England faces extreme heat as temperatures hit 38.1C in hottest day of 2026

England is facing severe disruption as temperatures climb, with the UK recording its hottest day of the year so far at 38.1C in London’s Kew Gardens.

According to reporting on the heat, the Meteorological Office noted that temperatures earlier reached 36.4C at Charlwood in Surrey, while Wisley hit 35.1C. Other locations, including Westonbirt in Gloucestershire and Heathrow in West London, surpassed 34C. This marks provisionally the ninth day this year where temperatures have exceeded 35C, extending an unprecedented number of such days for a single year.

Media additions

The soaring heat forms part of the fifth heatwave of what is tracking to be a record-hot summer, surpassing the previous record set just last year. In response to the intensifying conditions, the Met Office expanded its amber extreme heat warning. Originally spanning an area from London to Sheffield, the warning now stretches into North West England covering parts of Cheshire and Greater Manchester, as well as Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Shropshire, and Herefordshire.

Meanwhile, infrastructure is already showing strain. National Rail warned that the extreme heat could impact journey times, prompting passengers to check before travelling. At Birmingham New Street station, travellers faced disruption and delays. Phoebe Reid, travelling to Stoke-on-Trent, spoke to Bbc Newsbeat about the conditions:

"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 Reid, passenger, via BBC Newsbeat

Reid, who reported experiencing the previous four heatwaves on trains, described the journeys as "like being in a sauna especially if the trains are packed," advising fellow passengers to "bring a portable fan and you might be okay."

The prolonged hot and dry weather has also triggered severe environmental hazards. Several homes caught fire and two people required medical treatment as firefighters battled a grassfire in the West Midlands. England and Wales have already seen as many wildfires this year as in the whole of the previous year. Drought conditions persist across the country, with nearly three-quarters of England and the entirety of Wales gripped by drought following a record dry July and a dry start to August, putting heavy pressure on household, agricultural, and environmental water supplies.

Experts warn that these events are part of a broader, systemic trend. The United Kingdom faces increasingly extreme conditions driven by climate change, which is primarily caused by greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels for power plants, vehicles, heating, and industry. Baroness Brown, chair of the independent advisory Climate Change Committee's adaptation work, warned that the situation gets worse from here until greenhouse gas emissions are entirely eliminated. A former chief scientific adviser to the government similarly cautioned that the current summer's searing heat is only an indicator of future conditions.

The extreme weather is not confined to the UK. Across Europe, France recorded its heatwave reaching a seventeenth day—marking the third-longest period of extreme temperatures in the nation's history—while temperatures surpassed 40C in other European regions. In northern Greece, a fleet of small boats evacuated over 250 tourists and locals from the resort village of Siviri as a large wildfire threatened homes and holiday villas, with many evacuees still wearing bathing costumes.

Key Developments and Emergency Measures

• Record Temperatures: Kew Gardens in London reached 38.1C, marking the hottest day of 2026.
• Warnings Expanded: The Met Office widened its amber extreme heat warning into the Midlands, western areas, and the North West, alongside thunderstorm warnings in Northern Ireland.
• Transport and Infrastructure: National Rail warned travellers of potential delays and journey alterations due to high rail and air temperatures.
• Wildfires and Drought: Fire services are battling grassfires in the West Midlands, while nearly three-quarters of England and all of Wales remain under drought conditions.
• International Impact: Extreme heatwaves and wildfires continue to affect France and Greece, prompting emergency evacuations.