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London and six other regions of England are now officially in a drought, the Environment Agency has announced.
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Today’s announcement comes as temperatures soared to their highest level in London of the current UK heatwave.
A Met Office temperature recording in Heathrow at 2pm had the mercury at 34.4C. A temperature of 34.1C was recorded in Northolt this afternoon.
The scorching heat was expected to peak today before dropping in the coming days.
Two grass fires broke out in Romford amid a heightened warning of wildfires in the capital.
A Met Office assessment showed fires could be “exceptionally severe” if they start in parts of London , the South East and eastern England.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued an amber heat-health alert for London, the South East, East Midlands, and East of England.
Ahead of the heatwave peak, Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy warned people to avoid the hottest parts of the day.
“Best to avoid being outdoors 11am to 3pm, close your windows and blinds to the sun and stay hydrated," she posted on X.
Footage has been shared online of a fast-moving grass fire in Romford.
Eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters tackled a grass fire near Southern Way, where around four acres of grassland was damaged by fire. The Brigade's Control Officers took the first of 11 calls to the fire at 1615 and sent crews from Leytonstone, Wennington, Homerton, Bethnal Green and surrounding fire stations to the scene. The fire was brought under control by 1750.
A further eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters also responded to a separate grass fire near Eastern Avenue West, where around 20 acres westbound and another 10 acres eastbound were damaged by fire.The fire was under control by 19.16.
Footage of one of the fires was shared online – with the fire reportedly moving across a field in three minutes.
The Met Office said there is the potential for much needed rain to fall in the coming days in London.
Speaking to The Standard, operational meteorologist Niamh Murray said: “The odd shower is possible through tomorrow afternoon and evening, but not very much in the way of accumulation.
“Tomorrow we have a very weak cold front pushing across London through mid to late afternoon and that will bring thickening cloud, at least for a short period, and that is what is allowing for potentially one or two drops of rain to develop.
“We then turn to dry and settled conditions through the weekend.”
The expert said Thursday would bring cooler temperatures than Wednesday’s 34C peak in the capital, reaching a maximum of about 28C.
“Although that is still quite a bit above average and warm, given the temperatures that have been experienced today, it is going to feel sightly more bearable for many, with the temperatures then staying in the mid to high 20s across the weekend,” she added.
Ms Murray said there is “the potential on Monday to see some form of rain” although it was hard to predict for certain that far ahead.
Footage shared online has shown smoke billowing across the sky as firefighters fight two grass fires in Romford.
Eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters tackled a grass fire near Southern Way, where around four acres of grassland was damaged by fire.
The Brigade's Control Officers took the first of 11 calls to the fire near Bridport Avenue at 4.15pm and sent crews from Leytonstone, Wennington, Homerton, Bethnal Green and surrounding fire stations to the scene.
The fire was brought under control by 5.50.pm
A further eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters are also responding to a separate grass fire near Eastern Avenue West.
Station Commander Ryan Kerby, who is at the scene of the fire neat Eastern Avenue West, said: "Firefighters are working tirelessly in arduous conditions to bring the fire under control and protect nearby properties.
"There is significant traffic disruption in the area due to road closures, and we urge people to avoid the area wherever possible.
"The fire is also producing a large amount of smoke. While we appreciate it's a very hot day, we are asking local residents to keep their windows and doors closed to prevent smoke from entering their homes."
The first call to the fire near Eastern Avenue West was received at 1714 and crews from Woodford, Whitechapel, Barking, Euston and surrounding fire stations are at the scene.
The cause of the fires are not known at this time.
An image shared online has shown smoke billowing across the sky as firefighters fight two grass fires in Romford.
The Brigade's Control Officers took the first of 11 calls to the fire near Bridport Avenue at 4.15pm and sent crews from Leytonstone, Wennington, Homerton, Bethnal Green and surrounding fire stations to the scene. The fire was brought under control by 5.50.pm
At least 60 firefighters are involved in tackling a grass fire in east London, according to the city’s fire service.
The London Fire Brigade said eight fire engines and about 60 firefighters are tackling a grass fire near Bridport Avenue in Romford.
Approximately three acres of grassland is currently alight. The cause of the fire is unknown.
A spokesman said: “The brigade's control officers took the first of 11 calls to the fire at 4.15pm and sent crews from Leytonstone, Wennington, Homerton, Bethnal Green and surrounding fire stations to the scene.”
The London Fire Brigade has warned people to stay away from the area where possible as the fire rages in Romford
For Londoners suffering in the heat, they will be glad to hear that temperatures are expected to drop as the week goes on.
But while some areas of England are due for rain, there is no guarantee the capital will see any wet weather in the coming days.
Mark Sidaway, deputy chief forecaster at the Met Office, said: “It looks as though amounts of rain for many will be fairly modest, and won’t balance out the shortfall that we have recorded this summer.
“It’s still possible that some areas of the south will miss out and see little or no rainfall.”
London reached a peak of 34.4C on Wednesday, according to Met Office readings.
That was the top temperature recorded at Heathrow airport in south-west London at 2pm.
Forecasters expect the temperature to start consistently dropping from 7pm. Thursday is set to be cooler, with a high of 27C.
The Environment Agency said it has “stepped up” its response to the dry, hot weather. Its officers are engaging in enhanced monitoring and controlling how much water can be taken from rivers and ground waters.
Helen Wakeham, director of water at the Environment Agency and chair of the National Drought Group, said: “The hot and dry weather means we are currently using water faster than nature can replenish it.
“A second consecutive summer drought is an exceptionally serious situation and one that will have long-lasting impacts on our environment, wildlife, and the economy.
“We want everyone to stay safe and hydrated during the hot weather but every drop we can save is a drop more for nature and agriculture.”
EA said water companies are being told to prioritise fixing leaks while efforts are being made to work with farmers, water companies and others to secure water supplies into the autumn.
Swathes of England are suffering from “flash drought” as a result of very low rainfall and high temperatures, the Environment Agency has said.
A flash drought is one which has come on quickly despite a very wet winter.
July is set to be the driest month on record, with England having just 7% of expected rainfall, and southern England seeing just 1%.
The government agency earlier said seven areas of central, eastern and southern England – around half of the country – have been declared as officially in drought.
The areas are East Anglia, Hertfordshire and the whole of London, Thames Valley, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Devon and Cornwall, the West Midlands, and Wessex – covering Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.
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