UK on high alert as fifth heatwave looms with 36C highs, health warnings, wildfires and drought fears

UK on high alert as fifth heatwave looms with 36C highs, health warnings, wildfires and drought fears Weather forecasts show the UK is facing another week of severe heat as the mercury rises back towards 40C and more areas risk following parts of England and Wales into drought Britain is on alert for a monster fifth heatwave, as the forecast reveals temperatures approaching 40C for the fifth time this summer - and no sign of rain for swathes of the country at risk of wildfires. The mercury is set to climb to highs of 36C this week following what was some brief relief over the weekend, when it briefly dropped down into the low and mid-20C range across previously baking parts of the country. Now, however, a series of alerts have been released, with people warned of "significant impacts" to their health and wellbeing. Half of England and all of Wales have been plunged into drought and more regions could be declared when officials meet at the National Drought Group on Monday. Hosepipe bans could go further and include car washes and swimming pools as the soaring temperatures put further pressure on water supply. More than 25 million people have restrictions on water use, the Environment Agency said, with millions under hosepipe bans, including all South East Water and Thames Water customers. The Met Office has warned that it will be getting "hotter throughout this week", with temperatures already starting close to 30C on Monday. The first forecast of the week states that it will be "very warm in the south", as the mercury stretches to 27C in London, while it remains fresher further north. Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said: "We'll probably see highs reaching the mid-30s quite widely on Wednesday, and indeed on Thursday too for England and Wales. "On Wednesday, probably the Midlands, maybe a little bit further south, the M4 corridor, west of London, up towards the Midlands, is where we might have a small chance of reaching 36C in one or two spots. "But Thursday at this stage looks the most likely hottest day of the week. So 36C is a fairly reasonable probability locally on Thursday and there's a small chance it could get even higher than that." At their highest, temperatures are expected to reach 36C in London, and elsewhere they will surge above 30C consistently over the next few days. According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), people living in seven areas are most at risk from the coming heat, with heat health alerts issued across England. The South West, South East, London, East of England, East Midlands, West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber are all under alert this week, with "significant" impacts possible across health and social care services in the South East. The National Drought Group, which is composed of British regulators, Government officials, water and agricultural firms, will meet today to decide whether more of these regions will enter official drought. Many more households could join the between eight to 10 million currently under a hosepipe ban, and existing ones could be set to go much further. Southern Water has applied to the Government for a Drought Order and Non-Essential Use Ban (NEUB)'s ban. If granted, the ban would allow the firm to ban people from washing cars, filling swimming or even paddling pools, and washing their cars with hosepipes or other mechanical devices that use water. The prolonged dry weather has only made it more likely that the country will experience more wildfires like the one that broke out in Suffolk in late July, with records broken nation wide. There have been 33 days in total this year with temperatures exceeding 30C in the UK, and this week another record will likely follow. With more 30C days on the horizon, it is likely a record of 34 days, set more than 30 years ago in 1995, will be the next one to be broken by the unrelenting heat. At the same time, it is the first year ever where a temperature of 35C has been recorded somewhere in the UK for three consecutive months in May, June and July. August could well hit the next week according to the forecast. So far, the extreme weather of summer 2026 has included two record-breaking heatwaves in May and June that led to more than 2,800 excess deaths. Two more heatwaves in July, the driest July in England and Wales since records began in 1836, have fuelled drought and wildfires. Among them is the blaze that has been tearing through Dunwich, in coastal Suffolk since last month, and has demanded the presence of dozens of firefighters and engines to tackle. The latest fire has taken shape in the New Forest, where drivers have been warned to leave their cars "if they want to stay alive" on the A31 in Hampshire. A whole 12 miles of the road is shut near Forest Corner, which covers some of the area's most stunning natural beauty spots. The wildfire started on Sunday afternoon after flames leapt from an on fire lorry to dried up healthland, requiring 26 crews to rush to the scene, where they are still battling the fire. Firefighters are expected to remain at the site "for the foreseeable future". A policewoman reportedly told drivers to get out of their cars and move to a central reservation on the A31 to stay safe from the flames. People have left their vehicles on the road, and it is unknown when they'll have the chance to safely return and collect them. Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service received more than 160 emergency calls reporting a vehicle on fire on the eastbound A31 at about 5.24pm on Sunday. Twenty-six fire engines, four water carriers, six off-road vehicles and several command vehicles were initially at the site near Ringwood on Sunday evening but on Monday morning this had been scaled down to 10 fire engines and 10 off-road vehicles. The fire service said the fire spread from the vehicle to the central reservation before progressing into nearby heathland in a south-easterly direction towards Backley Bottom. On Monday, it said: “Firefighters continue to tackle the fire affecting heathland near the A31 and will remain on site for the foreseeable future. “We continue to have a significant presence in the area as crews work to bring the fire under control.”