The United Kingdom is set to experience a fresh surge in temperatures, with forecasts predicting highs surpassing official heatwave thresholds for the third time in 2025.
According to meteorologists, Friday and possibly Saturday could see temperatures peaking at 34°C, with the intense heat expected to persist into the start of next week.
In response, the UK Health Security Agency has extended its yellow heat health alerts to every region in England.
These advisories, which now remain active until 10:00 BST on 15 July, highlight potential disruption to health and social care services, either through increased demand or higher mortality rates.
Yellow alerts indicate a moderate level of concern and are considered less severe than amber warnings, which the UKHSA had issued during earlier hot spells this year.
Charities like the Alzheimer’s Society have reiterated the need for extra vigilance during this period, especially for vulnerable individuals.
The organisation warned that “high temperatures can lead to severe health problems for those with dementia,” urging caregivers and the public to take necessary precautions.
On Thursday, the highest temperatures are expected in the south Midlands, central southern and south-east England, where thermometers could hit 30-32°C.
However, the entire UK should prepare for above-average heat.
In Scotland, the Fire and Rescue Service has issued an “extreme wildfire warning” from Friday through Monday, covering various regions.
The service is calling on people to “think twice” before using any items involving open flames, as recent warm spells have already resulted in several wildfires.
Despite the heat, this particular wave is not anticipated to break 2025’s current highest temperature of 35.8°C, which was recorded on 1 July in Faversham, Kent.
The Met Office classifies a heatwave as a period when regional temperature thresholds are met or exceeded for three consecutive days or more.
Following a record-breaking opening day at Wimbledon, where the mercury climbed to 32.2°C, the finals this weekend are also expected to be held under sweltering conditions, with temperatures forecast above 30°C.
By Friday, the heat will shift northward into Scotland and Northern Ireland, which could see their warmest days of the year so far.
England and Wales could record temperatures between 33-34°C on Saturday.
The tennis tournament’s final matches are projected to be hot, though likely not surpassing Wimbledon’s record finals day high of 34.1°C set in 1976.
On Sunday, a cooler breeze from the northeast is expected to move in, pushing the hottest air into central parts of England and eastern Wales, ahead of what could be the end of the heatwave on Tuesday.
According to the Environment Agency, England is also facing its driest start to the year since 1976.
Nearly three-quarters of the country’s reservoir sites saw a decline in levels throughout June, with below-average water storage now widespread.
In response, Yorkshire Water has announced a hosepipe ban beginning Friday to safeguard regional water supplies.
Activities like garden watering, car washing, and filling paddling pools will be restricted under the ban.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats have urged the government to establish public “cool hubs” with air conditioning in community spaces like gyms, libraries, and leisure centres.
“Cool hubs could provide a lifeline to the most vulnerable in our communities who are struggling in the sweltering conditions,” said Pippa Heylings, the party’s energy spokesperson.
While comparing different heatwaves can be challenging due to regional factors and evolving definitions, especially since the current Met Office criteria were only introduced in 2019, this summer stands out for its frequency of high-temperature days.
So far in 2025, the UK has recorded 25 heatwave days, when at least one location reaches the threshold, making it one of the hottest years on record. Only 1989 and 2018 saw more such days by this point, with 26 and 34 respectively, according to weather tracking platform Starlings Roost Weather.
With temperatures 7-10°C higher than average for mid-July, scientists warn that while linking specific weather events directly to climate change is complex, global warming is clearly driving longer, more intense heatwaves.
Matt Jackson, Head of Conservation at the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire Wildlife Trust, spoke to BBC Breakfast about the ecological toll.
“We get the butterflies which feed the birds, for instance, coming out [at a time that is] out of sync with the bird breeding cycle – so they don’t have the amount of food they need to feed their chicks.”
Jackson also stressed that the most serious long-term threat is not just the heat itself, but drought.
“It is changing the way our nature reserves work and we’re having to try and work out how to adapt to that,” he said.
