The United Kingdom experienced its highest temperature of the year on Thursday, with west London recording 38.1 degrees Celsius, according to the national weather service. This marks the hottest day in the U.K. so far in 2026, surpassing the previous high of 38 degrees Celsius in June. However, it fell short of the U.K.’s all-time August record of 38.5 degrees Celsius set in 2003.
Both Britain and France are currently in the midst of their fifth heat wave of the year, with the first heat wave occurring in May. The latest heatwave has resulted in a record number of days in 2026 with temperatures exceeding 36 degrees Celsius, totaling four days, and matching the number of days reaching 38 degrees Celsius as recorded in 2022.
Meanwhile, temperatures in France have soared even higher, nearing 41 degrees Celsius in various regions from Aquitaine in the southwest to the Rhone River valley in the east, as reported by the national weather service. The intense heatwave is predicted to shift eastward away from Britain and France on Friday and gradually dissipate over the weekend.
The ongoing summer heatwaves have exposed the lack of preparedness in both Britain and France to combat such extreme temperatures. Air conditioning is a rarity outside of commercial establishments and offices in these countries. In the U.K., reports have surfaced of nurses collapsing from heat exhaustion while working in hospitals, many of which are housed in outdated buildings lacking adequate cooling systems, according to the Royal College of Nursing.
The prolonged dry spells have led to widespread drought conditions across Europe, causing crop failures and depleting water sources for households, agriculture, and the environment. Southern Water in Britain has applied for a rare drought order in the south of England to restrict non-essential water usage, citing a severe lack of rainfall threatening water supplies in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
With the parched land and no relief in sight from the dry weather, authorities in Britain and France are on high alert for wildfires. In England, firefighters have been battling a wildfire in the New Forest in southern England, with a total of 1,017 wildfires recorded in England and Wales this year, matching last year’s record.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is contemplating a ban on disposable barbecues amid the wildfire risk posed by the ongoing extreme heat in parts of the U.K. He emphasized the importance of raising awareness about refraining from using barbecues outdoors during this period to prevent further fire incidents.
French firefighters are also facing challenges, with demands for increased staff and resources to cope with the escalating frequency of extreme weather events. Recent fires in northern regions of France have prompted concerns, including one in Pas-de-Calais and another in Brittany, regions not typically prone to wildfires compared to the hotter and drier areas in the south of France.
