While certain areas of the UK will experience a slight cooling effect this weekend, the ongoing heatwave remains firmly in place. The UK Health Security Agency has extended its amber and yellow heat health alerts for most of England until Sunday evening. A north-easterly breeze is expected to push the highest temperatures away from the south-east and toward the west Midlands and south-east Wales.
Friday set new climate milestones, with 2026 recording its sixth day above 35C and its ninth day exceeding 34C. Meanwhile, water shortages prompted by lack of rain have forced five water companies to implement hosepipe bans, impacting over five million residents. Major providers including Anglian Water and Southern Water have issued these restrictions as drought concerns grow.
Meteorologists expect the heat to intensify again next week, though not quite reaching the extreme levels seen previously. Although high pressure will likely keep most of the country dry, there is a slim possibility of scattered showers toward the end of the week in southern England. The Met Office anticipates that temperatures will remain above the seasonal norm for the foreseeable future, despite some regional variations in rainfall expected through September.
