Week-long heatwave due in England with 34C peak in south-east

A week-long heatwave is expected across parts of England and Wales from Sunday, July 4th to Saturday, July 11th, with peak temperatures potentially reaching 34°C in the south-east by Thursday or Friday. The UK Health Security Agency has issued yellow heat health alerts for most regions of England due to the risk of increased healthcare service use by vulnerable people and a greater risk to life for this group. The Met Office forecasts temperatures in the south-east to climb from 29°C on Sunday to the low 30s next week. This heatwave is expected to be prolonged but less hot and humid than last month's. In response to the dry conditions, Southern Water has implemented a hosepipe ban in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight starting July 10th.

France has recorded 2,025 excess deaths during a recent heatwave, with the highest numbers reported in the south and east of the Netherlands where temperatures neared 40C. Forecasters are warning of further extreme temperatures across Europe in the coming days, with the south of France expected to reach 40C. Météo-France has issued red alerts for forest fires in southern France due to very high risk conditions. Since the start of summer, nearly 7,000 fires have broken out, burning approximately 8,700 hectares, and leading to the evacuation of nearly 3,000 people from Sainte-Marie-la-Mer and Canet-en-Roussillon. The Iberian Peninsula is also bracing for the possibility of another heatwave.

France experienced its hottest June on record since 1947, with unprecedented day and night temperatures affecting over a third of the country. The heatwave, from June 17 to 30, saw temperatures exceed 40C in more than 40 percent of France, with the average temperature for the month being 22.7C, 3.8C above seasonal norms. June 24 and 25 recorded the highest average temperatures ever in France, across all months. This second heatwave of the year led to a 29 percent surge in deaths during the hottest week, with at least 2,000 more deaths reported compared to the previous week, overwhelming hospitals. Schools were closed and festivals cancelled due to the extreme heat.

June was provisionally the warmest on record for England and the second-warmest for the United Kingdom, according to the Met Office. This exceptional warmth was largely driven by a severe heatwave in the final week of the month, which saw temperatures exceed 30°C in some UK locations for seven consecutive days. England recorded an average temperature of 17.1°C, surpassing the previous record set in 2025. The heatwave also brought a provisional new June record for the highest overnight minimum temperature in Cardiff. A peak temperature of 37.7°C was provisionally reached in Norfolk on June 26, marking the highest maximum temperature ever recorded for the month of June.