Prime minister Andy Burnham will chair a meeting of the government's Cobra emergency committee this afternoon in response to the heat, the wildfires it has fuelled and the drought now covering much of the country.
It is the second Cobra meeting on the heat this year, after one held during the June heatwave. Temperatures are forecast to reach 33C today and up to 38C tomorrow.
A Downing Street spokesperson said the government understood that firefighters, farmers and NHS staff were all facing pressures connected to the weather.
On Tuesday a firefighter union chief warned the country faces a “national emergency” amid ongoing wildfires.
Southern Water is pushing for a rare drought order which would ban the filling of non-domestic swimming pools.
The firm said an “exceptional” shortage of rain in the South East “demonstrates a clear threat to supplies” in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. 165,000 people in the Southampton West supply area could “soon be significantly affected” by a restricted water supply, it added.
Thames Water said that thousands of homes and businesses have now been left without water or with low pressure after pipes burst in London and Essex.
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Key Points
- PM to chair emergency Cobra meeting today as temperatures head for 38C
- Summer 2026 on course to be UK's hottest on record, says Met Office
- All of England under amber heat health alert
- July busiest month on record for wildfires
Temperatures more than 2C above average this summer
07:53 , Holly EvansProvisional statistics from the Met Office show that the mean temperature for the summer so far, from 1 June, stands at 16.48C – which is 1.88C above the 1991 to 2020 average.
To equal the 16.12C in 2025, the UK’s warmest summer on record, the rest of August would only need to be 0.21C below the long-term average, and any warmer than this would establish a new record for the country, the Met Office said.
And for England and Wales, which have seen temperatures more than 2C above average so far this summer, it is even more likely that June to August 2026 will be record-breaking.
And in a summer that has been marked by extreme weather, temperatures are to spike again this week.
Temperatures could reach as high as 38C on Thursday
07:34 , Holly EvansTemperatures could hit 33C on Wednesday before potentially reaching highs of 37C or 38C on Thursday, the Met Office say.
Met Office chief forecaster Chris Bulmer said: “While the peak heat will be more short-lived than recent heatwaves, temperatures widely into the mid-30s Celsius on Thursday brings the potential for impacts for some, which is why a Met Office warning has been issued.
“High pressure is now becoming dominant and temperatures will build day by day. Southerly and south-easterly winds will also tap into the hot conditions over Europe which helps develop this further notable heat in what has been a hot and dry summer so far for many in the south of the UK.”
Back to back heatwaves raising flood risk, experts warn
07:30 , Stuti MishraMonths of heat have left soil so dry and compacted that it will struggle to absorb rain when it returns, raising the risk of flash flooding within days of the drought breaking, researchers have warned.
"We can move from drought conditions to flooding in a very short space of time," said Jeff Da Costa, a researcher in hydrometeorological hazards at the University of Reading. "Flood preparedness needs to be ongoing because the risk is very real, even during a drought."
Rain returning will not end the drought either, he said. River levels recover relatively quickly while groundwater, reservoirs and soils take far longer, meaning the landscape can look green again and rivers can rise while serious water deficits remain underneath.
Yanchen Zheng, a senior research associate in hydrological modelling at the University of Bristol, also said hot weather drives water demand up at exactly the point when rivers and aquifers are lowest, and that recovery can take months or years. Current models tend to overestimate how much water is left in rivers, she said, a problem most acute in south-east England, which is densely populated, depends heavily on groundwater and is already short of water.
Water firm applies for rare order to ban businesses from non-essential water use
07:14 , Holly EvansSouthern Water has applied for a rare non-domestic drought order which would ban businesses from non-essential water use, including cleaning cars and filling swimming pools, saying an “exceptional” lack of rain has threatened supplies in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
It warned that 165,000 people in the Southampton West supply area could face restricted supplies.
Environment Secretary Angela Eagle will decide on the application, which would be the first such ban since May 2006.
Overnight: Large fire breaks out in Exeter park sending smoke across city
07:00 , James ReynoldsFirefighters raced to battle a major fire at a park in Exeter on Tuesday amid a worsening heatwave and drought conditions sweeping the country.
Smoke could been seen billowing over the city after a large fire broke out at in the Beacon Heath area.
Devon and Somerset fire and rescue service said a large grass fire had broken out at Mincinglake Valley Park just before 3pm and advised people to stay away.
The cause of the fire was not immediately clear. It comes as nearly three-quarters of England has been plunged into drought status following the driest July in 190 years.
Large fire breaks out in Exeter park sending smoke across city
Fire union chief warns of 'national emergency'
06:30 , Stuti MishraParts of the UK could be set to bake in 38C temperatures as a firefighters’ union chief warned the country faces a “national emergency” over wildfires.
Some areas face a fifth heatwave of the summer, as the Met Office revealed the UK is on course for its hottest summer on record.
Temperatures could hit 33C on Wednesday before potentially reaching highs of 37C or 38C on Thursday, the Met Office say.
Steve Wright, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, told Times Radio that the country faces a national emergency “right now”, with blazes seen “all across” the UK.
