Burnham considers disposable BBQ ban amid heatwave and wildfire risk
Temperatures could hit 33C on Wednesday before potentially reaching highs of 37C or 38C on Thursday, the Met Office said.
Andy Burnham has said he will consider imposing a ban on disposable barbecues amid the risk of further wildfires as extreme heat continues to grip parts of the UK.
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The Prime Minister will chair an emergency Cobra committee later on Wednesday in response to a prolonged spell of exceptionally hot and dry weather.
Nearly three-quarters of England and the whole of Wales are in drought, after a record dry July and very dry start to August have combined with high temperatures to put pressure on water resources for households, agriculture and the environment.
Temperatures are set to climb as high as 38C in some parts of England on Thursday, in the fifth heatwave of a summer on track to be the UK’s hottest on record, while much of the country is at “exceptional” risk of severe wildfires if they ignite.
Speaking to reporters, Mr Burnham said people should not be using single-use grills “at this time” amid a “significant problem” of wildfires in the south, where a blaze hit protected heathland in the New Forest, Hampshire.
Read more Wildfires are becoming Britain's new normal – we must prepare now
On a visit to Stevenage earlier on Wednesday, he said: “You know, the wildfires I mentioned, many of them have been created by disposable BBQs, that people can take out. I understand why people want to go out and do that.
“But we need to, in my view, have a situation where we almost just have a temporary ban on those things. We’re going to look at that issue today.”
Mr Burnham said he was “certainly going to consider” a ban, adding: “I do believe we need to get the message out loud and clear. People should not be using those barbecues outside at this moment in time.
“I don’t know yet what the remedy is, but I do want to leave the meeting today with a loud and clear message that we do want people to take the greatest possible care when they are out in the countryside, both in terms of cigarettes, but also those temporary barbecues that we know are causing risk of fires.”
The UK is battling with the growing spectre of worsening drought, heatwaves and wildfires.
A key climate adviser has warned it “gets worse from here” until the greenhouse gas emissions – mostly caused by burning fossil fuels in power plants, vehicles, home heating, and industry – that drive global warming are cut to zero overall, known as net zero.
Baroness Brown, who chairs the independent advisory Climate Change Committee’s adaptation work, said “we need to remember that this is as good as it gets”.
“It gets worse from here. Until we get to net zero, things go on getting worse,” she warned, as she also urged the Government to take steps to help the UK adapt to rising temperatures, such as air conditioning in hospitals, schools and for vulnerable families.
In the latest heatwave, rare amber “extreme heat” warnings have been issued by the forecaster for London and parts of the South East, East Midlands, East of England, West Midlands and South Yorkshire from 9am to midnight on Thursday.
Temperatures could hit 33C on Wednesday before potentially reaching highs of 37C or 38C on Thursday, the Met Office said.
Most major UK supermarkets suspended sales of disposable barbecues in recent weeks, in line with voluntary guidance from the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC).
Inga Becker-Hansen, product safety policy adviser at the British Retail Consortium, also said: “Retailers will continue to work with local authorities to reduce fire risks and encourage the public to exercise personal responsibility when using disposable BBQs.”
Jon Pearce, the Labour MP for High Peak in Derbyshire, also wrote to retail giants earlier this month asking them to stop selling single-use grills for the rest of the summer.
Speaking last week, he said he expected the Government to act before next summer and would continue campaigning for a ban.
“Last summer was the worst on record for wildfires. This year will almost certainly surpass it. We need to adapt quickly to our changing climate and start planning for next summer now,” he said.
Some 966 wildfires have been responded to across England and Wales this year, including 185 in the first 10 days of August alone, the NFCC said.
Crews from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service have been battling a fire on protected heathland in the New Forest, which started after a van caught fire on the A31 near Ringwood on Sunday.
Firefighters continued to work through the night to contain the fire and manage hotspots, the service said on Wednesday.
A statement said: “Challenging terrain and limited access to the remote location continue to make firefighting operations difficult, and the high temperatures forecast for today are expected to add to those challenges.”
Southern Water has applied for a rare drought order which would ban businesses from non-essential water use, including cleaning cars and filling non-domestic swimming pools, saying an “exceptional” lack of rain has threatened supplies in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
It warned that 165,000 people in the Southampton West supply area could face restricted supplies.
Environment Secretary Angela Eagle will decide on the application, which would be the first such ban since May 2006.
The Environment Agency said 71.3% of England is now experiencing “flash drought”, as a dry start to August followed the country’s driest July on record.