UK weather record on verge of being broken as Brits head for 'unprecedented' fifth heatwave of 2026

UK weather record on verge of being broken as Brits head for 'unprecedented' fifth heatwave of 2026 Another Met Office weather record is set to be broken as Britain enters its fifth heatwave of 2026 - this time for the most days with temperatures above 30C in a single year Britain is set to see another weather record tumble as it heads for an 'unprecedented' fifth heatwave of the year. Until now, the record for the most days in a single year where temperatures exceeded 30C anywhere in the country came in 1995, when the Met Office registered 34 days. But the UK has already logged 33 days above the 30C threshold - and there's no sign of a let-up in the hot, dry weather. Provisional records suggest the mercury topped 31C in London this afternoon, which would equal the figure, while forecasts indicate the record will be surpassed by the middle of this week. According to the Met Office, highs of 30C are forecast for London on Tuesday, rising to 33C the following day, and remaining in the 30s into Friday afternoon. The highest temperature of 36C is expected to come in parts of East Anglia and the South East on Thursday. In a forecast on Sunday evening, Met Office meteorologist Dan Stroud said: "Today was yet another warm day across England and Wales, with temperatures again into the low 30s. And if anything, by the time we get to the middle of of this week temperatures will actually rise even further. "The reason for that is this area of high pressure which is building in from the west, and eventually by he time we get to Wednesday it will start to draw some air in from the continent so turning increasingly hot and humid - not only by day, but also by night." "Temperatures are likely to peak on Thursday in the mid 30s, and there may well be some weather warnings issued nearer the time, with impacts affecting the elderly and infrastructure." All the weather records broken so far this summer At least nine Met Office weather records have now been broken so far this summer amid an extraordinary run of hot, dry weather. These include: - First year to hit 35C in three consecutive months: 2026 became the first year on record to reach 35C in May, June, and July. - Warmest June on record for England: England recorded its highest mean (day and night) temperatures for the month of June at 17C - Joint-warmest July on record for Wales: Wales tied its highest mean temperature for the month of July. - Highest UK May daily maximum temperature: A daytime maximum of 35.1C was recorded at Kew Gardens on May 26, surpassing a monthly record originally set in 1922. - Highest UK May daily minimum temperature: During the first heatwave, temperatures did not drop below 21.4C in Camborne, Cornwall on the night of May 26 - a rare 'tropical night' in late Spring. - Driest month ever in the south of England: July 2026 is the driest month ever recorded by the Met Office for a single region since its records began in 1826, with an average daily rainfall of just 1.9mm in southern England. - Driest July on record for England and Wales: Both nations recorded their lowest July rainfall totals on record. England received only 10% of its normal July rainfall, and Wales 9%. - Sunniest calendar month ever for England and Wales: England and Wales experienced their sunniest ever month of any kind last month. - Sunniest July on record: The UK recorded its sunniest July since records began.