A warning of heatwave-induced deaths has been issued across England as temperatures soared towards 35C, while Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all recorded their warmest day of the year.
It comes as six million homes have been hit with a hosepipe ban and fire chiefs have warned of a increased risk of wildfires and drowning as people try to escape the heat in pools and ponds.
A warning has also been issued for a potential for a rise in deaths, particularly among the over-65s and other vulnerable groups.
The Met Office said Scotland’s Aveimore hit 32.2C, with yesterday the seventh time since at least 1961 that the same high has been recorded across the country.
Meanwhile, a high of 30C was recorded in Magilligan, Ireland, while temperatures soared to 33.1C in Cardiff’s Bute Park, beating the 2025 record set on Friday of 32.4C at the same location.
Although England has been hot, with maximum temperatures also hitting 33.1C in Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire, it did not break the country’s current record for the year of 35.8C – recorded in Kent at the beginning of July.
Amber heat health alerts are in place for the Midlands and southern and eastern England until 9am on Monday, with warning of the potential for a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions.
Meanwhile, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has yellow alerts in place until Monday for the North East, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber.
A warning of the potential rise in heatwave-induced deaths has been issued across England as temperatures soar towards 35C, with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all recording their warmest day of the year (Brighton Beach pictured yesterday)
A man sunbathes on the grass at Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester as Amber heat health alerts are in place for the Midlands and southern and eastern England until 9am on Monday
People flock to Luss Beach on Loch Lomond as Scotland recorded its hottest day this year
A woman uses an umbrella to cover herself from the sun
People cool off in the sea at Langland Bay, Swansea. Temperatures soared to 33.1C in Cardiff’s Bute Park yesterday, beating the 2025 record set on Friday of 32.4C at the same location
A group sunbathe on Sunny Sands beach in Folkestone, Kent
Temperatures are forecast to dip marginally on Sunday, with possible highs of 31C, before Monday brings some relief from the baking heat.
Met Office meteorologist Kathryn Chalk said: ‘While we’ve seen the peak of the heat in this heatwave through today it’s still going to be very warm on Sunday before turning cooler for many of us on Monday.
‘So we’ve got this ridge of high pressure extending across the UK, helping to keep things settled, but out towards the west an area of low pressure moving through Sunday night and into Monday.
Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said the vast majority enjoyed a sunny Saturday, with the exception of eastern coastal areas. Cromer in Norfolk saw a high of just 16.9C (62F).
Fire chiefs have urged people to stay safe as they warned of the increased risk of wildfires and drowning during the heatwave.
The risk of wildfires in London is currently rated at ‘severe’ by the Natural Hazards Partnership.
Yesterday evening, firefighters in Surrey have been tackling a wildfire on Hankley Common in the small village of Thursley, spanning across approximately eight acres.
Surrey Fire and Rescue Service have urged nearby residents to close windows and doors and also asked members of the public to otherwise avoid the area.
The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has asked people not to enter water to try to cool down and urged parents and carers to ensure children are supervised around water at all times.
Phil Garrigan, NFCC chairman, said: ‘We are urging people to take simple but vital safety precautions to protect themselves and their loved ones during this period of hot, dry weather.
‘Our experience tells us that wildfires can start in an instant and escalate rapidly. That’s why we’re asking everyone to stay alert and act responsibly.’
A couple enjoyed a spot of paddleboarding in Scotland’s Aviemore yesterday, where temperatures hit 32.2C, with yesterday the seventh time since at least 1961 that the same high has been recorded across the country
Many flocked to Sunny Sands beach in Folkestone (pictured), to enjoy the warm weather. Fire chiefs have urged people to stay safe as they warned of the increased risk of wildfires and drowning during the heatwave
At The Bastille Day Festival in Reading, many used umbrellas to help keep cool
Revelers at Trnsmt music festival in Glasgow enjoyed the scorching sun
People made the most of the hot weather and enjoyed a dip at Clevedon Marine Lake, Somerset
People gathered on the roadside in camping chairs ahead of The Twelfth of July parade to begin in Belfast, Northern Ireland as the UK braces for amber heat health alerts
People flocked to seasides like Brighton (pictured) to cool off in the sea as temperatures reached record highs
Tennis fans have been struggling in the heat at Wimbledon for the past few days, with play experiencing brief disruptions as spectators needed medical assistance
Families made ad-hoc shelter to protect themselves from the heat as they waited for the Twelfth of July parade to begin, in Belfast, Northern Ireland
The Met Office said that it will remain ‘very warm’ across the country on Sunday, though it will be a ‘little cooler’ than yesterday
As well as the amber alerts, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has yellow alerts in place until Monday for the North East, North West and Yorkshire and Humber
Tennis fans have been struggling in the heat at Wimbledon for the past few days, with play experiencing brief disruptions as spectators needed medical assistance.
When temperatures were forecast to rise on Saturday, the All England Club said it significantly increased the number of on-screen communications and push notifications to remind guests to stay hydrated and seek respite from the sun.
The club also said service stewards on court have access to water for spectators in need, that on-site medical teams are ready to assist when required and that the grounds have more than 100 free water refill points as well as a pharmacy where guests can buy sunscreen.
In Snowdonia, ‘extreme temperatures’ forced organisers to call off a series of long-distance running events in Eryri National Park. Runners were ‘safely escorted off the mountain by our event staff and mountain leader team’, said organisers.
The heat caused travel chaos in South Wales, after damage to a railway line between Pontypridd, Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare closed a section of the track.
It meant thousands of Stereophonics fans travelling to the Principality Stadium in Cardiff had to make alternative travel plans.
HM Coastguard also issued safety advice for people heading to the coast, as data from the water incident database shows most drownings occurred in July over the last three years.
