The United Kingdom recorded its hottest day of the year Thursday during an excessively dry stretch that saw multiple fires break out as an intense stretch of hot weather continued to grip Europe.
The Met Office said the temperature of 38.1 degrees Celsius (100.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in west London was a tenth of a degree higher than the previous record set June 28. It remained below the U.K.'s August record of 38.5 C (101.3 F), set in 2003.
Britain, like France, is experiencing its fifth heatwave of the year, with the first recorded in May. The latest extreme heat means 2026 has now had a record four days with temperatures of 36 C (96.8 F) or higher. It also has matched 2022 with two days reaching 38 C.
Temperatures in France, meanwhile, have gone even higher, approaching 41 C (106 F) in several areas, from Aquitaine in the southwest to the Rhone River valley in the east, according to the national weather service.
At least two new grass fires broke out in different areas of the West Midlands in central England, officials said. Multiple homes were burning in Stourbridge next to a golf course, Sky News helicopter footage showed.
