UK heatwave hits 35C, spreads north and west
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- UK temperatures are forecast to hit 35C on Thursday as high pressure drives the year's third heatwave further north and west, after Wednesday peaked at 33.8C at Heathrow, 31.2C at Cardiff Bute Park, 29.0C at Aboyne in Scotland and 27.1C at Helen's Bay in Northern Ireland.
- Met Office thresholds define a heatwave only when daily highs of 25-28C persist for three consecutive days depending on region, with parts of southern and eastern England having officially met heatwave criteria since Monday and some areas now seeing five consecutive days above 30C.
- The National Fire Chiefs Council warned that dry, hot conditions have increased wildfire risk and urged the public to avoid using disposable barbecues in open countryside, parks and moorland.
- Amber and yellow heat health alerts are in force across the Midlands and parts of eastern, southern and northern England until 12 July, warning of significant impacts including a likely rise in deaths among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions.
- Forecasters said there will be no quick cool-down, with many parts of the UK likely meeting heatwave criteria for the next 10 days — making this one of the longest-lasting heatwaves since 1976, when England saw 13 to 16 consecutive days above 30C.
- The Met Office noted that hotter summers are now twice as likely compared to the 1991-2020 baseline, consistent with a warming climate, with above-average temperatures expected for both July and August.
Why it matters: A heatwave stretching potentially 10 days or more, combined with wildfire warnings from the National Fire Chiefs Council and amber health alerts running through 12 July, puts the UK on pace for one of its longest heatwaves since 1976 — a duration the Met Office says has become twice as likely under the current warming climate baseline.
