UK braces for fifth summer heatwave as government calls emergency Cobra meeting

The UK is bracing for its fifth heatwave of the summer, with the Met Office forecasting temperatures as high as 38C and issuing an amber warning for extreme heat. If the forecasts hold, this summer could become the hottest on record for the country.

The prolonged heat has fuelled widespread wildfires and drought across much of the country. The National Fire Chiefs Council reports that firefighters have tackled 966 wildfires in England and Wales this year, 185 of them in just the first ten days of August. Fire Brigades Union general secretary Steve Wright said the country is facing a national emergency right now, with fires breaking out across the UK. Among the largest was a blaze at Dunwich Heath in Suffolk, which burned through more than 150 hectares and required over 600 firefighters to control.

Nearly three-quarters of England and all of Wales are officially in drought, creating tinderbox conditions that have accelerated the spread of fires. Water company Southern Water has applied for a rare drought order that would bar businesses in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight from using water for non-essential purposes such as washing cars or filling swimming pools. If approved by Environment Secretary Angela Eagle, it would be the first such restriction since May 2006.

In response, the government has convened an emergency Cobra meeting — the second this year triggered by a heatwave — chaired by Prime Minister Andy Burnham. A Downing Street spokesperson acknowledged the difficult summer for firefighters, farmers and NHS staff, pledging continued action to protect communities and water supplies.

The Met Office warned that the extreme heat could harm vulnerable people's health, cause travel delays, and even trigger power cuts as equipment overheats and fails in some homes and businesses. Separate analysis suggests the summer's repeated heatwaves have already cost the UK economy around £4.4bn in lost output.