LAST UPDATE | 13 Aug

PARTS OF ENGLAND are hitting 38 degrees today, as temperatures are once again soaring across Western Europe.

In Ireland, we’re into day two of a heat warning, with highs of 31 degrees forecast for some parts of the country.

It’s not considered a heatwave, however, because temperatures would have to exceed 25 degrees five days in a row to get the label, and it’s expected to become cooler over the weekend.

In contrast, the UK is in the thick of its fifth heatwave this year.

Today is expected to be the ninth in 2026 where temperatures are above 35C, the British Met Office said, extending this year’s record number of days at that level.

A dog runs over dried grass in front of Tower Bridge Alamy Alamy

Julia King, who is on the UK’s independent advisory Climate Change Committee, warned it “gets worse from here” until greenhouse gas emissions are cut to zero overall, known as net-zero.

With record dry conditions in July and a dry start to August, nearly three-quarters of England and the whole of Wales are in drought, heaping pressure on water resources for households, agriculture and the environment.

Some 1,017 wildfires have been recorded in England and Wales this year, the same as last year’s record-breaking total.

Ireland

The high temperature warning kicked in for 13 counties across Leinster and Tipperary yesterday and will remain in place until 6am on Friday.

Temperatures of 30 degrees have already been recorded at two weather stations this week at Oak Park in Carlow and Casement Aerodrome in Dublin. 

Phoenix Park is also believed to have hit 30 degrees. 

Temperatures will be closer to 20 degrees in the coastal areas of the west and southwest.

Some hill and coastal mist and fog are also expected in the west.

The north of the country, especially parts of Connacht, Ulster and West munster are expected to see scattered thunderstorms and showers.

Amid the high temperatures in the east, Met Éireann has warned of uncomfortable sleeping conditions, heat stress and animal welfare issues.

A potential increase in water safety incidents also remained a key concern. 

Liz Walsh, a meteorologist with Met Éireann, told RTÉ Radio One that while a yellow warning will not affect most people “they might affect more vulnerable members of society, such as the elderly, very young, and others with underlying health conditions.”

European Heatwave

Areas of Europe, particularly in France, Italy and Spain, have experienced temperatures of over 35C in the last few days.

The heatwave extends toward the Balkans, notably Greece and the Adriatic coast, including Albania and Croatia.

Europe is the planet’s fastest-warming continent and in some places is ill-equipped to deal with hot weather.

Repeated heatwaves have fuelled a historically hot summer of drought and wildfires.

Pharmacy near brignoles in France on the 12th of August. Alamy Alamy

In France, the Champagne region has begun its earliest-ever grape harvest after successive scorching heatwaves accelerated ripening, industry officials said on Wednesday.

Since the 1980s, harvest dates in France have been creeping earlier, an indicator of a warming climate.

In Champagne, the grape pick now starts roughly two weeks sooner than it did 20 years ago.

Romania will begin shutting down its only nuclear power plant today as unprecedented heatwaves and drought have caused the level of the Danube River to plummet.

These waters help to cool the plant and have reached a record low.

The plant, which usually generates a fifth of the Eastern European country’s total electricity, already shut down one of its two 700MW nuclear reactors at the end of last month.

With additional reporting from AFP and PA