The Government has issued a temporary ban on the sale of disposable barbecues due to the heatwave conditions.The single-use grills “have been the cause of a number of serious wildfires across the country over the summer months”, advice published online by the Government said.
It added: “Disposable barbecues cannot be considered a safe product in the context of the ongoing weather and environmental conditions and must not be made available for sale either in store or online at the current time.”
Prime Minister Andy Burnham had suggested earlier in the week that such a measure could be introduced.
With record dry conditions in July and a dry start to August, nearly three-quarters of England and the whole of Wales are in drought, heaping pressure on water resources for households, agriculture and the environment. A spate of wildfires have destroyed homes and infrastructure across the country this week.
In fact, England and Wales have already seen as many wildfires this year as in the whole of 2025.
Some 1,017 wildfires have been recorded in England and Wales this year, according to data shared by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), the same as last year’s record-breaking total.
Crews from the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service have continued battling a blaze which hit protected heathland in the New Forest after a van caught fire on the A31 near Ringwood on Sunday.
In an update on Wednesday evening, the fire service said crews expect to be at the scene for at least another three to four days.
Most major UK supermarkets have stopped sales of disposable barbecues in recent weeks in line with voluntary guidance from the NFCC.
Disposable BBQs have been banned from sale in the UK to protect public security (Image: Getty)
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The Prime Minister also said that there had been a “significant number of excess deaths from heat this summer already” and urged the public to follow health advice, including checking in on elderly friends and relatives.
Two record-breaking heatwaves in May and June led to more than 2,800 excess deaths.
The Royal College of Nursing has warned that nurses are collapsing at work and are being forced to care for patients in temperatures in excess of 30C.
Others have reported seizures and “dripping with sweat from head to toe”, and nurses have said patients are being cared for in hospitals which have been described as “unbearably hot” and “not fit for humans”.
Meanwhile, Chiltern Railways and East Midlands Railway have issued alerts to “only travel if essential”.
Other operators will either run a reduced timetable or are warning about the potential for short-notice cancellations.