PM Burnham Chairs Emergency Cobra Meeting as UK Faces Fifth Heatwave of Summer

Prime Minister Andy Burnham chaired an emergency Cobra meeting on 12 August 2026 — the second convened for extreme heat this year — as the UK faced its fifth heatwave of summer. The Met Office issued an amber warning across England, forecasting 38°C. The Met Office says summer 2026 is on course to be the UK's hottest on record.