The Met Office has expanded its amber warning for extreme heat to cover more of England, with temperatures potentially reaching 38C in some areas. This comes as the UK could see its hottest day of the year so far.
Warning expanded to more regions
The amber warning was already in place for an area stretching from London to Sheffield, covering parts of the South East, East Midlands, East of England, West Midlands and South Yorkshire, until midnight on Thursday. It has now been extended to include parts of Cheshire and Greater Manchester in North West England, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire in the South West, and Shropshire and Herefordshire in the west. The highest temperatures are expected in parts of the Midlands and western England.
Separately, a yellow warning for thunderstorms has been issued for Northern Ireland, in place until 6am on Friday.
Potential impacts and records
Met Office forecaster Alex Burkill said temperatures in the amber warning areas could reach around 36C to 37C, possibly 38C. He noted that such high temperatures can affect infrastructure, including railway lines and roads, which are not designed for this level of heat, and more people could be impacted health-wise.
Burkill added that it could be the hottest day of the year so far if temperatures exceed 38C, and if they rise above 38.5C it could be the hottest August day on record, though that is unlikely. The highest temperature of the year so far was 38C recorded at Lingwood in Norfolk on June 28.
Government response and wildfire concerns
Prime Minister Andy Burnham chaired a meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee on Wednesday in response to the prolonged spell of exceptionally hot and dry weather. He said there had been a significant number of excess deaths from heat this summer already and urged the public to follow health advice, including checking on elderly friends and relatives.
Baroness Brown, who chairs the Climate Change Committee's adaptation work, warned that conditions "gets worse from here" until greenhouse gas emissions are cut to net zero.
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. England and Wales have already seen as many wildfires this year as in the whole of 2025, with 1,017 recorded, according to the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC). Crews from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service continue to battle a blaze on protected heathland in the New Forest, with expectations to be at the scene for at least another three to four days.
Transport and retail measures
Most major UK supermarkets have stopped selling disposable barbecues in line with voluntary guidance from the NFCC. Burnham has urged all shops to stop selling them and indicated that an outright ban could be considered in future summers.
Chiltern Railways and East Midlands Railway have issued alerts to "only travel if essential", while other operators will run reduced timetables or warn about potential short-notice cancellations.
