Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestylePol AllinghamSaturday 08 August 2026 09:51 BSTEngland and Wales suffer driest July on record in summer of extreme weatherNew yellow health heat alerts have been issued across most of England, effective from Saturday 9am to Tuesday 9pm, as the UK anticipates its fifth heatwave of the summer.Temperatures are forecast to reach up to 36C in parts of East Anglia and south-east England by Thursday, with a north-south weather split expected over the weekend.The hot weather is likely to impact the wellbeing of the population, particularly vulnerable individuals, following previous heatwaves that led to over 2,800 excess deaths.The UK is experiencing widespread drought conditions, with half of England and all of Wales affected, leading to hosepipe bans for 26 million customers and exceptionally low reservoir levels.Wildfires have broken out across the UK, with the Fire Severity Index indicating 'exceptionally severe' risks for almost all of the east and south-east of England on Sunday.In fullYellow heat health alerts come into force as UK set to be gripped by fifth heatwaveMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in