Overview
- Following Wednesday's Cobra meeting, Prime Minister Andy Burnham urged all retailers to stop selling disposable barbecues and said a temporary summer ban will be considered.
- The National Fire Chiefs Council reports about 1,017 wildfires so far this year and the Environment Agency says 71.3% of England is now in flash drought.
- Major supermarkets including Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury’s have already paused sales under NFCC guidance while fire chiefs press retailers for wider compliance.
- Southern Water has applied for a rare drought order to curb non‑essential business water use in parts of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, and Environment Secretary Angela Eagle must now decide.
- Fire unions and chiefs are calling for more funding and equipment as firefighters stretch mutual‑aid arrangements, hospitals report staff collapsing from heat, and rail operators run reduced timetables to avoid heat damage.