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UK records hottest day as heat warnings press ahead

8/13/2026

Summary

UK Endures Heatwave

United Kingdom recorded its hottest day, 38.1 °C at Kew Gardens in London.
Amber heat warnings cover England from London to Sheffield until Thursday.
Health officials call heat a “silent killer” as the Royal College of Nursing says staff faced “inhumane” conditions during 35 days above 30 °C.
Nearly three-quarters of England and all of Wales are in drought, while the National Fire Chiefs Council recorded 1,017 wildfires this year.

Summary

Burnham Considers Ban

Prime Minister Andy Burnham is considering a ban on disposable barbecues to reduce wildfire danger.
Environment Secretary Angela Eagle will decide on Southern Water’s drought order that would forbid non-essential water use, the first such ban since May 2006.
Southern Water says an “exceptional” rain deficit threatens supplies in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
French firefighters have threatened to strike, demanding more staff and resources to cope with heat-driven fires.

Summary

France Evacuates

France evacuated 220,000 residents from southwestern wildfires, one of the continent’s largest evacuations since World War II.
Météo-France confirmed June 23 as France’s hottest day, with temperatures reaching 44.3 °C in the southwest.
Scientists warned that human-caused warming and a supersized El Niño raise chance that 2026 could be the hottest year on record.
France’s public health agency recorded at least 5,700 excess deaths in June and 2,800 linked to extreme temperatures in May-June.

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UK Endures Heatwave

United Kingdom recorded its hottest day, 38.1 °C at Kew Gardens in London.
Amber heat warnings cover England from London to Sheffield until Thursday.
Health officials call heat a “silent killer” as the Royal College of Nursing says staff faced “inhumane” conditions during 35 days above 30 °C.
Nearly three-quarters of England and all of Wales are in drought, while the National Fire Chiefs Council recorded 1,017 wildfires this year.

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