Full Breakdown
Record-Breaking Heat Sweeps the UK and France Amid Fifth Summer Heatwave
8/13/2026, 9:14:12 PM
Record-Breaking Heat in the UK and France
On a Thursday in early August, the Met Office recorded a provisional 38.1 °C at Kew Gardens, London, topping the previous year-high of 38 °C set on June 28. The reading fell short of the UK’s August record of 38.5 °C (2003) but marked the fifth heatwave of the season and the first year with four separate days of 36 °C or higher.
In France, forecasts warned of temperatures near 40 °C in central and southern regions, with a peak of 44.3 °C recorded on June 23, the hottest day ever there.
Background & Context
The heat follows a summer of unusually dry conditions across western Europe. Scientists link the frequency and intensity of such events to the human-driven climate crisis, noting that burning fossil fuels traps heat and disrupts the water cycle.
Data & Statistics
- Temperatures: 38.1 °C in London (provisional); 44.3 °C in southwest France on June 23.
- Drought: Nearly three-quarters of England and all of Wales are classified as being in drought, straining water supplies.
- Wildfires: The National Fire Chiefs Council reports 1,017 wildfires in England and Wales this year, matching last year’s record.
- Health services: A&E departments in England have seen more than 2.4 million attendances across May-July, the highest monthly totals on record.
- Water management: Southern Water has applied for a drought order that would ban non-essential water use for businesses, the first such request since May 2006.
Impact on Health and Services
The Royal College of Nursing describes working conditions in hospitals as “inhumane,” with staff collapsing from heat exhaustion. Officials call the heat a “silent killer” because it raises mortality rates even when not listed as the direct cause of death.
Official Statements & Responses
- Met Office: Warned that average conditions for the rest of August could make 2026 the hottest year on record for the UK.
- Environment Secretary Angela Eagle: Will decide on Southern Water’s drought-order application.
- Baroness Brown: Chair of the Climate Change Committee’s adaptation work, warned that extreme weather “gets worse from here” until net-zero emissions are achieved.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Temperature figures differ slightly among sources: the Met Office’s provisional 38.1 °C reading contrasts with earlier reports of a 38 °C peak on June 28 and June 26, leaving a minor discrepancy in the exact highest temperature recorded that week.
Verbatim Quotes
- “When nursing staff are collapsing, feeling dizzy, sick or even being admitted to the very hospitals they work in because their workplaces cannot handle the heat, it shows just how badly they are being failed,” — Nicola Ranger, chief executive of the RCN
What’s Next
- Drought order decision: Angela Eagle is slated to rule on Southern Water’s request, potentially imposing the first business water-use ban in two decades.
- Health alerts: Amber heat-health alerts remain in force across most of England until Friday, with officials urging the public to stay hydrated, avoid peak-sun exposure and check on vulnerable neighbours.
