Temperatures to reach over 30C for second day running

Temperatures are expected to reach above 30C for a second day running, as an early summer heatwave grips the UK.

Hot and dry conditions are expected to persist across the UK, with temperatures going as high as 32C in central England.

Friday is not forecast to be as warm as Thursday – which broke the record for hottest day of the year so far – while temperatures could top out at 34C on Saturday.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued an amber heat-health alert for all regions in England – the first time since September 2023 – which will remain in place until Monday.

It warns “significant impacts are likely” across health and social care services, including a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or people with health conditions.

By Friday afternoon, many regions are expected to meet the criteria for a heatwave – which means a temperature threshold is sustained for three consecutive days – according to the Met Office.

The threshold varies across different regions, from 25C in northern and western parts of the UK to 28C in south-eastern England.

A heatwave may be declared in London on Friday, where it has passed the 28C threshold for two days in a row.

On Thursday, Suffolk became the first area in the UK to officially enter a heatwave, after temperatures passed 27C for a third consecutive day.

The heatwave is expected to peak on Saturday, with thundery showers forecast for northern Wales and north-west England, as well as dry and hot conditions in the east.

Some relief is anticipated on Sunday, where the south and east of England will dip to the high 20s, while temperatures will cool to the mid-20s elsewhere.

Despite the heat being record-breaking for 2025, temperatures are still below the June peak of 35.6C in 1976.

A developing area of high pressure is helping draw hot weather in from other parts of Western Europe. France and Spain could see temperatures close to 40C over the coming days.

Firefighters have also responded to more than 500 wildfires across England and Wales this year – a 717% surge on the same period in 2024, the National Fire Chiefs Council said.

NFCC Chair Phil Garrigan said the organisation was “deeply concerned about the escalating threat of wildfires this summer”, which he warned have “the potential to become more frequent, intense and dangerous”.

The organisation is urging the public to exercise caution when spending time outdoors.

While linking climate change with specific individual extreme weather events can be difficult, scientists say that climate change is generally making heatwaves hotter and longer.

The World Weather Attribution group has previously found such extremes would have been “almost impossible” without human-induced climate change.