Ben Rich
Lead weather presenter

Since records began, only four days have been hotter than today in the UK – all of them in the 21st century.

The hottest of all was 19 July 2022 when temperatures at Coningsby, Lincolnshire, reached 40.3C – the first and only day that readings above 40C have been seen in the UK.

Before that, the record was 38.7C at Cambridge Botanic Gardens on 25 July 2019.

Faversham in Kent reached 38.5C on 10 August 2003, while on 18 July 2022 a temperature of 38.2C occurred at Pitsford, Northamptonshire.

The iconic summer of 1976 doesn’t even trouble the top 10 – with the highest temperature in that particular hot spell being 35.9C, recorded on 3 July.

Ben Rich
Lead Weather Presenter

The Met Office says temperatures have provisionally reached 38.1C in Kew Gardens which, if confirmed, will mean it is the hottest day of the year so far.

It is the second time the UK has reached 38C this year – the first was at Lingwood, Norfolk, which got to 38.0C on 26 June.

The only time a temperature this high has been recorded twice in a calendar year was in 2022.

Overall, it is the UK’s fifth hottest day since records began.

In Scotland

Image source, BBC WEATHER WATCHERS/WEE SCONNIE

Cloudy skies have been ever-present on a warm and humid day, as showers could arrive later on this evening.

In Wales

Image source, BBC WEATHER WATCHERS/SUE

All of Wales is currently in drought, and it's been another scorching day.

As we reported earlier, temperatures of 35C are expected, after the country set its hottest day on record on Wednesday with 35.3C (96F) recorded in Gogerddan, which lies about three miles northeast of Aberystwyth.

In Northern Ireland

Image source, BBC WEATHER WATCHERS/TWEETEROFWIT

The Met Office has issued a thunderstorm warning for the whole country, which came into force from 11:00 BST and runs until 06:00 on Friday.

With the atmosphere currently unstable, conditions could set off severe thunderstorms locally. These could bring sudden downpours, lightning, and a risk of hailstones and gusty winds.

Aine O'Donnell
BBC Newsbeat

Temperatures in parts of England could hit 38C today, so BBC Newsbeat took a trip to Birmingham Airport to see if people still thought it was worth heading away.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, we didn’t find anyone who seemed to be regretting their choices.

Friends Josh Mushagalsua and Herbie Cooper told us they were still happy to be heading to Portugal - even though it’s going to be ever so slightly cooler.

"It’s hotter in Birmingham," Josh says.

According to the Met Office, Birmingham is forecast to see temperatures up to 35C, while Lisbon will see temperatures around 31C. Though, if the pair are heading over to Albufeira or Alvor, the temperatures are much closer to Birmingham.

Herbie says he’s happy to be escaping the fifth UK heatwave as "it’s not fun because the air is thick over here, [it’s] too humid".

The guys, both 20, think "it’s not fair" that we don’t have air conditioning in the UK and say they’d still go abroad next year even if it was going to be as hot as 2026.

“We need AC," Josh says, as Herbie points out Portugal "have it everywhere".

Ben Rich
Lead Weather Presenter

Charlwood (Surrey) and Pershore (Worcestershire) have now provisionally recorded 37.8C - just two tenths of a degree shy of this year’s highest temperature so far.

If these figures are confirmed and verified it will mean this historic summer has broken yet another record - for the number of 37C+ days in any calendar year.

A temperature above 37C has only been recorded nine times since records began – three of those occasions have been in 2026.

Helen Briggs and Kate Stephens
Climate and Science team

There is a great deal of uncertainty about whether we will have a wet or dry autumn.

Prof Tim Palmer, of Oxford University, warns that global ocean changes, including a developing El Niño, could influence the UK's winter weather in the months ahead.

But he says if the rains don’t come "it will be catastrophic for the UK in 2027".

"The government needs to start planning for a worst-case scenario where the rains don't return in sufficient amounts this winter, and next summer is similar to the last two," he says.

• What is El Niño and why could it mean record temperatures?

Pria Rai
Presenter, BBC News Live

This is not a question I'm trying to scare you with, but it is something worth thinking about.

Drought has been declared across more than half of England and hot, dry weather is taking its toll on the country's water supplies.

This hot, dry weather is coupled with an increase in demand for water on the hottest days.

From warnings of crop failings to the health implications - I've taken a look in the video linked below into what a drought could mean for you and what can be done to help.

Clue: It’s not all about your hosepipe.

• Watch: How will the drought affect you, and is the UK running out of water?

Gabriela Pomeroy
Live reporter

Image source, Lisa Scott

I've just spoken to Lisa Scott, a councillor in the village of Charlwood in Surrey, which has just recorded a provisional temperature of 37.6C.

"It is absolutely roasting," she tells me from her garden. "When you open the back door you are just hit by the heat."

