UK sizzles for final day of heatwave ahead of heavy rain

Cachella Smith
BBC News
Matt Taylor
Lead weather presenter@MetMattTaylor
What's the weather forecast for Monday?

The UK experienced the final day of the latest heatwave to reach the British Isles, with parts of England, Scotland and Wales all reaching 30C on Sunday.

Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire hit 31.1C while Achnagart in the Scottish Highlands reached 31.2C, Gogerddan in west Wales 30.2C, and Castlederg in Co Tyrone 27.1C.

Temperatures were slightly lower than Saturday's peak, while a cooler change is forecast to arrive on Monday, bringing "heavy spells of rain" for many areas, according to the Met Office.

Amber heat health alerts remain in place across central and southern England overnight but will end on Monday morning - as will an "extreme" wildfire warning for most of Scotland.

Millions in Yorkshire, Kent and Sussex continue to face a hosepipe ban following a prolonged dry period.

People across the country flocked to beauty spots and bodies of water over the weekend to keep cool but emergency services responded to a number of incidents where people had got into trouble in the water.

A 15-year-old boy died in a river in Glasgow on Saturday evening, just hours after a woman, 63, died after falling near a waterfall north of the Scottish city.

The body of a 39-year-old man was separately found in the River Tyne in East Lothian. Another man, 50, was pulled from the water at Loch Lomond but later died in hospital, police said.

Police Scotland said none of the deaths were being treated as suspicious.

Police in England continue to search for a man who went missing after getting into difficulty while in the River Thames in Oxfordshire on Saturday.

Thames Valley Police said the 23-year-old man was with a group of friends who had been unable to retrieve him from the water.

Fire officials have warned of an increased risk of drowning when trying to keep cool, urging parents to supervise children around water at all times.

Saturday was the hottest day in three years for Northern Ireland and Wales, and the hottest in two years in Scotland - while England's highest temperature was 33.1C recorded in Ross-on-Wye, in Herefordshire.

The heat led to disruption on the train network in Wales - leaving thousands of Stereophonics fans facing cancellations - while fire crews in Perthshire spent a second day battling a wildfire.

Amber heat health alerts - signifying a rise in deaths and demand on the health service is likely - will remain in place in England until 09:00 BST on Monday. Less severe yellow heat health alerts for northern regions of England will also end at the same time.

The heatwave is then expected to end for many areas as showers develop, with the possibility of some heavy showers or thunderstorms in north and west England.

Those in south-east England may have to wait until Tuesday for some respite from the heat, though, with a high of 28C forecast for Monday.

Getty Images A man drinks from a bottle while a woman uses a refilling station in London.Getty Images

Neither Yorkshire Water nor South East Water have indicated when they plan to lift their respective hosepipe bans, which restrict water usage for certain garden activities. Those who break the ban could face a fine.

South East Water, which has implemented the ban in Kent and Sussex, added it is monitoring the situations in other areas it services including parts of Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire.

Meanwhile, firefighters in Surrey continued tackling a wildfire to the south of Farnham on Sunday, after it grew to eight hectares on Saturday evening.

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service told the public to avoid the area as it said crews were "damping down the perimeter" and dealing with hot spots.

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) advised against the use of disposable barbeques in the countryside or parks, and asked people to not discard items that could spark a fire, such as cigarettes, matches or glass bottles.

Wimbledon fans braved 31C heat on Saturday to watch Iga Swiatek beat Amanda Anisimova in the women's singles final at Wimbledon.

The men's finals on Sunday saw a marginally cooler high of 29C.

The All England Tennis Club, which runs the tournament, said it had increased the number of on-screen communications and push notifications offering advice around hydration and taking breaks from the sun.

Heat may rebuild across the south-east corner of England again later in the coming week, though not to the temperature levels experienced over the last few days.

While linking climate change with specific individual extreme weather events can be difficult, scientists say that climate change is generally making heatwaves hotter, longer and more frequent.

Three summer heatwaves in quick succession after an unusually warm spring suggests climate change is having some effect on 2025's weather - impacting not just humans but wildlife as well.