A fourth heatwave of the year is now underway for parts of the UK, with temperatures forecast to climb into the mid-30s Celsius later this week. This period of heatwave threshold-level temperatures is expected to peak on Wednesday in the south-east and east of England.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued amber heat health alerts for much of eastern England, which come into force on Wednesday. These alerts cover the East Midlands, East of England, London, and the South East from 09:00 on Wednesday until 09:00 Thursday. Yorkshire and the Humber, the West Midlands, and the South West are under less severe yellow alerts for the same period.
Temperatures in England and Wales are forecast to rise to around 25-32C for the next few days, with 30-35C expected across the Midlands, southern and eastern England on Wednesday. Scotland and Northern Ireland will generally remain cooler with temperatures in the high teens or low to mid-20s Celsius.
July 2026 has been notably hot, with the UK mean temperature so far this month at 17.5C, making it the second hottest of any month on record. An ongoing lack of rain means hosepipe bans are in force for millions of households, and dry vegetation has contributed to wildfires in several areas.