# UK could see hottest day of year as parts of England may hit 38C

By Robert Palmer — 2026-08-13

In response to Prime Minister Andy Burnham proposing a ban on disposable barbecues in relation to the recent spell of hot weather and wildfires, Robert Palmer, deputy director of Uplift, has argued that the government needs to do more to tackle climate change.

He said: “It’s gesture politics for Andy Burnham to propose a ban on disposable barbecues, while not even mentioning the cause of the heatwaves, which is climate change.

“There’s increasing frustration from farmers, nurses, firefighters, workers, and those simply trying to survive this extreme heat, that more isn’t being done to tackle the problem.

“It’s clear that the root cause of the heatwaves, wildfires and droughts that are devastating the UK is climate change.

“Nearly three-quarters of the country is in drought, there have been over a thousand wildfires to date, the whole of England is under a health warning and a sixth heatwave is on the way later this month. Heartbreakingly, this is after the sweltering heat has already killed thousands this summer. This is also a horrific economic burden in terms of dealing with wildfires, ruined crops and fears that food bills are set to rocket.

“Andy Burnham’s government needs to take proper action, not just tinker around the edges. He must tackle the climate change crisis on our shores and take the crucial step of stopping major new oil and gas drilling such as the Rosebank field. Scientists could not be clearer that more drilling will wreck our planet and perpetuate this extreme weather. The Prime Minister needs to look out of the window and protect the country.”

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