Weather

Yellow weather warnings have been issued by the Met Office as heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast to break out over parts of the UK later this week.

The warnings span Wednesday and Thursday and include parts of east Wales, the Midlands, northern England, East Anglia and southern England – including London.

It is likely to be the one of the most widespread outbreaks of heavy rain across southern and central parts of the UK this summer.

While good news for regions plagued by drought, significant accumulations could lead to flash flooding where the ground is too dry and hard to absorb the downpours. Lightning, large hail and gusty winds are also possible.

A spate of ‘extreme weather’ in Ibiza has left many locals and tourists experiencing heavy rainfall, flooding and strong winds – and some are now worried about their flights home

A mum who booked a trip to Ibiza is having regrets after a spate of “extreme weather” has left her worried her “flight may be delayed”. Ibiza is widely regarded as the party capital of the world, with images of vibrant clubs packed with keen revellers moving to beats spun by world famous DJs most often coming to mind when hearing its name.

But that’s not all it’s known for – its pristine, serene beaches offer a breathtaking retreat for those craving a spot of relaxation; hikers are spoiled for choice with rugged yet scenic cliffs, coastal paths, pine forests and other dramatic areas; while the UNESCO-listed walled old town of Dalt Vila is a haven for history lovers; with plenty more on offer too.

It’s no surprise then that the destination is a top choice for a wide range of holidays, with its usually hot summers and mild, gentle winters making it a decent getaway destination all year round.

This August, however, is a different story entirely. A sudden change in sea levels has led to flooding, heavy rainfall and strong winds.

There’s been reports of locals and tourists alike bolting from Platja de s’Arenal beach, which can be found in the town of Sant Antoni de Portmany, while an event planned to honour the music of a Spanish rock band was cancelled by San Antonio Town Hall “for security reasons”, after the stage was surrounded by sea water.

The flooding followed previous warnings from weather chiefs on the threat of ‘mini tsunamis’ – or rissagas, as they’re known locally – due to hit parts of the Balearic Islands at the beginning of the week.

Majorca Daily Bulletin reported: “Mallorca experienced two minor ‘rissagas’, also known as meteotsunamis, in the ports of Andratx and Soller on Monday, as the Balearic Islands remained under watch for sudden sea level changes.”

How have holidaymakers fared?

Many visitors to Ibiza have shared their experiences of the “extreme weather” online. One mum captured footage of the pool area around her hotel, with winds whipping the palm trees and the cushions strapped to the sun loungers, and shared it to TikTok.

In text written over the top of the clip, the mum penned: “Go to Ibiza in August they said!!!” while in the caption, she added: “Think our flight may be delayed!”

In the comments section, fellow TikTok users were keen to share their thoughts. One person said: “I went in August and it was so sunny and hot 33 degrees.”

Another shared: “Mate last year we were caught in the worst storm’s Ibiza’s had in decades.”

A third said: “We are doing 12 hours in Ibiza with no hotel THIS SATURDAY.”

To which, the mum replied: “Saturday will be beautiful I’m sure! Don’t worry, it’s very rarely like this!”

But someone else said: “Everyone knows around this time of year there is a chance for extreme weather.”

And another agreed: “It rains every year by this time so it’s nothing new and won’t stop anything either.”

Another Ibiza-holidaymaker shared a light-hearted clip mocking herself after sharing envious clips of her getaway before being “humbled” by the torrential downpour.

In the caption, she explained: “Yesterday: ‘Basically, I’m in Ibiza… and you’re not.’

“Today: Ibiza humbled me. We held out under that umbrella for FAR longer than was sensible before admitting defeat!”

Aug. 23 (UPI) — China’s space agency on Sunday postponed the launch of an ambitious mission to search the south pole of the moon for ice due to poor weather.

The robotic lunar probe Chang’e-7 had been slated to take off on Sunday night but failed to meet launch conditions, the China Manned Space Agency said.

The agency added an “assessment was conducted following the principle of prudence, reliability and absolute mission success,” Xinhua reported.

The main reason for the delay was poor weather due to Tropical Depression Narra in the Gulf of Tonkin, Space.com reported.

Officials had at first pushed the launch back by a day, the news outlet reported. Now, it is unclear when the launch will happen.

The Chang’e-7 mission would have been the first in history to probe ice on the moon’s south pole.

