Friday is expected to be the final day of widespread heatwave conditions for most of the UK, with temperatures in parts of south-east England forecast to reach 34C (93F). This marks the fifth widespread heatwave of the year.
Amber heat-health alerts issued by the UK Health Security Agency are still active across all of England until 21:00 BST, highlighting ongoing significant impacts on health and social care services.
While high temperatures will persist in central and eastern England on Friday, northern and western areas will experience noticeably lower temperatures than Thursday, which was the hottest day of 2026. Kew Gardens in London recorded 38.1C on Thursday, making it the UK's hottest day of the year so far.
Cooler conditions are set to spread across all parts of the UK over the weekend. By Saturday, temperatures in south-eastern England are mostly expected to fall below the 28C heatwave threshold, and by Sunday, fresher air will bring temperatures to around the seasonal average of 17 to 26C.
Most of the UK is expected to remain dry over the weekend. Into next week, an area of low pressure near the north-west of the UK could bring rain-bearing weather fronts, primarily to Scotland and Northern Ireland on Monday, with potential showers reaching northern England and north Wales by Tuesday.