A fifth hospital has declared a critical incident after temperatures continue to rocket in the UK’s devastating heatwave. The Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital said “the extreme heat and humidity is having on our ability to deliver services”. The record for the hottest June day could be smashed again, as the Met Office forecasts an “exceptional spell of hot and humid weather” to continue in the southeast. Highs of 40C is forecast in parts of Norfolk this afternoon, which would exceed yesterday’s record-breaking 36.7C in Merryfield, Somerset. A rare red warning for extreme heat is in place until 9pm for London & South East England and the East of England.According to the Met Office, the heat will be accompanied by “high humidity, exacerbating the potential for discomfort and health impacts”. A wildfire tore through large areas of moorland and woodland near Greater Manchester on Thursday night, sending plumes of thick smoke across the villages of Tintwistle, Hollingworth and Woolley Bridge.Subscribe here to get the latest updates from The IndependentWhat caused this heatwave?The current heatwave is driven by a “heat-dome” – an area of high pressure that stalls over a region and traps heat – settling over western Europe and bringing extreme conditions across the continent. Human-driven climate change, mostly caused by burning fossil fuels, is making such extreme heatwaves more frequent and intense.(AFP/Getty)Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 June 2026 10:40Fifth hospital declares critical incidentA fifth hospital has declared a critical incident after temperatures continue to rocket in the UK’s devastating heatwave. The Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital said “the extreme heat and humidity is having on our ability to deliver services”. The Trust said it has implemented “contingency plans” to ensure they can provide “essential services safely for patients”. Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 June 2026 10:25In pictures: Morning commuters brave the heat(PA)(PA)(PA)Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 June 2026 10:15Dozens race to buy bargain air conditioning unit in Lidl as temperatures soarHuge queues could be seen snaking outside supermarkets on Thursday as Britons tried to get their hands on bargain air conditioning units.In a bid to keep cool, dozens of people queued across a Lidl car park on Thursday morning in Southampton as they tried to buy £149 discounted air conditioning units.One shopper shared a video of her scrambling through Lidl in a race to get hold of an air conditioning unit only to find they had all sold out.Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 June 2026 10:05‘Move the summer holidays’: Readers on how schools should adapt to extreme heatOur community is divided on whether schools should close during heatwaves, but many agree Britain needs longer-term solutions – from adapting school buildings to rethinking term dates – as extreme temperatures become more common:As debate continues over school closures and disruption during the heatwave, Independent readers are divided over where responsibility should lie when extreme temperatures make classrooms uncomfortable or potentially unsafe.While some warned that shutting schools creates major childcare challenges for working families, others argued that children’s wellbeing should take priority as the UK adapts to increasingly frequent periods of extreme heat.Read more here:Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 June 2026 09:55Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 June 2026 09:47Full list of schools closing or shutting early as heatwave scorchesTeachers have expressed concern for their students’ safety during the heatwave, with many schools remaining closed amid forecasts of further extreme heat.Here is a full list:Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 June 2026 09:36Hosepipe ban map: Is my area under restrictions during record UK heatwave?South East Water has put an official temporary hosepipe use ban in place, covering much of the Kent region. Other areas served by the company – Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire and Sussex (both East and West) – have also been advised to pause all use.A hosepipe ban is different to an advisory notice. Anyone caught breaching an official ban can be issued with a fine of up to £1,000.Read more here:Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 June 2026 09:14Another tropical night as temperatures stayed above 22CTemperatures in southern areas of England and Wales did not drop below 22C all night, Met Office figures show.London at 2am was still heating up at 23C south west of London at 2am, and remained at around 25C around the south eastern coast.A tropical night is the meteorological term for an evening when the temperature does not drop below 20C. Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 June 2026 09:05Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 June 2026 08:56