“It looks like an incredibly capable and ambitious mission with multiple scientific components on the orbiter, lander, rover and hopper,” Katherine Joy, a professor at the University of Manchester, told SpaceNews. “There is a potential for a huge science return if the mission can successfully land at its intended landing site close to Shackleton crater.”

Joy, who studies lunar and planetary science, added the mission would represent “a really important step for understanding the future human exploration potential of the south pole of the moon, and for investigating the origins of lunar volatiles.”

For the second week in a row, Hawaii Island, also known as the Big Island, faces threats from an intensifying storm.

Tropical Storm Moke is grinding towards Hawaii, bringing gusts of wind and heavy rain only a week after the islands faced similar conditions from Hurricane Lala.

On Saturday, Hawaii residents prepared for the latest storm, which is expected to pass south of Hawaii Island, the largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, overnight and into the following morning.

As of 11am Hawaii Standard Time (21:00 GMT), Moke was located about 684 kilometres, or 425 miles, south of Hilo, a city on the eastern coast of Hawaii Island. It was moving west-northwest at 19km/h (12mph).

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) in the United States reported that the storm’s maximum sustained winds were about 85km/h (50mph).

Moke, like Lala, is forecast to spare the Big Island a potentially disastrous direct hit. But the island is still recovering from Lala, a Category 1 storm that spurred heavy flooding and power outages.

At least one person died in last weekend’s storm.

Lala came close enough to Hawaii Island to dump more than 1,000mm (39 inches) of rain in some locations, causing rivers to burst their banks.

High winds also bent tall palm trees and downed electrical lines, forcing nearly 130,000 utility customers to lose power.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green and other state officials have urged people to prepare for Moke by restocking food, medicine and other daily essentials ahead of the storm’s passage.

“It could certainly have a big impact because we’ve already been hit hard,” Green said in a video statement. “We’re pre-positioning all kinds of additional equipment and people. I’ve also authorised 100 rooms, hotel rooms, for people to go to, in case they don’t have enough services or protection, safety.”

Green added that, while power had been restored to most of Hawaii Island after Lala, some remote areas were still experiencing outages. Power is expected to be fully restored by September 8.

After passing Hawaii Island during the night, Moke is projected to continue on a westward path near the islands through early Tuesday, according to Casey Oswant, a meteorologist with the Honolulu office of the US National Weather Service.

“There will still be impacts, especially to the windward and southeast sides of the Big Island, but it will probably be a little bit more limited than what we saw with Lala,” Oswant said.

The National Hurricane Center projects that Moke will bring roughly 130mm to 250mm (5 to 10 inches) of rainfall over the next two days on the southeast and windward sides of the Big Island. Some isolated areas could see as much as 380mm (15 inches).

Eastern Maui, meanwhile, is likely to receive 76mm to 150mm (3 to 6 inches), with smaller amounts of precipitation expected across the rest of the island chain.

Governor Green warned that the heavy rain is unlikely to end with Moke.

“Everyone be very careful,” he said. “This storm will be followed by another storm front about a week later, and we continue to see the impacts of these major weather fronts that have hit Hawaii.”

The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival announced Friday that it will take a “much-needed year off in 2027” to recuperate from back-to-back years of storms.

“This wasn’t an easy decision, and not one we take lightly, but in our hearts, we know this break will only make Bonnaroo better,” organizers of the Manchester, Tenn., festival wrote on Instagram. “We hope you’ll continue radiating positivity in your community throughout the year, and thank you for loving this festival as much as we do.”

Bonnaroo did not announce a return date.

Typically, after a four-day festival ends, dates of the next year’s festival are announced immediately. But when organizers went quiet after the 2026 installment came to a close in June, fans sensed something was amiss.

Previous years have also seen cancellations. The 2020 festival was called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The following year, the fest was moved to September, but Hurricane Ida forced promoters to cancel after heavy rain turned the Farm — the festival’s venue — into a muddy mess.

In 2025, the music and arts festival started on time, but heavy rains forced promoters to scrap it before the end of the weekend.

As a result, Bonnaroo invested in improving the Farm to prepare for the 2026 festival by fixing its drainage, adding 4.5 miles of new roadways and planting 135 acres of new grass, according to the Instagram post.

