Met Office warns UK’s fifth heatwave is coming as Brits to bake in 36C subsequent week

The Met Office has issued yellow heat health alerts for parts of the UK as the fifth heatwave of 2026 approaches, with temperatures expected to reach a sweltering 36C in East Anglia and south-east England next week

Heat health alerts have been issued as the UK braces for its fifth heatwave of the year, with temperatures predicted to soar to a blistering 36C next week.

The yellow heat health warnings were activated at 9am on Saturday and will remain in place until 9pm on Tuesday, cautioning that the sweltering weather could impact public health and put additional strain on healthcare services.

The Met Office has forecasted a steady rise in temperatures over the weekend, leading into heatwave conditions next week. A scorching high of 36C is anticipated in parts of East Anglia and south-east England by Thursday.

Two unprecedented heatwaves in May and June resulted in over 2,800 excess deaths, while two further heatwaves in July have exacerbated drought conditions and sparked wildfires.

The highest temperature recorded this year was a sizzling 38C in Lingwood, Norfolk on June 28.

So far this year, there have been 33 days where temperatures have surpassed 30C somewhere in the UK, edging close to the record of 34 days set in 1995 – a record that’s likely to be shattered next week.

Weather experts predict a north-south divide over the weekend, with Scotland and Northern Ireland expected to experience bouts of heavy rain, while England and Wales enjoy predominantly dry, sunny and increasingly warm conditions.

Temperatures could hit 30C on Saturday, before rising into the low 30s in southern and south-east England on Sunday.

Temperatures are set to soar up to 30C across parts of England and Wales on Tuesday, rising even further to between 32C and 34C by Wednesday, with the hottest temperatures currently anticipated for Thursday.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued yellow heat health warnings for the East Midlands, West Midlands, South East, South West, East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, and London.

In other news, the National Trust is urging individuals to sign a petition demanding that the Government prioritise tackling climate change as a national mission.

This comes in the wake of several wildfires erupting across the UK in recent weeks, including large fires at Dunwich Heath in Suffolk, Headon Warren on the Isle of Wight, Llanwonno in the Rhondda Valleys, South Wales, and the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland.

According to the Fire Severity Index, fires are expected to reach exceptionally severe levels on Sunday across almost all of the east and south-east of England. “Exceptional” severity is the index’s highest ranking.

The Met Office data, which includes rainfall, temperature and humidity, is used by agencies to assess the severity of a fire if one were to start. However, it does not predict the likelihood of wildfires occurring.

On Friday, the Environment Agency reported that reservoir storage in England has fallen to 69%, down from 72% just a week ago and nearly 12 percentage points below the long-term average for this time of year.

Storage was at 85% at the end of June, which is the average for that point in the year, but has been steadily declining in recent weeks.

Five reservoirs are now categorised as having “exceptionally low” water levels: Blagdon in Somerset (54% full); Clywedog in Powys, which supplies water to central and north-west England (62%); the Dove group of reservoirs in Derbyshire (74%); Hanningfield in Essex (60%); and Wimbleball in Somerset (50%).

Last month was the driest July for England and Wales since records began in 1836, according to provisional figures released by the Met Office.

Nineteen counties across England recorded effectively no rainfall – 1mm or less – throughout the entire month, Met Office figures reveal.

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