Britain has reached a new climate milestone after becoming the first year on record to experience temperatures of 35°C or higher on six separate days, as the country endures its third heatwave in three months.
The Met Office confirmed temperatures reached 35.2°C in Coton in the Elms, Derbyshire, on Friday, breaking previous records. Until now, the highest number of days above 35°C in a single year had been five, recorded in both 1976 and 2020.
This summer has also become the first to record temperatures of at least 35°C across three different calendar months. It has additionally set a new record for the number of days reaching 34°C or above, with nine recorded so far.
The prolonged hot and dry weather has placed increasing pressure on water supplies, prompting a growing number of water companies to introduce hosepipe bans.
Affinity Water announced restrictions affecting around 1.1 million households across Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Surrey and parts of London from 17 July. Customers will no longer be allowed to use hosepipes for watering gardens, washing vehicles, cleaning patios or filling swimming and paddling pools.
Southern Water has already introduced a ban covering around one million customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, while Anglian Water’s restrictions for more than five million customers come into force this weekend. Cambridge Water has also announced its first hosepipe ban in 30 years, while South East Water introduced restrictions earlier this month across parts of Kent.
Other suppliers, including Thames Water, Severn Trent, Essex and Suffolk Water, Wessex Water and Portsmouth Water, are urging customers to reduce water usage but have not yet imposed formal restrictions.
The latest measures follow one of the warmest springs on record in England and Wales, with officials warning that drought conditions remain a possibility in several regions, including East Anglia, Devon and Cornwall, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
The extreme weather is also affecting emergency services. The Metropolitan Police has urged people to avoid calling 999 unless there is an immediate emergency, warning that demand is expected to rise as temperatures remain high over the weekend.
Motorists have also been advised to take extra care, with the RAC reporting a significant increase in vehicle breakdowns during the hot weather. Drivers are being encouraged to check coolant, oil and tyre pressures before setting off, particularly in older vehicles.