The United Kingdom experienced its highest temperature of the year on Thursday, hitting 38.1 degrees Celsius in west London, according to the national weather service, amidst a prolonged period of hot weather across Europe. The Met Office confirmed that this surpassed the previous 2026 high of 38 degrees Celsius recorded in June. However, it fell short of the UK’s August record of 38.5 degrees Celsius set in 2003.
Both Britain and France are currently enduring their fifth heatwave of the year, with the first one occurring in May. This year has already seen a record four days with temperatures exceeding 36 degrees Celsius and two days reaching 38 degrees Celsius, matching the figures from 2022.
In France, temperatures 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 most intense heat is expected to shift eastward away from Britain and France by Friday and gradually ease over the weekend.
Both countries are struggling to cope with the extreme heat, as air conditioning is a rare luxury outside of commercial establishments. In the UK, nurses have collapsed from heat exhaustion while working in hospitals, many of which are located in outdated buildings lacking adequate cooling systems, as highlighted by the Royal College of Nursing.
Europe, including Britain and France, is grappling with severe drought conditions that have devastated crops and depleted water sources, creating immense pressure on water supplies for various purposes. Southern Water in England’s south has applied for a rare drought order to restrict non-essential water usage due to the exceptionally dry conditions threatening supplies in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
As the region remains on high alert for wildfires due to the dry landscape and absence of significant rainfall, firefighters in Britain have been battling wildfires, including one in the New Forest. While the number of wildfires in England and Wales this year matches last year’s record, it underscores the urgency for the UK to adapt to the changing climate.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is contemplating a ban on disposable barbecues to mitigate the risk of wildfires amid the ongoing heatwave. In France, firefighters are also under strain, with some considering strike action to demand additional resources to handle extreme weather events, following recent devastating fires in different parts of the country.