Firefighters have responded to 966 wildfires across England and Wales this year, including 185 in the first 10 days of August alone, while July was the busiest month on record for wildfires with 458 incidents, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said.
PM to chair emergency Cobra meeting today as temperatures head for 38C
06:14 , Stuti MishraPrime minister Andy Burnham will chair a meeting of the government's Cobra emergency committee this afternoon in response to the heat, the wildfires it has fuelled and the drought now covering much of the country.
Ministers from the environment department, the Home Office and the health department will attend, along with the Environment Agency. It is the second Cobra meeting on the heat this year, after one held during the June heatwave.
Temperatures are forecast to reach 33C today and up to 38C tomorrow.
A Downing Street spokesperson said the government understood that firefighters, farmers and NHS staff were all facing pressures connected to the weather.
Mapped: Where drought has been declared in the UK as another heatwave looms
06:00 , James ReynoldsThe hot and dry weather is expected to continue into Wednesday with nearly three-quarters of England and all of Wales now suffering from drought conditions.
Temperatures are expected to peak around 33C in the Midlands and the south-east ahead of highs of 38C on Thursday, as a fifth heatwave of the year puts the UK on track for its hottest ever summer.
Some 71.3 per cent of England has been plunged into drought after a record dry July and a very dry start to August, putting immense pressure on water resources for homes and the environment.
Here’s the latest:
Mapped: Where drought has been declared in the UK as another heatwave looms
Remains of lost village uncovered as drought lowers reservoir levels
05:00 , Jane Dalton
Remains of lost village uncovered as drought lowers reservoir levels in heatwave
What is a flash drought?
03:45 , Holly EvansMore than 45 million people are now living in areas under drought conditions as August begins with more dry weather and the fifth heatwave of the year.
More than two-thirds of England is affected, and the entirety of Wales. Only the northern-most regions are not been issued official drought status, but remain in the high-risk ‘prolonged dry weather’ category.
The National Drought Group says that most of the country (71.3 per cent) is now experiencing a ‘flash drought’, owing to the prolonged lack of rain paired with back-to-back heatwaves.
Read the full article here:
What is a flash drought? The weather phenomenon affecting two-thirds of Britons
How to keep your house cool without air conditioning during a heatwave
02:30 , Holly EvansWith heatwaves becoming hotter and more frequent, demand for air conditioning is expected to rise significantly. However, if the UK and similar countries respond to hotter summers simply by installing more AC, they risk creating a costly, energy-hungry and more unequal future. But there’s a cooler, smarter way forward.
Colleagues and I have surveyed more than 1,600 households across the UK and found that two-thirds used fans in the summer of 2022, and one in five used air conditioning. The vast majority of those AC units were bought during or after that year’s 40°C heatwave – showing how quickly habits can shift.
Read the full article here:
How to keep your house cool without air conditioning during a heatwave
In pictures: Cracked earth replaces pond
01:15 , Jane Dalton
Hosepipe ban: When will restrictions end?
Wednesday 12 August 2026 00:01 , Daniel KeaneHalf of England and parts of Wales are now subject to a hosepipe ban with almost three-quarters of the country plunged into drought.
Officials from the National Drought Group assessed on Monday that 71.3 per cent of the country is now in drought, with the addition of the East Midlands, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Kent, East Sussex, Solent and the South Downs.
That brings the total number of people affected up to 45 million as a fifth heatwave of the summer sweeps through England and Wales.
You can read where the hosepipe bans are in effect below.
Hosepipe ban: When will restrictions end?
Everything you can’t do in a heatwave as drought hits most of the UK
Tuesday 11 August 2026 23:00 , Holly EvansMore than half of England and Wales has been plunged into drought as the UK braces for its fifth heatwave of the year.
As the drought continues to pile pressure onto farming, freight shipping and energy production after the country saw its driest July in 190 years, here The Independent looks at everything this heatwave could stop you from doing.
Read the full article here:
Everything you can’t do in a heatwave as drought hits most of the UK
Southern Water seeks tighter crackdown on water use, warning of household curbs
Tuesday 11 August 2026 22:00 , Jane DaltonSouthern Water has applied for a rare non-essential-use ban drought order, which, if imposed, would mean businesses must stop using water for activities such as cleaning cars and filling non-domestic swimming pools.
In its application, the firm said an exceptional shortage of rain in the South East demonstrated “a clear threat” to supplies within the Hampshire Southampton West water resource zone, as well as the Isle of Wight (IOW).
It added that 165,000 people in the Southampton West supply area could soon be significantly affected by a restricted water supply.
The application will be considered by Environment Secretary Angela Eagle, and a decision is expected soon.
A non-essential use ban has not been imposed for 20 years. The last one was granted to Sutton and East Surrey Water in May 2006.
Firefighters' leader says equipping crews should be national priority
Tuesday 11 August 2026 20:44 , Jane DaltonFirefighters are under extra pressure due to an “unprecedented summer of dangerous and volatile wildfires”, the Fire Brigades Union says.
The union said it was a “national priority” to have enough properly equipped firefighters.