She says walking outside is "like stepping off a plane in a tropical country. It is oppressive. The verges are brown and crispy. The trees are dying."

"I am in bare feet and the floor is too hot to stand on."

She says the council are trying to create a cool hub, and it is really "exhausting" trying to work in these conditions.

Katie Williams
Live reporter

Image source, Alpaca Lady / BBC Weather Watchers

Temperatures have already exceeded 37C in Charlwood, Surrey, as temperatures are expected to rise further this afternoon.

The mercury could hit 38C in parts of England later this afternoon, the Met Office says, as the UK experiences its fifth heatwave of the year.

The highest temperature recorded so far this year is 38.0C at Lingwood, Norfolk, on 26 June.

An amber extreme heat warning is in place until 23:59 BST tonight across large parts of England. It was extended further west this morning to include parts of Cheshire and Greater Manchester, as well as Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Shropshire and Herefordshire.

Much of the UK is suffering dry conditions, with 71.3% of England and all of Wales in drought. But in Northern Ireland, a yellow thunderstorm warning is in place over the whole country until 06:00 tomorrow.

A&Es in England are experiencing their busiest period ever. An ambulance technician has described working in the heat as "vile", while other healthcare workers have described "dripping with sweat from head to toe".

Meanwhile, a 17-year-old at Birmingham New Street tells the BBC travelling in a heatwave is "like being in a sauna".

We'll be keeping a close eye on the temperatures throughout the afternoon, stay with us.

Ben Rich
Lead Weather Presenter

The Met Office has confirmed that a provisional temperature of 37.6C has been recorded at Charlwood, Surrey.

This means we are not far off the highest temperature recorded so far this year, which was 38.0C at Lingwood, Norfolk on 26 June.

There may still be time for temperatures to climb a little further this afternoon – we’ll keep you posted.

Anna Whittaker
BBC Radio Nottingham

As we've been reporting, A&Es in England are experiencing their busiest summers ever and for hospital patients like 13-year-old April, the heatwaves this year have been particularly difficult.

She's been admitted to the children's hospital at the Queen's Medical Centre six times this year, at one stage staying for three months. Her most recent stay started two days ago.

She has total intestinal Hirschsprung's disease, a rare disorder of the bowel, which means she is limited on what she can eat and means she can only drink 500ml of water a day.

"If I have an ice pop, it's like 100ml of liquid, then I'm only allowed 400ml of water, so it's not great," she says.

"I tend to be more thirsty when it's hot, but I try and stay in front of the fan as much as I can, and that seems to help.

"It's absolutely roasting, it's ridiculous. There's no air conditioning. We use gloves with cold water in them to keep me cool."

Darren Bett
Lead weather presenter

Today is the peak of the heat. A change to a north-westerly breeze tomorrow will bring a drop in temperature.

That change will be accompanied by an area of cloud and showers that will move out of Scotland and Northern Ireland into northern England and Wales.

The Midlands, East Anglia and much of southern England will still be dry and hot, though with temperatures of 30C to 34C.

Although most places will be dry this weekend, temperatures will fall further everywhere with a top temperature of 26C in southeast England by Sunday.

There could even be rain in more places next week with no sign of 30C temperatures returning.

Aine O'Donnell
BBC Newsbeat

Temperatures in the high 30s in the West Midlands seem to be having an affect on how people are getting around - especially by train.

National Rail says the heat could affect journey times and travellers should check before they travel.

BBC Newsbeat found 17-year-old Phoebe Reid looking at the giant screens at Birmingham New Street, checking to see if her train to Stoke-on-Trent had been cancelled.

"If it got delayed I’d expect it to be honest," she says.

"It is like super hot, I understand if trains do get delayed because I feel like 35C isn’t very normal in this country."

Phoebe has travelled by train during the first four heatwaves this year and says it’s "like being in a sauna especially if the trains are packed".

Her advice is to "bring a portable fan and you might be okay".

Image source, Getty Images

The UK is currently in its fifth heatwave of the year, with temperatures over 36C already recorded in parts of the country today.

But how do experts arrive at this count? For many, it might feel like the entire summer has been one long heatwave with little relief.

A heatwave is declared when a location records three consecutive days where daily maximum temperatures meet or exceed regional thresholds.

The threshold varies by UK county, ranging from 25 to 28C.

"The geographical differences reflect the differences in climate across the UK," the Met Office explains.

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

This summer is on course to be the UK's hottest since records began, according to the Met Office, and long-standing heat records have been toppling.

This is the fifth heatwave of the year for some parts of the UK - which means a place is hotter than normal for the time of year, for at least three days in a row.

35C has been reached in May, June and July for the first year on record, and has already been passed - near Gatwick airport - today.

The highest temperature of the summer so far stands at 38C, which was recorded at Lingwood in Norfolk on 26 June.

