The Met Office reported temperatures of 36.4C at Charlwood in Surrey by midday, with Wisley hitting 35.1C and several other spots above 34C, including Westonbirt in Gloucestershire and Heathrow. This marks the ninth day in 2026 where temperatures have exceeded 35C, extending this year's record-breaking streak. Meanwhile, France is enduring its third-longest heatwave ever recorded, with 38C in Bordeaux and Nantes, 36C in Paris, and 34C in Montpellier. The heat is expected to ease only over the weekend, so enjoy the sauna while it lasts.
In the UK, a rare amber warning for 'extreme heat' has been expanded to cover more of England, including parts of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Shropshire, and Herefordshire. Even athletes at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham are feeling the burn, with temperatures already above 30C before 11am. Sir David King, former chief scientific adviser, warns this is just the 'foothills' of what's to come, and that climate action protects economies rather than damaging them. He urges leaders to 'hold the line' and not row back on climate commitments, because apparently we needed a reminder that ignoring the problem won't make it go away.
More than 135 million people in France, Italy, Spain, and the UK are expected to experience temperatures over 35C on Thursday, with nearly three out of five Europeans (excluding Turkey) seeing over 30C - that's around 340 million people, according to AFP analysis based on German weather service forecasts and 2025 population projections from the Joint Research Centre.
In other news, Burgas, Bulgaria, will host next year's Eurovision Song Contest, the European Broadcasting Union announced. The coastal city on the Black Sea was chosen for the 71st annual competition, which was mired in controversy last year over Israel's participation. Five countries - Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, and Slovenia - boycotted last year's event in protest against the war on Gaza. The EBU has since reformed voting rules (reducing individual votes from 20 to 10) and announced that winning countries involved in conflict may not automatically host the next edition, though they won't be barred either. Because nothing says 'unity through music' like geopolitical exceptions.
Meanwhile, nearly three-quarters of England and all of Wales are in drought, with wildfires already matching last year's record total of 1,017. The Met Office's amber warning stretches from London to Sheffield, with temperatures potentially reaching 36-38C. As one official noted, our infrastructure isn't designed for this heat, and more people will be affected health-wise. It could be the hottest day of the year if we exceed 38C, but the record for hottest August day (38.5C) is 'pretty unlikely' - so there's that.
Romania has shut down its only nuclear plant at Cernavoda after the Danube's water level fell to a record low, despite measures like blowing up rocks and sinking barges to divert flows. The plant usually generates a fifth of the country's electricity, but apparently the river had other plans.
Over in the UK, the government is considering banning disposable barbecues as wildfires rage. These things are a menace: they can reach 450C, smoulder for hours, and even burn underground if buried. Recent incidents include fires in Macclesfield, London (three in one day), and the Trossachs, where a barbecue was found with a burger still on the grill - talk about a lasting impression.
So, as we head into a 'solar inferno' with temperatures above 40C in parts of Spain and up to 38C in London and Paris, remember to hydrate, stay cool, and look after the vulnerable. And keep reading Europe Live, because what else are you going to do in this heat?