And National Rail has also warned train passengers that the hot weather may cause disruption this weekend, stating on their website that ‘heat can cause overhead lines to expand and sag, rails to buckle, and also line-side fires’.
The Met Office said that it will remain ‘very warm’ across the country on Sunday, though it will be a ‘little cooler’ than yesterday.
Chief Meteorologist Steve Willington said: ‘Sunday looks like being a little cooler than Saturday, but 30°C is still likely across central and southern parts of England and eastern Wales, with locally 31°C possible.’
Another tennis spectator uses an electric fan to cool herself down as she watches the match from the stands on the hottest day of the year
Those attending Bristol Pride festival used fans to cool themselves down as they walked along in the baking heat
Beaches such as Sunny Sands beach in Folkestone, Kent, were packed with holidays enjoying a day at the seaside
Chief Meteorologist Steve Willington said: ‘Sunday looks like being a little cooler than Saturday, but 30°C is still likely across central and southern parts of England and eastern Wales, with locally 31°C possible’
A father and son try and beat the heat with umbrella hats and electric fans as they watch the International Test Match between England and India at Lord’s Cricket Ground, St John’s Wood
A woman sunbathes in Vauxhall Park, London, as the third heatwave of the summer hits the UK
Race-goers in York don their shades and short dresses as they soak up the sun at York Racecourse
People resorted to stripping off layers of clothing at a skate park in Crystal Palace, London as they sweated in the36C heat
Amber heat health alerts are in place for the Midlands and southern and eastern England until 9am on Monday as people flock to beaches to enjoy the hot weather (Bournemouth beach pictured)
The weather warning applies includes the potential for a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 (a group of elderly people shelter in the shade at Bournemouth beach, Dorset)
Yesterday evening, firefighters in Surrey have been tackling a wildfire on Hankley Common in the small village of Thursley, spanning across approximately eight acres. Pictured: a view of a previous blaze at Hankley Common on July 24, 2022
People have flocked to the seaside to cool off and enjoy the sun but the RNLI has warned beachgoers that, despite the heat, there is still a risk of cold water shock
Meanwhile, meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said that the hot weather was set to continue across the southeast of England on Monday.
Mr Dewhurst added: ‘It could still get to around 29 or 30C across southeast England on Monday, and then everyone into the fresher air by Tuesday, temperatures more like 23C, 24C as the maximum temperature.’
The continued hot temperatures follow a second hosepipe ban introduced in Kent and Sussex with thousands of customers in Yorkshire already restricting their water usage.
Those supplied by South East Water will not be able to use their hosepipes for any reason from July 18.
The company said the region has endured its driest spring since 1893 and has had to supply up to 680million litres of water in 24 hours as temperatures soar.
A spokesperson added: ‘This situation has left us with no choice but to restrict the use of hosepipes and sprinklers, so we can help our reservoirs and underground water storage recover.’
South East Water warned that it will prosecute those who disobey the ban by slapping them with fines of up to £1,000.
A hosepipe ban began on Friday in areas supplied by Yorkshire Water, which has affected more than 5.7million homes in Yorkshire, Derbyshire and North Lincolnshire.
Yorkshire Water placed the ban on the use of hosepipes for activities such as watering the garden, cleaning cars, filling paddling pools or ponds, or cleaning paths, walls or windows, in an attempt to protect water supplies in the face of yet more dry weather.
Customers flouting the ban could face fines of up to £1,000, but the company has said ‘we hope it won’t come to that’ as it urged households to help conserve water by sticking to the restrictions.
Those found flouting newly imposed water bans could face fines of up to £1,000 as companies work to preserve reservoir supplies (Agden Reservoir, Sheffield)
The warning comes as 6million homes have been hit with a hosepipe ban and fire chiefs have warned of a increased risk of wildfires (wheat fields in Oxfordshire)
A couple sunbathing on rocks next to the sea at Sunny Sands beach in Kent on the hottest day of the year so far
A man sunbathes in Green Park, London ahead of the hottest day of the year so far
People shelter under umbrellas to avoid getting burnt as they walk around Bank, London
A woman fans herself to stay cool as she walks around Westminster, central London
Swimmers enjoying the Clevedon Marine Lake, Somerset as temperatures reach 35C
Officials are advising people to take ‘simple but vital safety precautions to protect themselves’ including drinking water and staying in the shade (people relaxing in St. Paul’s, London)
Hosepipe bans have come in to force to protect reservoir reserves which are dangerously low (Pictured: Baitings Reservoir in Ripponden, West Yorkshire)
Two women shelter under an umbrella for some ad hoc shade while one sucks in to an ice cream in an attempt to beat the heat
The new ban comes after 80 firefighters were called to tackle a grass fire on Thursday in Rainham, Essex.
The London Fire Brigade said it has responded to 24 wildfires this year, five of which occurred this week, including one in Manor Park, east London, on Friday afternoon, where 70 firefighters fought to tackle a grass fire on Wanstead Flats.
‘Heat can cause overhead lines to expand and sag, rails to buckle, and also line-side fires,’ it said on its website.
South East Water said demand for drinking water had reached ‘record levels since May’. And Thames Water has also warned it could announce a hosepipe ban.
National Rail warned train passengers that the hot weather may cause disruption this weekend.
Meanwhile, the RNLI warned beachgoers that, despite the heat, there is still a risk of cold water shock.
Ross Macleod, the charity’s water safety manager, said: ‘Even in hot weather, the seas around our coasts are cold enough year-round to trigger cold water shock, while waves and rip currents can overpower even the most experienced water users.’
He added: ‘We encourage people to choose a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags, which is the area most closely monitored by the lifeguards.’
