Aug 12 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Andy Burnham will chair a meeting of the government's emergency response ‌committee on Wednesday to discuss measures to tackle extreme ‌heat, wildfires and drought, his office said, as Britain faces its fifth ​heatwave this year. Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement Advertisement"We will continue to take ​the action ​needed to keep communities safe, ​protect water supplies, support ‌farming communities and safeguard the environment," a Downing Street spokesperson said. Most of Britain is experiencing a flash drought caused by a combination of very low rainfall and higher temperatures. An ​estimated 2,877 ​people in Britain have died from heat-related causes this year, UK health authorities said last month. Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementProlonged dry weather — which scientists say ​is exacerbated by ‌climate change — has hit agriculture, public water supplies ​and wildlife.