UK could bake in its fourth heatwave this week with temperatures peaking at 35C, forecasters warn

Published: 23:39, 25 July 2026 | Updated: 23:42, 25 July 2026 The UK could bake in its fourth heatwave this week with temperatures peaking at 35C (95F), forecasters have warned. After long-awaited rain clears from the North and North West, hot and dry weather is likely to return for much of England and eastern Wales. BBC forecasters say temperatures will peak at 25C to 32C (77F to 90F) for most of the week but that, by the weekend, there is a possibility of highs of 30C to 35C (86F to 95F) across England. The summer has already brought scorching temperatures, with June records broken when a sweltering 37.7C (99.9F) was recorded at Strumpshaw Hill, near the Norfolk village of Lingwood. Hot spells are classed as heatwaves when temperatures exceed thresholds set for the area for three consecutive days. This year's third heatwave ended in most areas last weekend when maximum temperatures dropped to below 24C (75F).  However, in Usk, Monmouthshire, and Exeter Airport, Devon, temperatures have exceeded heatwave thresholds for 20 consecutive days. More than 20 million Britons are now under a hosepipe ban. Bournemouth beachgoers sunbathe as the UK is set to enter its fourth heatwave with temperatures peaking at 35C Met Office chief meteorologist Dan Suri said: 'After a prolonged spell of hot, dry and settled weather, some will see a temporary change as weather fronts move south-east across the UK. 'While some areas, particularly in the North and West, will see rain and showers, many places are likely to receive relatively little rainfall. 'For much of southern England, dry conditions are expected to remain the dominant feature, with temperatures recovering quickly this week and the potential for very warm or locally hot weather to return.'