UK Heatwave Map: Where Temperatures Could Hit 34°C in a 'North-South Split'

Parts of southern England are about to experience their fourth heatwave of the year, with temperatures expected to climb as high as 34°C on Wednesday. Health officials have issued warnings that the extreme heat could harm elderly people and those with health conditions. The hot spell is part of a pattern of more intense summers driven by human-caused climate change. While the south bakes, much of northern England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland will stay cooler and cloudier.

Amber heat health alerts are in place from 9am on Wednesday to 9am on Thursday for the East Midlands, London, the south-east, and east of England. Yellow alerts — a lower level of warning — cover Yorkshire and the Humber, the West Midlands, and south-west England. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned of possible 'significant impacts' on health and social care services. Officials also flagged a rise in the risk of drownings as people try to cool off in rivers and lakes.

In London and nearby counties, temperatures are set to reach 33°C on Wednesday. The heat will peak at 34°C in the afternoon across parts of Essex and Cambridgeshire. Meanwhile, Manchester is expected to reach just 25°C and Cardiff 26°C, showing a clear difference between the south and the rest of the country. Senior Met Office meteorologist Dan Stroud described this pattern as a 'North-South split.'

The hot weather is expected to continue into Thursday but will ease in the North. Belfast could see a high of just 19°C and Glasgow 18°C. Forecasters say clouds and outbreaks of rain will continue in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and northern England. But the heat won't last long — Dan Stroud said the peak would be 'almost a blink and you miss it,' with temperatures dropping back to normal by the weekend.

July was 3°C above average across the UK, according to early data from the Met Office. This could make it one of the three or four hottest Julys ever recorded. Since May, three heatwaves have already swept across the country, with record-breaking temperatures in June. Scientists say these extreme weather events are becoming more common because of climate change caused by humans.

The ongoing heat and lack of rain have created serious problems with water supply. Hosepipe bans are now in place for 23 million customers, and even water companies without bans are urging people to use less water. Drought has been declared across a large part of Wales, and some spots have had no rain at all for weeks. Wisley in Surrey, for example, has had 40 days in a row without any rainfall.

The dry and hot conditions have also raised the risk of wildfires. At the height of the third heatwave in mid-July, firefighters were battling 19 major wildfires at the same time in England and Wales. A spokesperson for the National Fire Chiefs Council said fire and rescue services are 'on alert and continuing to prepare for renewed wildfire risk.' Met Office data suggests that fires could become 'exceptionally severe' on Wednesday in parts of eastern, southern, and south-east England.

Met Office chief meteorologist Dan Suri said some areas will see a brief change this weekend as weather fronts move south-east across the UK. The North and West are most likely to receive rain and showers, but many places will get very little relief. For much of southern England, dry conditions will remain, and temperatures could bounce back quickly next week. Forecasters say there is a chance of very warm or hot weather returning soon after the brief cool spell.