Festivals around the country have had to deal with unpredictable and dangerous weather throughout the years. Earlier this year, Stagecoach in Indio, Calif., was forced to temporarily pause the festival and evacuate fans due to strong winds. Thousands of people were stranded at the Burning Man festival in 2023 in the Black Rock Desert of northwestern Nevada after heavy rain made it hard to leave the grounds due to the ankle-deep mud sticking to the tires of vehicles.

Met Office predicts ‘unprecedented’ sea surface temperature rise of 3C (5.4F) plus will heighten extreme weather risks.

The impact of this year’s El Nino event is expected to be the most intense in more than a century, United Kingdom forecasters have warned.

The effect of the event will drive the risk of drought, high temperatures, intense rainfall and other extreme weather effects, the Met Office said in a statement issued on Friday.

Typically, El Nino leads sea surface temperatures to rise between 1-2 degrees Celsius (1.8-3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). However, forecasts for the 2026 version predict record values of more than 3C (5.4F) in the coming months, the forecasters said.

“We should be clear that this is an unprecedented event,” said Adam Scaife, head of the office’s long-range forecasting. “I have never seen an El Nino signal this intense in our forecasts.”

If the spike plays out as anticipated, “then 2026 will far exceed our recent experience of El Nino and its worldwide climate influences”, he added.

The chief forecaster separately told the BBC that the three-degree rise was “unheard-of in modern climate records”.

El Nino is triggered by unusually warm sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, influencing global weather patterns.

Governments around the world are already grappling with historic climate events so far this year.

Wildfires have burned through more than 200,000 hectares (494,200 acres) in Indonesia and rampaged across southwestern Europe, forcing the displacement of at least 325,000 people in Spain and France. Other countries are dealing with severe droughts.

The Met Office said El Nino will spawn wetter, stormier conditions in northwestern Europe, including the UK, as autumn and winter arrive in the Northern Hemisphere.

Particularly strong effects are expected throughout the Tropics, Scaife said, “where we expect really severe droughts in places like South America, and the West Pacific”.

In mid-August, the UK recorded its hottest day of the year as the temperature in west London climbed to 38.1C (100.5F), beating the previous high of 38C (100.4F) in June.

Combined with the effects of human-induced climate change, the Met Office warned that the event is “very likely” to make 2027 the hottest year on record globally.

The El Nino weather phenomenon is expected to increase the likelihood of drought and excess heat across the region.

The Panama Canal is expected to limit traffic starting in early September, as it prepares for lower water levels due to the El Nino weather phenomenon.

On Thursday, the Panama Canal Authority, the body that oversees the waterway, announced that daily transit caps would be set to address concerns about the drier weather conditions ahead.

Under the new measures, 34 vessels will be permitted to sail through the canal as of September 4. A further reduction will start on September 15, when the limit will be 32 ships.

The travel restrictions are a reversal for the Panama Canal Authority. Officials told the news service Reuters in May that they had no plans to limit crossings this year, citing water conservation measures imposed last year.

The canal, which handles about 5 percent of global maritime trade, usually has capacity to accommodate about 40 vessels per day.  Since June, it has seen a daily average of 35 transits.

Any significant decrease in travel through the canal is likely to translate into slower international shipping for industries that rely on the waterway. That, in turn, could increase costs.

A severe drought in 2023, for instance, cut traffic through the Panama Canal by roughly 36 percent, leading to disruptions in global supply chains.

The declining water levels that year were also attributed to El Nino, as well as climate change accelerated by human activities.

El Nino is a naturally occurring weather phenomenon that takes place every two to seven years, when the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean is warmer than usual.

The resulting weather patterns can have an impact across the region and even globally, putting some areas at risk of excessive heat and drought, while others suffer from flooding

Scientists expect a particularly strong El Nino in the coming months, potentially among the strongest on record. That could lead to an increase in cases of extreme weather events.

Panama Canal authorities have previously imposed vessel limits in order to conserve water.

The canal relies on a lock system that lifts and lowers vessels as they travel from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea, and vice versa.

But the canal is fed, in part, by freshwater from nearby lakes and reservoirs, most notably Gatun Lake.

Panamanians rely on that lake as well to supply drinking water to nearby cities, including the capital Panama City, putting additional strain on the waterway during times of drought.

