Temperatures are forecast to reach 34C (93F) in parts of south-east England on Friday, marking what is expected to be the final day of widespread sweltering conditions for the UK. This marks the fifth extensive heatwave of the year, with amber heat-health alerts from the UK Health Security Agency remaining in effect across all of England until 9 PM BST, indicating ongoing significant impacts on health and social care services.

While the peak of the heat is anticipated in the east, northern and western regions of the UK will experience noticeably cooler temperatures compared to Thursday, which was the hottest day of 2026 so far. This shift precedes a significant cooldown expected across the entire country over the weekend, bringing the current heatwave to a rapid close.

Kew Gardens in London recorded a high of 38.1C on Thursday, making it the UK's hottest day of 2026 and the fifth hottest day on record. This is the second instance this year that temperatures have reached 38C, following a previous occurrence in Lingwood, Norfolk, on June 26. This level of repeated extreme heat in a single year has only been matched once before, in 2022.

The Met Office's amber warning for extreme heat, which covered large areas of England on Thursday, expired at midnight. However, high temperatures are expected to persist in central and eastern England on Friday. Long periods of sunshine will drive temperatures to between 29C and 34C across much of the Midlands, Lincolnshire, East Anglia, and the southeast, with many areas experiencing their third consecutive day above official heatwave thresholds.

Elsewhere, the heat is expected to ease. Cooler conditions will begin to move into northern and western parts of the UK, although temperatures will generally remain above the seasonal norm, widely reaching the low to mid-20s Celsius. Many regions will remain dry, with a mix of cloud and sunny spells, though some areas could experience heavy and thundery showers.

By Saturday, while south-eastern England may still feel very warm, temperatures are predicted to fall below the heatwave threshold of 28C for most of the country, signaling the end of the current heatwave. By Sunday, fresher air is expected to have spread across all parts of the UK, with temperatures returning to average for the time of year, ranging from 17C to 26C. The weekend is expected to remain dry for most of the UK.

This dry spell has led to a prolonged period with little significant rainfall in southern England, with Wisley in Surrey potentially recording 60 days without rain by Sunday. Looking ahead to next week, an area of low pressure near the northwest of the UK is forecast to bring rain-bearing weather fronts, with Scotland and Northern Ireland likely to see the most rain on Monday.

Into Tuesday, showers could move into northern England and north Wales, with a possibility of them extending further south across England. While some rain is possible in southern England, there remains a chance that areas experiencing drought conditions might continue to miss out on any substantial rainfall.