Amber Heat Warning Issued as Temperatures Head for 38C
The Met Office has issued an amber extreme-heat warning, with temperatures forecast to reach 38C later this week and the peak expected around Thursday. Forecasters said the summer of 2026 was on course to be the UK’s hottest on record. More than two-thirds of England remains officially in drought.
The amber alert, one step below the most serious level, warns of risks to health, transport and infrastructure as the fifth heatwave of the summer builds. Hospitals and care homes are on alert for a rise in heat-related illness, particularly among the elderly, while the rail network braces for speed restrictions as tracks buckle. The heat compounds a drought that has left reservoirs low and farmers warning of damaged harvests and higher food prices. Scientists link the intensifying and lengthening hot spells to a warming climate. Watch whether temperatures breach the forecast peak and how services cope.