Spanish authorities issued a new alert on Tuesday morning

Officials in Spain have issued a ‘caution’ warning as temperatures are set to soar again from today (Tuesday). The European nation, which is a firm favourite with Brits heading abroad, has endured a number of devastating wildfires this year so far, amid a number of heatwaves.

In a new update issued on Tuesday, Spain’s national weather agency AEMET warned: “Fire danger increases this Tuesday due to the rise in temperatures.”

The social media post, which has been translated from Spanish, continues: “Wednesday will be very high or extreme in much of the Peninsula and Balearic Islands, especially in the Mediterranean area due to the arrival of very dry and overheated westerly winds. Caution!”

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) urges Brits who are in or who will soon be heading to Spain to visit Spain’s Civil Protection website for information on what to do in the event of a wildfire.

FCDO guidance adds: “Immediately report any fire you see to the emergency services on 112. In the case of wildfires, the situation can change quickly, so you should stay up to date with official advice.”

Predicted fire hazard levels are “very high” across much of mainland Spain and the Balearic islands today and tomorrow – Tuesday, August 18 and Wednesday, August 19. NHS advice for staying safe during hot weather, which the FCDO signposts those heading to Spain to, suggests that individuals follow a four hour rule.

Holidaymakers are advised to reduce heat exposure and remain indoors where possible – particularly for the four hours between 11am and 3pm – typically the warmest period of the day. You should also use sunscreen, wear a hat and light clothing, and seek out shade where feasible.

This eerie village was once a bustling settlement

Perched atop a hillside in the back of the UK’s most beautiful areas are the ruins of a once thriving town. Tucked away inside Dartmoor National Park in Devon is the remains of the medieval settlement known as Hundatorra – a town which was once home to several households, and named in the Domesday Book.

Lying beneath the shadow of Hound Tor is the ancient ruins of this once bustling town. The whole settlement has an eerie feel to it – in fact, it’s thought that the area was created by the curse of a witch.

According to legend, the rock formations atop the Tor are the remains of a hunter and his dogs who ran foul of a coven of witches and were drowned in a mire as a result.

As a final insult, the witch turned the hunter and his dogs to stone – and they are what you can see looming over the ancient settlement of Hundatorra.

Historians think this land has been farmed since as early as the Neolithic Age – but by the 15th century the village was completely abandoned.

No one is exactly sure why this town, once bustling with agriculture and life, fell away – but according to Historic UK there are some theories.

The first is that during the 14th century, the weather across not only Britain but all of Europe deteriorated.

Extraordinarily cold winters, chased by cold, wet summers, meant that farming became very difficult. This led to what’s now known as the Great Famine of 1315 -1317. Smaller famines continued through the 14th century which led to the average life expectancy to plummet to just 29 years old.

Now, it’s thought that this devastating weather which led to such misery was actually caused by a volcanic eruption in New Zealand.

Around 1314, the eruption of Mount Tarawera is thought by some scientists to have sent aerosols into the stratosphere which in turn disrupted global atmospheric circulation and depressed surface temperatures, leading to unsettled weather.

The second theory as to why Hundatorra was abandoned is that famine was not the only threat to life medieval Brits had to deal with. In 1348, the Black Death touched down on English soil and by its end, a third of Devon had been wiped out.

During the Black Death, the average life expectancy was just 17.

Now, the ruins of the town still stand atop the hillside as a reminder of those who came before.

The remains of four 13th century longhouses where Medieval Brits lived alongside their livestock, three barns , and three other unidentifiable buildings can still be seen. The barns appear to have been adapted to include corn dryers – a sign of the desperation to harvest despite deteriorating weather.

The devastating hurricane grazes the Big Island in Hawaii in the US, but avoids making landfall.

Hurricane Lala has weakened from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical storm after passing south of Hawaii, but meteorologists warned that hurricane-force gusts could still batter the islands with flash flooding and punishing winds.

On Saturday, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued a hurricane warning for the Big Island, which has not suffered a direct hurricane landfall in 155 years.

But as tropical storm winds soared west from Maui to Oahu and Kauai on Sunday, Hurricane Lala drifted past, edging the Hawaiian coast and just escaping primary impact zones.

Still, pounding waves crashed against the shore of the Big Island. Wild squalls bent tall palm trees, and fierce sideways rain swelled rivers.

