Sixth heatwave set to grip Britain next month

 Britain could be gripped by a sixth heatwave next month, according to the Met Office.

The long-range forecast has suggested the record-breaking high temperatures seen so far this summer could continue into September.

The forecaster warned there was “a chance that late-season hot spells or heatwaves develop, especially in the south” between Aug 31 and Sept 14.

There was likely to be “a broad northwest-southeast split in conditions, with the high pressure becoming centred close to the south of the UK and more changeable conditions developing towards the north and northwest” as the autumn began, the Met Office said.

“Meanwhile, drier, more settled weather is slightly more likely towards the south and east. Temperatures are likely to be above average overall,” it added.

The fifth heatwave of the summer peaked last Thursday with temperatures reaching their hottest of the year at 38.1C in Kew Gardens, London.

During last week’s heatwave, two trains derailed in the South East, the first in Lewes, East Sussex, on Thursday, seriously injuring two. A second came off the tracks at Wickford in Essex less than 24 hours later.

Network Rail chiefs have said the heat may have been to blame, and investigations are under way.

The stretch of line between Haywards Heath and Lewes where the first train derailed would remain closed for 10 more days, Network Rail said.

It said: “Customers travelling next week, and in the weeks ahead, are advised to check before they travel and, where possible, use alternative train services via Brighton.

“Rail replacement buses will run between Lewes and Haywards Heath, serving Cooksbridge and Plumpton. These buses have limited capacity, so customers travelling to other stations should travel via Brighton instead.”

Network Rail said tickets would be accepted on alternative Southern, Thameslink and Southeastern services as well as Brighton and Hove buses and London Underground services between London terminal stations.

Britain has endured the driest July since records began in 1836, and the whole of Wales and nearly three-quarters of England are officially in drought. There are widespread hosepipe bans across southern England.

High temperatures and unprecedented drought have led to wildfires, with as many so far this year in England and Wales – 1,017 – as in all of last year, according to the National Fire Chiefs Council. The 2025 tally was the highest ever recorded.

The fires caused devastation in Stourbridge, West Midlands, where 19 homes were destroyed, while 100 military personnel were deployed across South Wales to fight blazes there.

They prompted the Government’s “most extensive use” yet of Britain’s emergency alert system, which warned that wildfires could be caused by barbecues and fireworks.

However, the decision to use the system was criticised by some as unnecessary.

Dudley Borough Council said in an update on Sunday that eight families whose houses had been destroyed by the fires had been able to view their properties.

Some 13 households whose properties had been partially damaged in the blazes had been able to return, chief executive Balvinder Heran said in a residents’ briefing.

Last week, the Met Office said Britain was on track to endure its hottest recorded summer, surpassing that of 1976, when the average daily maximum temperature was 21C.

This summer’s heat has passed milestones including the most days recorded above 30C and 36C and hottest-day records for May and June.

The NHS said the heat had meant A&E wards had had their busiest summer ever, with a record 2.5 million patients in July.

Summer usually results in an increase in demand because of a rise in accidents from people spending more time outdoors.

This year it has been exacerbated by the hot and dry weather, with more people suffering from dehydration, breathing issues, and the worsening of underlying medical conditions.

Nurses have warned that they are caring for patients in conditions “not fit for humans” because of a lack of air conditioning and ventilation.

Yvette Cooper, the Health Secretary, has pledged that the NHS will start preparing for summer in the same way it does for winter.