Britain to swelter again as it looks poised for a record hot summer
The Met Office said 2026 has now brought a record four days above 36C as drought, wildfires and water strain spread across England and Wales.
- On Thursday, Britain faces its fifth heat wave of an exceptional summer, with temperatures forecast to climb as high as 38 Celsius in central and southeast England.
- Southern Water has applied for a rare drought order citing an "exceptional" lack of rain threatening supplies in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, the first such application since May 2006.
- With 1,017 wildfires recorded across England and Wales this year, Prime Minister Andy Burnham is considering a ban on disposable barbecues. "I do believe we need to get the message out loud and clear," he said.
- Nursing staff are suffering from heat exhaustion, with reports of workers collapsing at hospitals. "It shows just how badly they are being failed," RCN chief executive Professor Nicola Ranger stated.
- Environment Secretary Angela Eagle is reviewing the drought order application, the first since May 2006, as the bulk of the country enters official drought. Britain now faces pressure to adjust to this new climate reality.
96 Articles
96 Articles
The United Kingdom Meteorological Service reported that the temperature of 38.1°C in western London was a tenth of the previous record. The country is experiencing the fifth heat wave of the year.
This Thursday, the United Kingdom recorded the highest temperature of the year, at 38.1°C in London, in an extreme drought scenario that already feeds hundreds of fires and keeps the authorities on the alert. The heat wave extends to several European countries, with peaks close to 41°C in France.
The United Kingdom recorded this Thursday, 13 August, the hottest day of the year, in a period of extreme drought that caused multiple fires, and while an intense heat wave continues to hit Europe. The Met Office (United Kingdom Meteorological Service) reported that the temperature of 38.1°C in western London was a tenth of the previous record, set on 28 June. Still, the temperature was below the British record of August, 38.5°C, recorded in 200…
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