Up to one metre (three feet) of rain was expected on higher windward slopes. Such a torrent could turn rivers into turbulent floods and cause life-threatening mudslides. The NHC said in an advisory published early Sunday morning that rainfall totals could even reach up to 90cm (35 inches) in some areas of the Big Island.

More than 60,000 households were without power, and three hospitals switched to generator power, Hawaii’s Governor Josh Green said Saturday evening.

At least one person died in a car accident in the South Point area of the Big Island, while 19 roofs were lost in the “enormous storm”. 

Christine Matsuda, who lives in Waimea, on the northern side of the island, told the Associated Press that “big gusts every few minutes rattle the whole house”.

Tropical storm warnings remain active for Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau. Dire conditions continue to lash the Hawaiian coast as monster waves drive coastal erosion and severe flooding plagues communities across the US state. The westward-moving storm raises fears among residents regarding heavy floods and strong winds that could spark catastrophic wildfires in the Aloha State.

Neighbouring countries send personnel to help keep the blaze from crossing into Germany.

Firefighters are battling Belgium’s largest wildfire on record as it burns through the High Fens nature reserve near the German border on Sunday.

The fire broke out on Friday in Belgium’s Liege province and has been spreading east towards Germany. It has burned more than 27sq km (10.4sq miles).

Belgium’s previous record fire occurred in 2011, burning 14sq km (5.4sq miles) of the same reserve, the European Forest Fire Information System said.

More than 250 emergency services personnel have been deployed, among them firefighters from Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

Firefighters focused on containing the advancing front of the fire, spokesperson for the government of Belgium’s Wallonia province, Stephanie Ernoux, told the Reuters news agency.

About 600 people in the Belgian border municipalities of Waimes and Butgenbach were told to leave their homes on Saturday as winds shifted and smoke spread.

Authorities said no homes had been affected as of Sunday morning, but urged people to stay away from the fire zone.

In Germany, the town of Monschau said the fire had come within about 3km (1.9 miles) of the border. Officials did not expect the flames to cross the border, the town said, but it advised residents of three of its districts to leave temporarily due to the smoke.

The fire came as Belgium had just come through another burst of severe heat, the thermometer touching roughly 37C (98.6F) in places on Friday, on top of weeks with barely any rain.

Like other parts of Europe, Belgium is in the middle of a summer of repeated heatwaves. Weather agencies logged temperatures above 35C (95F) in several European countries on Thursday, and the United Kingdom had its hottest day of the year when west London reached 38.1C (100.5F).

Fires have frequently followed the heat. Thousands of people have been driven from their homes in Germany, France, the UK, Croatia and Greece in recent days, and about 500,000 hectares (about 1.24 million acres) have burned across the European Union this year.

Indiana’s state governor says that US government has promised assistance after a week of heavy rainfall.

Authorities in the Midwestern United States have reported at least five deaths in Indiana after the state was struck with fierce storms and flooding.

Rescue workers continue to seek out those stranded by the storms, which drenched Indiana over the past week.

Governor Mike Braun had called for a presidential emergency declaration on Friday, in order to access greater resources for the state.

On Saturday, he issued a public statement announcing that the federal government had pledged assistance.

“I spoke with President [Donald] Trump today about the severe storms and historic flooding impacting Indiana, and he informed me that he intends to approve our request for a Presidential Emergency Declaration,” Braun, a Republican, wrote in a social media post.

“I’m grateful to President Trump for his commitment to getting Hoosiers the federal assistance we need as we continue responding and recovering.”

Emergency workers have used boats to rescue people from homes inundated by rising waters.

The White River in Indianapolis, Indiana, was among the waterways that overflowed its banks over the last week, causing dangerous flooding.

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said that the area is experiencing its worst flooding in more than 30 years. The National Weather Service has reported that more than 280mm (11 inches) of rain fell over two days in some areas.

Sheriff deputies in Delaware County said on Friday that they had found the body of a deceased 58-year-old woman, whom they believe died trying to drive her vehicle through floodwaters.

Authorities caution against attempting to cross flooded areas in a car, warning that vehicles can become stranded.

A four-year-old child also died after a tree fell on a home in Jennings County this week, and law enforcement found the body of a teen who was reported missing on Wednesday after jumping into a river.

