British Prime Minister Andy Burnham chaired an emergency government committee meeting on August 12, 2026, to discuss responses to extreme heat, wildfires, and drought affecting the UK [1, 2]. The meeting came as temperatures were forecast to reach around 37°C on August 13 across southern and eastern England and parts of the Midlands, with the Met Office issuing a rare amber extreme heat warning for August 13 and 14 [1, 3, 2].

England and Wales have experienced 966 wildfires so far this year, including 185 in the first 10 days of August alone, straining emergency services [1]. Prolonged dry weather, linked to climate change, has caused England and Wales to record their driest July in 190 years, leading to a flash drought situation due to low rainfall and sustained high temperatures [1]. About 45 million people in the UK live in drought-hit areas, and 27 million face water use restrictions [1]. Half of England and all of Wales were declared in drought last month due to record-low rainfall and ongoing heat [3, 2].

The extreme heat has severely impacted public health, with an estimated 2,877 excess deaths attributed to heat-related causes in May and June 2026. This nearly doubles the 1,504 excess deaths recorded during the summer of 2025 [1, 3, 2]. Firefighters, farmers, and NHS staff are all dealing with severe challenges linked to the extreme weather conditions [3, 2].

In response, the Green Party leader Zack Polanski urged stronger measures, saying, "We cannot negotiate with the science," and called for taxing fossil fuel companies to fund firefighting helicopters, community cooling spaces, enforce maximum working temperatures, and end new North Sea oil and gas extraction [3, 2]. A Downing Street spokesperson pledged, "We will continue to take the action needed to keep communities safe, protect water supplies, support farming communities and safeguard the environment" [1].

Drought was officially declared across Wales on July 30 due to deteriorating conditions from sustained heat [3, 2]. The UK is on course for its hottest summer on record by average temperature in 2026 [3, 2]. Firefighters responded to a surge in 185 wildfires during early August alone [1]. The government is expected to monitor the situation closely as the severe heat warning remains in effect through August 14 [3, 2].