July was the busiest month on record for wildfires, statistics show, after firefighters attended 458 cases last month.
More than 120 firefighters are tackling a blaze in the New Forest in Hampshire that began on Sunday, and Nottinghamshire fire and rescue service declared a major incident on Sunday as two large fires in woodland near Mansfield put a significant strain on resources there.
Emergency calls to the London fire brigade have increased by almost a third this summer, according to a briefing seen by The Guardian.
The union says there are 12,000 fewer firefighters now than in 2010.
Steve Wright, the FBU general secretary, said: “Our country is facing unpredictable environmental challenges, and it must be a national priority to ensure we have enough properly equipped firefighters ready to face these threats.”
Analysis: Next pandemic won’t come from a lab but from the weather
Tuesday 11 August 2026 19:45 , Holly EvansTwo summers ago, heat sent record numbers of people into English A&E departments. Hospitals ran emergency protocols normally reserved for winter flu season. Nobody declared a health emergency; we just called it a hot week.
I trained in infectious disease epidemiology before I moved into climate and health policy, and what most unsettles me now isn’t a single dramatic moment but a pattern I keep seeing in the paperwork.
At the Cop26 summit in 2021, the headline outcome was near-universal agreement on net zero, most countries committing to reach it by 2050, some, like India, pushing that out to 2070.
Yet according to Oxford’s Net Zero Tracker, only a fraction of those pledges were strong, meaningful commitments with clear plans attached, just 18 per cent of global emissions and 27 per cent of global GDP covered by anything robust. The rest was a promise about a decade three governments from now.
Read the full analysis from policy adviser Aliza Ayaz here:
The next pandemic won’t come from a lab. It’ll come from the weather.
Climate crisis demands fundamental rethink of farming, says farming group
Tuesday 11 August 2026 18:30 , Holly EvansThe UK needs a fundamental rethink of how farmland is managed if it is to cope with increasingly severe floods, droughts and heatwaves driven by continued fossil fuel use, the Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN) says.
After another year of record-breaking heatwaves and droughts, the farmer-led organisation warns that short-term responses to individual weather events are no longer enough. Instead, farming policy and corporate investment must focus on long-term resilience.
The NFFN says farmers need to recognise water as their most valuable resource, prioritising healthy soils that can absorb and retain rainfall, alongside creating more on-farm ponds and reservoirs to store water for prolonged dry periods.
The organisation is calling on the Government and the private sector to provide greater financial support for water infrastructure and simplify the planning process for work with clear environmental outcomes.
Water mains bursts leaves taps dry in homes
Tuesday 11 August 2026 17:38 , Jane DaltonWater stations opened in Ilford, east London, and Chigwell, Essex, after burst water mains left thousands of homes and businesses with no water or low water pressure.
The affected areas are: E10, E11, E17, E18, E4, IG10, IG2, IG4, IG5, IG6, IG7, IG8, IG9 and RM4.
Thames Water said: “Our teams continue to work in the extreme heat to fix the multiple broken pipes in the area. We’re sorry to those who are still affected.
“Whilst progress is being made, it’s taking longer than normal to fix the broken pipes as often excavations are needing to be extended.”
Large fire breaks out in Exeter park, sending smoke across city
Tuesday 11 August 2026 17:35 , Jane Dalton
Large fire breaks out in Exeter park sending smoke across city
Rail services suspended in heatwave
Tuesday 11 August 2026 17:30 , Jane DaltonA railway company is suspending regional services because of the heatwave.
East Midlands Railway (EMR) said services between Sheffield and Liverpool would be suspended on Wednesday and Thursday.
It also said that regional services between Nottingham and Worksop and Nottingham and Leicester would be suspended from noon on Thursday.
Philippa Cresswell of EMR, said: “The hot weather means we’ll need to make some temporary changes to our services to keep the railway operating safely.
“If you do need to travel and the journey is essential, we’d recommend travelling before midday and checking your journey before setting off.
“We appreciate these changes may inconvenience some customers and we’d like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding while we work to keep people moving safely.”
All of England under amber heat health alert
Tuesday 11 August 2026 16:59 , Jane DaltonThe whole of England is under an amber heat health alert.
The system, run by the UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office, is intended to provide early warnings to the health and social care sector, responders, the voluntary and community sector and government departments when adverse temperatures are likely to affect people’s health and wellbeing.
The alerts run until 9pm on Friday.
Met Office graphic reveals changes caused by heatwaves
Tuesday 11 August 2026 16:30 , Holly EvansA graphic shared by the Met Office has revealed the dramatic change to the UK’s landscape caused by the limited rainfall and exceptional heat.
The impact of summer 2026 can perhaps best be seen from space
— Met Office (@metoffice) August 11, 2026
Exceptional heat combined with limited rainfall has truly transformed the landscape across the UK pic.twitter.com/4WC22Aemxe
UK farming not prepared for threat of new diseases amid changing weather
Tuesday 11 August 2026 16:10 , Holly Evans
UK farming could be ravaged by new diseases in climate crisis