“My heart is with the families and loved ones of the five Hoosiers we have lost and every family whose life has been changed by these storms,” Braun said on Saturday. “Please continue to take flooding seriously and stay away from floodwaters.”

Weather presenter Tomasz Schafernaker is reportedly considering quitting the BBC along with two other long-serving presenters amid major cuts announced by the broadcaster

Tomasz Schafernaker, and two other presenters are reportedly considering quitting the BBC. The meteorologist, 47, first joined BBC Weather in 2000 and is currently the lead presenter.

But now, insiders have claimed that the broadcaster is planning to downsize its national weather team, and it’s thought that Tomasz, along with fellow long-serving presenters Louise Lear and Darren Bett are “”considering voluntary redundancy” following the huge changes to the brand that were announced last week.

The BBC initially claimed that they were planning to “make more of their much-loved local weather presenters,” which would mean a reduction in those who present on a national basis. A source said: “It’s the end of an era for our weather presenting. The audience wants a bit of digital and TV – including a good old fashioned forecast.”

Speaking to The Times, one presenter added: “The team is already very lean and punched above its weight for many years producing a huge amount of output across all platforms 24 hours a day. It isn’t fair to compare it to the behemoth that is the rest of BBC News.”

In 2006, Tomasz became famous when he jokingly raised his middle finger to newsreader Simon McCoy live on air and enjoyed a media career off the back off it, going on to model for magazines and appear on TV shows like Celebrity MasterChef, Would I Lie To You?, Pointless Celebrities, and The Weakest Link.

Meanwhile, Darren presented Look North before becoming part of the launch team for BBC News 24 in 1997, and is currently the main weather presenter on BBC Radio 5 Live. Before joining the BBC in 1998, Louise worked as a weather presenter for Central Television, has been seen on Countryfile and is regularly fronts the weather segment on BBC News At Six.

Another presenter told the outlet that whilst there is still an audience for weather, there is a push to lean towards a more digital output with the genre.

The insider said: “The appetite for weather has massively grown, but people standing in front of a map giving a national picture is less relevant. We are going to be more digital-focused because there’s a really strong argument that what is now needed is more reporting than presenting.”

The BBC initially cut ties with the Met Office service in 2017 and turned to Dutch MeteoGroup, which was the acquired by the US weather services company DTN, for their meteorological output. But last year, a new deal was put in place which meant the broadcaster would reunite with the UK’s national weather and climate service.

Announcing the changes and a more digital approach to the output following the summer heatwave, BBC News’ interim CEO Jonathan Munro said: “As this summer’s heatwaves have proved, up-to-the minute and accurate weather information has never been more important.

“I’m looking forward to our partnership with the Met Office – this is a very apt time for our two trusted national institutions to be reunited.”

It all comes amid what the BBC has called a £500 million cost-cutting drive, with staple programmes Live at the Apollo, Blankety Blank and Celebrity Mastermind having already faced the axe.

Executives are aiming for at least £100 million in yearly recurring savings, which will eventually cut original television output by 100 to 150 hours across the broadcaster.

Falling audiences also had a significant influence on the decisions. Live at the Apollo plummeted from 1.3 million viewers in 2018 to approximately 660,000 for its most recent series.

Meanwhile, Celebrity Mastermind tumbled from an average of 4 million viewers in 2017 to 1.7 million. Blankety Blank similarly dropped from 5.5 million viewers during its 2021 debut to 2.3 million. BBC One’s Breakfast will no longer air on Sunday mornings from September whilst the production teams making Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg and Newsnight will merge.

Radio 4’s The World Tonight will end from September, and the number of permanent presenters on Today will be cut from five to four with a single anchor on the show on Saturdays. World Tonight is being replaced by Newshour, and Breakfast on Sunday is being replaced by the BBC News Channel.

The Mirror has contacted representatives for comment.

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The Copernicus Climate Change Service says historically low rainfall has worsened the situation in several countries.

Western Europe has experienced its hottest June and July on record this summer, according to the European Union’s climate change monitor.

The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said on Monday that the region’s average temperature over the two-month period was 21.62 degrees Celsius (70.9 degrees Fahrenheit), 2.79C (5.01F) above average and higher than the previous record set in 2022.

This reflected “the exceptional persistence of heat” so far this summer, C3S said.

