Forecasters have said there will be little respite for drought-hit parts of the UK in the coming week, as no significant rainfall is expected and temperatures are to soar to highs of 36C.
While north-west Scotland was hit by half of a month's rain in just two days on Friday and Saturday, other areas of the country continued to bake in dry, warm conditions.
Temperatures will spike to a possible 36C in some areas on Wednesday and Thursday, and the Met Office warned of the possible impact on infrastructure like railway lines and power networks, as heatwave conditions are likely to return for many.
Health alerts issued
Health officials have issued alerts, with significant impacts possible in health and social care settings and a potential rise in deaths because of the heat.
Yellow heat health alerts from the UK Health Security Agency are in place for the East Midlands, West Midlands, South East, South West, East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, and London, until 9pm on Tuesday.
Half of England and all of Wales have been plunged into drought, and more regions could be declared when officials meet at the National Drought Group on Monday.
Record heat
A 31-year-old heat record was matched on Sunday and is likely to tumble next week. Sunday was the 34th day so far this year when temperatures exceeded 30C somewhere in the UK, equalling the record from 1995.
Met Office forecaster Tom Morgan told the Press Association: “Unfortunately, in the south of the UK it’s looking really dry for the next week or so.
“Where we desperately need it (rain) in the particularly drought-affected areas, the week ahead is expected to be dry.
“There’s tentative signs from around August 18, 19, but a long way in the future, that we might see a little bit more in a way of rain getting further south across the UK, but nothing definitive at this stage.”
Fires and drought
Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service declared a major incident on Sunday as two large fires in woodland put a strain on resources.
So far the extreme weather of summer 2026 has included two record-breaking heatwaves in May and June that led to more than 2,800 excess deaths. Two more heatwaves in July, the driest July in England and Wales since records began in 1836, have fuelled drought and wildfires.
