Weather maps show a fourth UK heatwave before the end of July as 2026 matches 1976 record for number of hot days.Laura Hill14:14, 14 Jul 2026Weather maps show that the UK could see it's fourth heatwave of the year before the end of July, with temperatures forecast to exceed 30C again across huge swathes of England.‌Brits are currently sweltering as the third heatwave of the year enters it's ninth day. Temperatures on Monday peaked at 30.1C in Hurn in Dorset, making it the ninth day in a row when 30C has been exceeded somewhere in the country.‌The July heatwave has lasted longer than the second 2026 heatwave, which lasted seven days in June, though temperatures and humidity were much higher in June as the country sat under a 'heat dome', bringing record-breaking temperatures.‌There have now been 24 days in 2026 – consecutive and non-consecutive – when 30C has been exceeded somewhere in the UK: seven in May, eight in June and nine in July. That equals the number of 30C-plus days in 1976, which lingers in the UK’s memory for its heatwave and drought conditionsWhen will next heatwave hit UK?The Met Office forecasts show a drop in temperatures through the end of the this week and into next week. However longer range weather maps from WXCharts show that temperatures could hit the heatwave threshold in a number of places from Friday, July 24 , before increasing over the following weekend, with highs of 32C forecast for Sunday, July 26 and Monday, July 27.‌WX Charts weather maps show 30C to 32C temperatures across central and southern England, the Midlands, parts of Wales, the North West and Yorkshire on Sunday, July 26. Temperatures will again top 30C across London, the east of England, the Midlands and parts of Yorkshire on Monday, July 27.With a month-and-a-half of the summer still to come, 2026 has some way to go to reach the record in 1995, when the country had 34 days of 30C-plus temperatures. However, 2026 is already the first year to have recorded temperatures of 35C or higher on six separate days and has seen a record nine days above 34C.‌The Met Office said this current heatwave is set to continue for much of the UK this week, with temperatures peaking on Wednesday at possible highs of 33C in some parts of southern-central England. Temperatures are set to ease by the second half of the week, dipping to the mid to high-20s for many by Saturday, the Met Office said.‌Looking at the week ahead Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkall said on the Met Office YouTube channel: "Temperatures will start to drop a little, so it won’t be quite as hot. For many places, highs will ease into the high 20s, with 30°C less likely on Friday than earlier in the week."“Temperatures are set to drop a little further on Saturday, though it should stay dry.”54 areas where heatwave temperatures are forecast at the end of JulyEnglandBedfordshireBerkshireBuckinghamshireCambridgeshireCheshireCumbriaDerbyshireDevonDorsetCounty DurhamEast Riding of YorkshireEast SussexEssexGloucestershireGreater LondonGreater ManchesterHampshireHerefordshireHertfordshireIsle of WightKentLancashireLeicestershireLincolnshireMerseysideNorfolkNorth YorkshireNorthamptonshireNorthumberlandNottinghamshireOxfordshireRutlandShropshireSomersetSouth YorkshireStaffordshireSuffolkSurreyTyne and WearWarwickshireWest MidlandsWest SussexWest YorkshireWiltshireWorcestershireArticle continues belowWalesAngleseyClwydDyfedGwentGwyneddMid GlamorganPowysSouth GlamorganWest Glamorgan