The climate change monitor also said levels of soil moisture were “significantly lower” than in July 2022 when the last severe drought gripped Western Europe.

“July 2026 was the third consecutive month of exceptional heat in Western Europe, bringing the combined temperature for June and July to a new record for the region,” said Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.

“Persistent high-pressure systems trapped heat over Western Europe. The extreme temperatures also amplified widespread drought. As soils dry out, they lose their ability to provide natural cooling, allowing heat to build more readily. This is a clear example of how climate change is intensifying heat extremes with heat and drought increasingly reinforcing one another.”

Several rivers experienced exceptionally low water levels, including the Seine, Rhine and Danube. The low flows affected water supplies and irrigation and led Hungary and Slovenia to operate their only nuclear power plants at reduced capacity.

France and Spain also registered record levels of drought, which fuelled devastating wildfires.

A megafire burned nearly 42,000 hectares (103,785 acres) and forced the evacuation of more than 220,000 people in southwestern France’s Gironde department in late July.

At the same time, Spain’s largest wildfire in recent history scorched almost 44,000 hectares (108,725 acres) in Avila province near Madrid.

The report also warned that large fires can send smoke high into the atmosphere, allowing it to travel thousands of kilometres and affect air quality in other countries.

The C3S also said the highest sea surface temperatures on record outside the polar regions were recorded in July. The average sea surface temperature was 20.96C (69.7F), slightly higher than the previous record of 20.89C (69.6F) in 2023.

Typhoon Dolphin struck eastern China, including Shanghai, with winds up to 150 km/h, prompting more than one million people to evacuate their homes. The storm disrupted flights and transport while bringing heavy rain, flooding and the risk of landslides across the region.

Much of the country will feel some relief from the heat early in the week before temperatures spike again.

On Monday, the air will feel a little fresher compared to the weekend with maximum temperatures in northern areas of the UK around 18 to 24C.

Further south, while cooler than Sunday, it will still be a very warm day with temperatures between 22 to 27C.

By Tuesday, warmer air will start to move back in across the UK with the highest temperatures across central southern England, the Midlands and east Wales.

Yellow heat-health alerts remain in force for much of England until 21:00 BST on Tuesday, though they are likely to be extended or upgraded as the heatwave nears.

Highs are likely to be around 27 to 30C.

Wednesday will see temperatures widely across England and Wales head into the high twenties and low thirties.

The peak of the extreme heat is set to arrive on Thursday, with temperatures reaching 36C (97F) in south-east England, and up to 35C likely across central and eastern England.

This would mark the fourth consecutive month where 35C has been reached in the UK – a new record.

Many locations will exceed their heatwave threshold of 25 to 28C – dependent on location – for the first day.

Some of the warmth will spread further north into northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland with temperatures into the low to mid-20s Celsius.

As heat builds throughout the week, overnight temperatures will stay relatively high bringing some uncomfortable nights for sleeping.

Minimum temperatures may not go lower than 16 to 18C across England and Wales.

There’s also a possibility of a ‘tropical night’ – where temperatures remain above 20C all night – in south-east England.

A fast-moving wildfire has forced more than 20,000 people to evacuate parts of British Columbia’s Okanagan region in Western Canada. The Bald Range fire has grown to about 9,500 hectares, threatening homes and farms as firefighters battle blazes across the province.

Temperatures on Saturday will begin to climb above average again, reaching the mid- to high 20s Celsius in most of England and Wales.

It will be cooler in Scotland and Northern Ireland at 17 to 21C with more cloud, a bit of rain and a blustery wind.

By Sunday and into next week temperatures will rise even further with many parts of the UK exceeding their heatwave threshold temperature of 25 to 28C, depending on location.

With this hotter weather expected to last well into the week, many locations will have the three consecutive days needed to declare the fifth widespread heatwave of the year.

It has already been a remarkable summer in the United Kingdom with multiple records broken.

July has been the sunniest month on record for the UK, as well as the driest July on record for England and Wales.

There have so far been 33 days this year when temperatures have exceeded 30C in the UK. Next week, it is likely the record of 34 days, set in 1995, will be broken.

For the first time ever, a temperature of 35C has also been recorded somewhere in the UK on the three consecutive months of May, June and July.

It is possible August will join that list by the end of next week as some forecast models suggest 35C in central and south-east England.