The UK had already recorded more days above 30C by 15 July this year than it did in the whole of 1976 - a year that is remembered by many for its long-lasting heatwave.

71.3% of England and 100% of Wales are in drought, with no rain in the forecast through most of this week across England and Wales.

More than 27 million people are facing water use restrictions across the UK - is your area affected by a hosepipe ban?

Malcolm Prior
Environment correspondent

Image source, BBC WEATHER WATCHERS/D_LONG

As the drought continues, the government is being called upon to do more to help farmers store water on their land in their own reservoirs.

Gavin Lane, president of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), tells the BBC that more farmers who are currently “watching crops die in the ground” should have been able to capture and store rainfall or river water during the wetter winter months.

Just 34 “large raised reservoirs” - the official term for the biggest reservoirs that can hold more than 25,000 cubic metres of water - have been built on farms in England in the last five years, according to government figures.

The CLA, which represents 28,000 landowners, farmers and rural businesses, puts that down to cost and a complicated planning process.

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) is also calling for the government to streamline the planning system, and to fund grants for water management schemes.

A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) says the government knows “how hard this summer has been for our farmers” and is making it easier for farmers to build reservoirs and for groups of land managers to work together to store water.

The spokesperson adds that the government is working on new guidance around the licensing processes for farm reservoir projects.

But Lane says such changes need to happen before “another dry year leaves even more farmers watching their harvests fail".

Helen Briggs and Kate Stephens
Climate and Science team

Image source, Matthew Chattle/Future Publishing/Getty Images

As everyone watches the sky for rain, scientists say it will take sustained above-average rainfall over many weeks or months to bring the drought to an end.

But a drought isn’t just about a lack of rain. Heat causes moisture to evaporate from soils and reservoirs.

Drought conditions can persist long after the weather breaks, because the lack of rain spreads through the wider water system.

Rivers may respond relatively quickly when rain returns, but drained reservoirs, depleted groundwater stocks and bone-dry soils can take months or even years to fully recover.

"A landscape can look green again and rivers can rise while significant water deficits remain," says Dr Jeff Da Costa of the University of Reading.

Experts also warn that the first significant rainfall could bring new hazards.

After months of dry weather, hardened soils can struggle to absorb intense downpours, increasing surface runoff and raising the risk of flash flooding even while drought conditions persist.

Darren Bett
Lead weather presenter

Heat continues to build today.

The temperature at Charlwood in Surrey - near Gatwick Airport - has now been recorded at 36.3C.

That makes nine days this year when the temperature has reached 35C - extending the record.

Temperatures will continue to climb over the next three hours or so because skies are blue and the ground is parched.

The Met Office has indicated that there is now a 30% chance that the UK August temperature record will be broken today.

The record stands at 38.5C recorded in 2003.

Nick Beake
Europe correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Governments across Europe are highlighting the economic damage this summer’s extreme heat is causing.

France’s environment minister is among the latest politicians to offer an estimate of the potential financial hit.

Monique Barbut warned that data from the country’s national statistics agency, INSEE, suggests the recent heatwaves could rack up €10bn to €15bn (£12.8bn) in direct and indirect costs.

This week the EU’s climate monitoring service, Copernicus, announced that western Europe had experienced its hottest June-to-July period on record.

Economists say Europe's record heat and drought in 2026 will have a significant ongoing impact, pointing to the disruption to power supply, shipping and the construction market.

Two of Europe’s key waterways, the Rhine and the Danube rivers, are suffering low water levels which is severely limiting traffic.

The continent’s agricultural sector has also taken a noticeable hit.

Italy’s largest agricultural trade association, Coldiretti, says climate-related damage - such as hail, drought and wildfires could exceed €3bn ($2.6bn).

The Dutch bank Triodos believes the extreme heat and its consequences could wipe out much of the projected economic growth for the EU.

The European Commission had forecast growth of 1.1%, while the IMF expected the euro area to grow by around 0.9%.

Rowenna Hoskin
BBC Wales

Image source, Siani/Weater Watchers

Wales is set for another hot day today with a maximum temperature of 35°C expected, according to the Met Office.

It comes as it provisionally reached its hottest August day on record yesterday with 35.3°C (96F) in Gogerddan, Aberystwyth.

Some clouds will develop during the afternoon and it will feel hot, the Met Office added, with sea breezes offering some relief to those on the coast.

Meanwhile emergency services continue to fight wildfires across Wales, with a major incident declared by South Wales Fire and Rescue earlier this week.

The first minister is urging Welsh retailers to stop selling disposable barbecues amid the wildfire risk driven by this summer's droughts.

Rhun ap Iorwerth said he was behind Andy Burnham’s call for "all retailers big and small" to adhere to voluntary guidance to suspend sales during extreme heat.