The UK recorded its hottest day of the year so far as temperatures reached 38.1C in London’s Kew Gardens (14.24).

 

14m ago

20.01 BST

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/live/2026/aug/13/europe-heatwave-france-spain-italy-uk-degrees-temperature-record-summer-drought-latest-news-updates?page=with%3Ablock-6a7e10058f08d002b566a8af#block-6a7e10058f08d002b566a8af

 

What we covered

And that is where we will leave our live coverage of Thursday’s extreme weather across Europe. Thanks for following along.

 

Here are the main headlines:

 

The UK recorded its hottest day of the year so far as temperatures reached 38.1C in London’s Kew Gardens (14.24). A former chief scientific adviser to the UK government warned this summer’s “shattering” heat was only a sign of things to come (11:54).

 

Several homes caught alight and two people received treatment as firefighters battled a grassfire in England’s West Midlands (18.39).

 

Temperatures exceeded 40C elsewhere in Europe. France’s heatwave reached a 17th day, marking the third-longest period of extreme temperatures ever recorded in the country (12.35).

 

In Greece, a fleet of small boats evacuated more than 250 tourists and locals from the resort village of Siviri, in the country’s north, as a large wildfire bore down on homes and holiday villas. Many were still wearing bathing costumes (19:41).