UK swelters through record eighth day above 34C as heatwave drags on

The UK has suffered through its eighth day above 34C this year, breaking a record that had stood since the scorching summers of 1976 and 2020, as a stubborn heatwave refuses to loosen its grip. On Thursday, temperatures peaked at 35.5C in Wisley, Surrey, while five sites in southern England endured a "tropical night" with the mercury never dropping below 20C – Cippenham South Water Works in Berkshire recorded 21.2C and St Catherine's Point on the Isle of Wight 20.5C. The heatwave, the third of the year, began earlier this week and is expected to linger until the end of next week, though a north-easterly breeze on Saturday may bring some respite to eastern areas. The UK Health Security Agency has amber and yellow heat health warnings in place across large parts of England until 21:00 BST on Sunday. Friday's heat is forecast to shift westward, with highs of 34C or 35C possible in Berkshire, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and eastern Wales. Wales reached 31.3C in Cardiff on Thursday, Scotland 29.3C at Charterhall, and Northern Ireland 27.5C at Killowen. The Met Office confirmed that 2026 has so far seen eight days where temperatures reached or exceeded 34C – two in May's heatwave, four in June's, and two in the current July event – surpassing the previous calendar-year record of seven days set in both 1976 and 2020. Another 34C-plus reading is anticipated on Friday. During June's heatwave, temperatures soared to 37.7C in Lingwood, Norfolk, smashing the previous June record of 35.6C. Wales also recorded its hottest June day with 35.9C in Cardiff, while Northern Ireland equalled its June record with 30.8C in Castlederg. Scotland fell just short of its all-time June high of 32.2C, reaching 31.2C at Threave. Though daily temperature records are unlikely to be broken, the prolonged duration of this heatwave is striking, with cooler, more unsettled weather not forecast to arrive until later next week.