The Guardian World · Aug 12, 2026

Andy Burnham to chair emergency Cobra meeting amid extreme heat

PM touts ban on disposable barbecues as areas hit by wildfires – but some Labour MPs will be hoping for more ambitious ideas to tackle crisis Just 20 of 6,600 Defra staff working on climate adaptation amid drought and wildfires UK heatwave live – latest updates Andy Burnham will chair an emergency Cobra meeting in response to extreme heat, which has caused wildfires and plunged many parts of Britain into drought.