The Met Office has said the UK could see its hottest day of the year so far, with parts of England potentially reaching 38C during the peak of the fifth heatwave. However, the forecaster has indicated that breaking the record for the hottest August day is unlikely.
Amber extreme heat warnings
Rare amber “extreme heat” warnings have been issued for London, parts of the South East, East Midlands, East of England, West Midlands and South Yorkshire from 9am to midnight on Thursday.
Met Office forecaster Alex Burkill said: “Temperatures (in areas covered by the amber warning) could reach highs of around 36, 37, possibly 38C.
“Now when you get these sorts of high temperatures, well that’s when we could see impacts to our infrastructure, our railway lines, our roads, they are not designed for this sort of heat.
“And more people are likely to be impacted by how hot it is with regards to their health.”
Record potential
The current record for the hottest day of the year is 38C, recorded at Lingwood in Norfolk on June 28. If temperatures surpass 38.5C, it could become the hottest August day on record.
Burkill added: “It could be the hottest day of the year so far if we get above 38C, and if we get above 38.5C, well it could be the hottest August day on record, but that’s actually pretty unlikely.”
Drought and wildfires
The heat comes as drought has been declared across nearly three-quarters of England and the whole of Wales, putting pressure on water resources for households, agriculture and the environment.
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.
The warm conditions have seen many wildfires spread across the nation, with 1,017 recorded in 2026 already, according to data shared by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC). This matches last year’s record-breaking total.
Burnham 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 in on elderly friends and relatives. The cautions come as 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”.
