CONSIDER the impact of oil and gas on the recent extreme weather hitting Britain, campaigners have urged the Prime Minister as he chaired an emergency Cobra meeting today.

Uplift deputy director Robert Palmer told Andy Burnham he will have to block North Sea oil projects if he is to “properly face up to the threat of climate change.”

This afternoon, Mr Burnham met with officials, ministers and agencies as the country heads into its fifth heatwave this summer.

England and Wales has seen 1,017 so far in 2026, the same as the record-breaking total for the whole of last year, the National Fire Chiefs Council said.

A ban on disposable barbecues is being considered by the PM amid the continued high risk of fires.

But Uplift’s Robert Palmer said if the government is “going to properly face up to the threat of climate change it must stop major new oil and gas drilling such as the Rosebank field.”

He said climate change was “clearly devastating the UK, with nearly three-quarters of the country in drought, a fifth heatwave on the way in the south of England and severe health alerts.”

Mr Palmer highlighted the severity of the weather, pointing to a study co-authored by the Met Office estimating the total number of excess deaths to be more than 2,700 in England and Wales.

“The science is clear, the world already has far more oil and gas than can be burned safely if we want to maintain a liveable climate for ourselves and our children,” he added.

“We need leaders that protect the public’s health, their need for lower bills and a safe climate ahead of oil company profits, and speed up the shift to clean energy to stop the heat once and for all.”

End Fuel Poverty Coalition co-ordinator Simon Francis joined Uplift in demanding the PM also considers long-term solutions, such as ensuring homes are properly equipped to deal with the heat.

“An emergency response to this latest heatwave is necessary, but there is a deeper emergency as well with millions of homes now unfit for summer or winter,” Mr Francis said.

“The same poorly energy efficient homes that cost lives in winter now leave people dangerously exposed to the heat in the summer.

“Ministers must prioritise upgrading the country’s homes and develop a proper strategy for extreme heat.”