PM chairs emergency Cobra meeting over extreme heat and wildfires
The Prime Minister chaired an emergency Cobra meeting to coordinate the response to extreme heat and wildfires, as temperatures continue to rise and multiple fires break out across the country.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham chaired his first emergency Cobra meeting on Monday as the UK faced its fifth heatwave of the year, with wildfires raging, drought conditions spreading and water supplies under severe pressure. The meeting, attended by ministers, officials and agencies, was called to coordinate the response to extreme heat, wildfires and drought. Afterwards, the Prime Minister urged retailers to stop selling disposable barbecues, which he said had caused significant fires. He stopped short of an outright ban but asked people not to use them in the open. The Met Office issued a rare amber extreme heat warning for Thursday, with temperatures expected to reach 38 degrees Celsius in parts of England.
More than 1,000 wildfires have been recorded in England and Wales so far this year, matching the record total for the whole of last year. Nearly three quarters of England and all of Wales are now officially in drought after the driest July since records began in 1836. The National Drought Group has declared drought in seven areas of England, with more areas expected to be added. Hosepipe bans affect more than 20 million customers, with the number rising. The heat has also led to water supply failures, with 10,000 homes in Essex and East London affected by burst pipes.
Farmers are warning of food shortages and price rises, with yields down by up to a third. The Fire Brigades Union said the UK faces a national emergency and called for 5,000 more firefighters. The Prime Minister said the government was focused on both the immediate response and long-term resilience, including new reservoirs, but critics said action was too little, too late.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | BBC Two | Channel 4 | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drought was declared in more than half of England along with parts of Wales. | · | |||||||
| A fire in the New Forest, started by a van, spread to protected heathland and led to the closure of the A31. | · | · | ||||||
| Thames Water customers will face hosepipe restrictions from Thursday. | · | · | ||||||
| A yellow heat health alert is active in several English regions until Tuesday evening. | · | · | · | |||||
| Customers breaking a hosepipe ban face a maximum fine of £1,000. | · | · | · | |||||
| Drought was declared across almost all of England and all of Wales. | · | · | · | |||||
| The Prime Minister will chair his first emergency Cobra meeting on extreme heat. | · | · | · | |||||
| Crop yields were about a third lower than normal, and a third loss of the wheat crop in southern England and Wales would mean a 350 million pound shortfall in agricultural income. | · | · | · | · | ||||
| Drought conditions are affecting half of England and all of Wales. | · | · | · | · | ||||
| Livestock farmers are using winter feed because of a lack of grass. | · | · | · | · | ||||
| NFU president Tom Bradshaw warned of food shortages if drought continues. | · | · | · | · | ||||
| Parts of England experienced a two-week dry spell, the longest unbroken period without rain since the mid-1990s. | · | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Channel 5 focused on the personal impact of the heatwave and drought, with detailed segments on hosepipe bans, dry weather records, and the first Cobra meeting chaired by the PM. They also highlighted the number of wildfires and the risk to the public, using vivid imagery and expert weather analysis.
- “England is in the middle of its longest dry spell in nearly 30 years.”
- “The Prime Minister will chair his first COBRA committee today.”
ITV1 placed heavy emphasis on the Cobra meeting and the government's response, including the PM's call to pause sales of disposable barbecues. They also covered the drought declaration, the record number of wildfires, and the impact on farming, framing it as a national crisis.
- “The prime minister today held his first Cobra meeting and has called on all retailers to pause sales of disposable barbecues to prevent wildfires.”
- “Within the last few hours, the National Drought Group has declared almost three-quarters of England is now officially in drought.”
- “There have been a record-equalling 1,017 wildfires already this year.”
BBC One West concentrated on the practical consequences of the drought, including water supply failures, burst pipes, and the impact on agriculture. They also reported on the PM's plea to retailers and the rising number of wildfires, with a strong focus on local impacts in the West region.
- “The Prime Minister has urged retailers to withdraw the sale of disposable barbecues in order to prevent more wildfires.”
- “More than 10,000 homes in Essex and East London have been affected by water supply issues since the weekend when two pipes burst.”
- “England has received just 4.4 millimetres of rain so far in July.”
BBC TWO took a more analytical approach, using Newsnight to discuss the drought's impact on farming with a farmer in the studio. They focused on the long-term implications for agriculture and water management, without directly covering the Cobra meeting.
- “Parts of England have seen the longest unbroken spell without any recorded rainfall this century.”
- “The National Drought Group says large areas of southern, central and eastern England are now close to drought because of the three heat waves this year.”
BBC News provided comprehensive rolling coverage, including the Cobra meeting, drought declarations, wildfires, and the impact on farming and water supplies. They also highlighted the record-breaking July and the urgent need for government action, with a focus on national coordination.
- “The Prime Minister has urged retailers to withdraw the sale of disposable barbecues in order to prevent more wildfires.”
- “More than 70% of England is under drought conditions after the driest July since records began.”
- “The National Drought Group is meeting today to decide if more parts of England will be declared officially in drought.”
Channel 4 focused on the specific actions of water companies and the expansion of drought status, including the eighth hosepipe ban from Thames Water. They also covered the wider European context and the need for long-term infrastructure investment, with a relatively brief mention of the Cobra meeting.
- “Thames Water has become the eighth UK water company to announce that it is bringing in a hosepipe ban.”
- “More than two-thirds of England is officially now in drought after the Environment Agency declared another four English areas are in drought along with the whole of Wales.”
Sky News gave prominent coverage to the Cobra meeting, with live reporting and interviews with government ministers and officials. They also emphasised the economic cost of the heatwave, the drought figures, and the NFU's warning on food shortages, framing it as a multi-faceted national challenge.
- “The Prime Minister will chair his first emergency Cobra meeting in response to the extreme heat.”
- “45 million people across the country are now living in areas officially in drought.”
- “The NFU says there could be shortages of some foods in the UK as a result of the prolonged dry weather.”
GB News took an opinion-led approach, criticising the government and water companies for failing to build infrastructure. They used the drought and hosepipe bans to argue for more reservoirs and competition, and also linked the issue to immigration, a distinctive angle not seen on other channels.
- “45 million people now living in the UK in drought”
- “27 million of us are living under water use restrictions”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.