Scorching temperatures of 36C are expected in the UK next week, with heat health alerts in place and the risk of new droughts.
The Met Office said temperatures will climb through the weekend as heatwave conditions return, with the mercury set to reach 36C in parts of East Anglia and south-east England by Thursday.
The forecast comes as the Environment Agency confirmed the last week was the seventh consecutive week in which England received less than 10mm of rainfall.
The agency suggested "several areas" could move towards or into drought next week, in addition to the half of England already in drought.
Temperatures had dropped down closer to averages for this time of year over the last few days, but that reprieve appears set to end.
Record-breaking heatwaves
The UK has already seen two record-breaking heatwaves, in May and June, which are responsible for more than 2,700 excess deaths.
Two further heatwaves in July have fuelled drought and wildfires.
Forecasters say the weekend will see a national divide in the weather, with Scotland and Northern Ireland likely to see spells of heavy rain, while England and Wales will remain largely dry, sunny and increasingly hot.
Temperatures could reach 27C on Friday and as high as 30C on Saturday, before climbing into the low 30s in southern and south-east England on Sunday.
Highs of up to 30C are possible across parts of England and Wales on Tuesday, increasing to 32C to 34C on Wednesday.
The highest temperatures are expected in south-east England and East Anglia.
The Environment Agency is already planning to introduce formal restrictions on the amount of water that can be removed from natural sources in parts of East Anglia to protect exceptionally low river flows.
Sky's weather presenter Jo Wheeler said that the forecast "looks as though it'll be high pressure dominating for the next week or so - so little or no rain - certainly not anything which is going to improve water levels".
She added: "Monday maybe a fresher day but it'll get warmer through the week with some southern counties meeting heatwave thresholds once again. So - getting warmer, no significant rain."
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Met Office deputy chief forecaster Mike Silverstone also warned that: "Humidity levels are also expected to increase through the week, which may make conditions feel more uncomfortable, particularly overnight."
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued yellow heat health alerts for the East Midlands, West Midlands, South East, South West, East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, and London.
They will come into force at 9am on Saturday and end at 9pm on Tuesday.
Last month was the driest July for England and Wales since records began in 1836, according to provisional figures released by the Met Office.
The UK, England and Wales have all recorded their sunniest July on record - and for England and Wales it was the sunniest calendar month ever observed.
(c) Sky News 2026: Scorching temperatures to return to UK - with risk of new droughts next week
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