The UK recorded its hottest day of the year on Thursday, with the Met Office stating that the heatwave peaked at 38.1C. Kew Gardens in west London provisionally registered England's highest temperature, surpassing the 38C recorded in Lingwood, Norfolk, on 26 June.
This latest period of extreme heat is the UK's fifth heatwave this year. The Met Office has warned that this summer is on track to be the hottest since records began. Charlwood in Surrey and Pershore in Worcestershire both saw temperatures of 37.8C on Thursday.
An amber heat health alert, indicating significant detrimental impacts to health and social care services, is in place across the whole of England until 21:00 BST on Friday. The extreme heat is believed to have peaked in England, with cooler temperatures of 30-34C expected for the Midlands, East Anglia, and much of south England by Friday, dropping to 26C by Sunday.
More than 27 million people are currently facing water use restrictions, including hosepipe bans. Thousands of homes in east London and Essex are still experiencing water outages or low pressure almost a week after pipe bursts in South Woodford. Thames Water has apologised and expects supplies to be restored by Friday.
A&E departments in England have recorded their busiest summer ever, with the record-breaking heat cited as a key factor. Preliminary figures suggest over 2,800 heat-related deaths occurred in May and June, nearly double last year's total. Health Secretary Yvette Cooper stated that the figures highlight the additional burden placed on the NHS during extreme heat, suggesting the NHS must plan for summer pressures similarly to winter.
According to data from the National Fire Chiefs Council, 1,017 wildfires have been recorded in England and Wales this year, matching last year's record. In the New Forest, Hampshire, 130 firefighters battled a wildfire on Thursday that affected an area approximately the size of 230 football pitches.