TEMPERATURES are set to hit record-breaking 38C highs, as extreme heat warnings are issued across Britain.

The Met Office has declared a rare amber heat health alert across huge swathes of the UK, as Brits brace themselves for the fifth heatwave of the year.

NINTCHDBPICT001100927099Temperatures are set to hit 38C highs as an amber heat alert is issued across the UK Credit: MET Office 2026 on course to be Britain's hottest summer on recordPeople walk across the parched parklands at Primrose Hill in London Credit: EPA

The warning covers southern and eastern England, as well as parts of the Midlands, and will remain in place from 9am to midnight on Thursday.

The mercury is set to hit a staggering 38C, last recorded on June 28 in Lingwood, Norfolk, during a deadly heatwave which prompted a rare extreme heat warning.

If it creeps past 38.5C, Thursday could just be the hottest day ever logged in August in the UK, trumping the 2003 record.

Met Office forecaster Alex Burkill said: “Temperatures (in areas covered by the amber warning) could reach highs of around 36, 37, possibly 38C.

NINTCHDBPICT001100601815Tourists hit the beach at Durdle as the UK is hit by another heatwave Credit: BNPS Kent, UK. 12th Aug, 2026. Drought in SE England after the driest July on record. Drone view looking south over the Weald of Kent near the village of Boughton Monchelsea Credit: Phil Robinson/Alamy Live NewsAerial shots the scorched fields of Weald of Kent near the village of Boughton Monchelsea Credit: Alamy NINTCHDBPICT001100381750Fire crews battle the blaze at New Forest after a van caught fire on the A31 on Sunday Credit: New Forest Police New Forest heathland fireThe UK is currently facing a national wildfire emergency Credit: PA

“Now when you get these sorts of high temperatures, well that’s when we could see impacts to our infrastructure, our railway lines, our roads, they are not designed for this sort of heat.

“And more people are likely to be impacted by how hot it is with regards to their health.”

It comes after July and August faced record dry conditions, with nearly 75 per cent of England and Wales in drought as water resources buckle under the strain.

Some 1,017 wildfires were recorded across England and Wales, according to data shared by the National Fire Chiefs Council.

Shocking images show fire crew battling the blaze in New Forest, which took hold after a van caught fire on the A31 on Sunday, near Ringwood.

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service said crews expect to be at the scene for at least another three or four days.

Steve Wright, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), said the UK is currently facing a national wildfire emergency.

Firefighters have responded to 966 wildfires across England and Wales this year, including 185 in the first 10 days of August alone, while July was the busiest month on record for wildfires with 458 incidents, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said.

It comes as Prime Minister Andy Burnham from their shelves during the extreme heat.

He hinted at an outright ban being implemented in future summers, to limit the risks of wildfire.

Record-breaking heatwaves in May and June led to more than 2,800 excess deaths, with the PM urging the public to check in on vulnerable relatives and friends during the extreme heat.

Hospitals have reported nurses collapsing at work, after caring for patients in temperatures exceeding 30C.

Others have reported seizures and “dripping with sweat from head to toe”, with work environments described as “unbearably hot” and “not fit for humans”.

Meanwhile, Chiltern Railways and East Midlands Railway have issued alerts to “only travel if essential”.

Other operators will either run a reduced timetable or are warning about the potential for short-notice cancellations.