityRepublican]

Andy Burnham will chair an emergency Cobra meeting in response to the extreme heat, which has caused wildfires and plunged many parts of Britain into drought.

The prime minister will meet ministers, officials and agencies as high temperatures continue across the UK, with 33C forecast on Wednesday and up to 38C on Thursday.

A No 10 spokesperson said the government understood that firefighters, farmers and NHS staff were all facing challenges connected to the weather.

It will be the second Cobra meeting this year on heatwaves, after one took place amid high temperatures in June. It comes as parts of the country face their fifth heatwave this summer and the number of days reaching 30C in any year in the UK hits a new record at 35 days so far, beating the 34 days set in 1995, according to the Met Office.

The climate breakdown has been linked to the increasing frequency of wildfires, burning larger areas, across many parts of the world. The “fire wave” under way in the UK is the most widespread on record, with the combination of wet winters and prolonged heatwaves exacerbating the risk.

Speaking before the Cobra meeting, Burnham raised the idea of a possible ban on disposable barbecues, which are a known fire risk. “There is obviously a significant problem of wildfires in the south,” Burnham said during a visit to a community centre in Stevenage. “Many of them have been created by disposable barbecues.”

He continued: “I do believe we need to get the message out loud and clear. People should not be using those barbecues outside at this moment in time.

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TOPICS: United Kingdom
KEYWORDS:

[FlyingEagle]

We have 38 deg C - 100F - routinely in Texas in August.

London did too during the 5 years I lived there 40+ years ago. The Limey chicken-Littles always freak out about it.

[brookwood]

30 centigrade is 86 Farenheit. That is a nice summer day. These reporters are being paid for their propaganda, they probably took courses in journalism school “how to lie about the imaginary danger of climate change”.

[ExcursionGuy84]

"Crashing through the sky/
Comes a fearful cry/
CObraaa! (Cobraaa) CO-braaa!"

"Armies of the Night/
Evil taking flight/
CO-braa! (cobra) Co-braa !"

[FlyingEagle]

A meeting of Prime Minister, ministers, government officials and agencies will only increase the problem because of all the hot air generated by these windbags.

[Sirius Lee]

The UK has a bigger problem with jihadis that they should be addressing instead.

[AndyJackson]

the government understood that firefighters, farmers and NHS staff were all facing challenges connected to the weather.

Why does he care? The first two groups, and some devoted qualified fraction of the third do useful and necessary things. Since when does a batshit radical globalist, open to rapist immigrant communist care about useful people. They can take care of themselves. It's the worthless detritus that are the proper focus of taxpayer funded "charity."

[DoodleBob]

People should not be using those barbecues outside at this moment in time.

This may be the pinnacle of climate idiocracy.

[FlyingEagle]

Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun

[Opinionated Blowhard]

“I do believe we need to get the message out loud and clear. People should not be using those barbecues outside at this moment in time.

Step 1. Create a manufactured crisis by calling a hot day "extreme heat."

Step 2. Use the crisis to impose controls on the population or conditioning them to accept controls in the future.

[MrBambaLaMamba]

If the UK still had a navy it could tow the islands further north to cooler climes until the autumn.

[Deaf Smith]

What is “disposable barbecues”?

Is that some sort of RONCO product sold in the UK?

[crusty old prospector]

It sounds like someone just wants a catered lunch from McAlister’s Deli.

[TheDon]

GiJoe will break up that meeting!

[oldplayer]

“People should not be using those barbecues outside at this moment in time”
_________________________________________________________

Well of course. These people should have sense enough to light up in the garage or, if room enough, in their kitchen.

[freedomlover]

As long as they don’t tip over

[Antoninus]

[chopperk]

Brits weather problems are nothing compared to the jihadis that is coming.

[BobL]

Nice to be in Texas with a high-quality air conditioning system - but, unlike others here, I’m not dumb, if we hand the country to the Democrats, I’ll be very lucky if they allow me to set my unit to 80 degrees (and, trust me, they’ll use their judges to rule that residential police inspections for violating temperature setting rules will be, somehow, declared constitutional).

[Danie_2023]

“”The UK has a bigger problem with jihadis that they should be addressing instead.””

***

Yes, but at least the heat wave provides a convenient distraction and excuse for not handling the real problems. The UK globalists are grateful to their climate gods, no doubt.