UK Faces Fourth Heatwave as Wildfires Rage in Scotland and Wales

The United Kingdom is entering its fourth heatwave of the summer, with temperatures projected to reach between 35 °C and 39 °C across parts of England, including a forecast of 39 °C in the east on July 29. Heat alerts remain in place for London, the South East, the East Midlands and other regions, and more than 20 million people are under hose‑pipe bans as rainfall totals sit at roughly 20 % of the seasonal average.

The extreme heat has intensified drought conditions, prompting drought declarations in North Wales and the Upper Severn. Wildfires have broken out across the country: a major blaze in the Cairngorms National Park was declared a major incident, prompting the evacuation of Nethy Bridge, deployment of over 500 firefighters and requests for military assistance. In Wales, two large fires on Maerdy mountain and in Blaenavon have required multi‑agency responses, with dozens of appliances and heavy machinery engaged.

Despite brief breaks of rain forecast for some northern and western areas, the prevailing high‑pressure system will keep much of the UK dry, sustaining the heatwave and the associated wildfire risk through the week.