Overview
- UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office put amber and yellow heat‑health alerts into force from Tuesday August 11 through Friday evening for most of England.
- Forecasters expect widespread mid‑30s Celsius conditions this week with a small chance of 36°C locally, and the Met Office is considering issuing a rarer amber or red extreme‑heat warning.
- Persistent dry conditions have left half of England and all of Wales in drought, with some 23–27 million customers under hosepipe bans and water companies and the National Drought Group meeting to coordinate responses.
- Very low river levels in Europe, including record falls at Kaub on the Rhine, are already threatening inland navigation and power production while wildfires and heat stress pose ongoing risks to farms and infrastructure.
- Health and emergency services are urging people to drink water, keep cool and check on vulnerable neighbours, and officials warn short, isolated rain is unlikely to reverse the accumulated water shortfall.