7 July 2026
FSA recalls and alerts guidance updated
The Food Standards Agency updated its recalls and alerts guidance on 7 July 2026, setting out why food is recalled and how households in England, Northern Ireland and Wales can receive recall…
2026 news
We cover news from public bodies and utility companies for UK households on power cuts, weather, water, health, safety and security. Each report includes the date and sources, with links to our guides.
July 2026
6 July 2026
Alerts escalated to amber for six regions from 8 July
The UK Health Security Agency has raised heat-health alerts to amber for six regions of England and issued yellow alerts for three others, running from 9am on Wednesday 8 July until 9pm on Sunday 12…
6 July 2026
BHF updates hot weather and heart guidance
The British Heart Foundation has updated its guidance on hot weather and the heart, setting out who is most at risk and how heat affects blood pressure, medicines and existing heart conditions.
3 July 2026
South East Water hosepipe ban starts for Kent customers
South East Water brought hosepipe restrictions into force for its customers in Kent from 00:01 on Friday 3 July 2026, the first area covered by a temporary use ban that later spread across its supply…
3 July 2026
National Grid DSO launches Responder flexibility service for storm resilience
National Grid DSO has announced Responder, a flexibility service that asks customers to shift electricity use ahead of forecast storms, procured in summer 2026 for delivery from September 2026 to…
1 July 2026
England records driest July on record
England recorded its driest July on record, the Met Office has confirmed, with 6.5mm of rainfall and 19 counties seeing 1mm or less across the whole month.
1 July 2026
July 2026 second busiest month for grassland, woodland and crop fires in five years
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service dealt with 277 grassland, woodland and crop fires in July 2026, its second busiest such month in five years after August 2022.
1 July 2026
A&E attendances in England hit record 2.5 million in July
NHS England says A&E attendances in England reached a record 2.5 million in July, with the three busiest months ever recorded between May and July.
1 July 2026
Four major wildfires declared in Wales during July and August 2026
Welsh fire services declared four major wildfires during July and August 2026, in Wales' hottest summer on record, as the Wales Wildfire Board launched its annual #BurnToProtect campaign.
1 July 2026
Essex & Suffolk Water introduces a Temporary Use Ban on hosepipe use
Essex & Suffolk Water has introduced a Temporary Use Ban on hosepipe use across Essex, Suffolk, part of Norfolk and two London boroughs, its first such restriction in 29 years.
1 July 2026
Hosepipe restrictions introduced in Sussex
South East Water introduced hosepipe restrictions in Sussex in July because of low river levels and rainfall, and further restrictions followed in October as reservoir levels fell.
1 July 2026
Government announces new specialist wildfire capability with £97 million National Resilience investment
The Government has announced a new specialist wildfire capability, including strategically located wildfire response teams, within a wider £97 million investment in National Resilience assets.
1 July 2026
July 2026 was the busiest month on record for wildfires in England and Wales
Fire and rescue services in England and Wales responded to 458 wildfires in July 2026, the highest monthly total recorded, as the National Fire Chiefs Council warned of sustained pressure during…
1 July 2026
UKHSA estimates 2,877 deaths in May and June heatwaves
The UK Health Security Agency estimated that 2,877 people died in the May and June heatwaves, almost double the figure recorded across the whole of summer 2025.
June 2026
30 June 2026
Radio Teleswitch Service ends
The Radio Teleswitch Service, the radio signal that switches some older electricity meters between peak and off-peak rates, ends on 30 June 2026, and heating and hot water in affected homes may stop…
28 June 2026
June heatwave drives record 999 call volume in London
London Ambulance Service says the week of 22 to 28 June brought a record 53,342 calls to 999 and its highest number of Category 1 incidents, as heat and alcohol drove demand.
26 June 2026
South Central Ambulance Service declares major incident during heatwave
South Central Ambulance Service declared a major incident at 20:00 on 26 June 2026 because of continued pressure during the heatwave, and stood it down at 11:40 on 28 June, returning to a critical…
26 June 2026
New UK June maximum temperature record of 38.0°C at Lingwood, Norfolk
The Met Office reports a new UK and England June maximum temperature record of 38.0°C at Lingwood in Norfolk on 26 June 2026, part of a heatwave that brought three consecutive days of red heat…
25 June 2026
South East Water announces temporary use ban for Kent
South East Water announced a temporary use ban for Kent on 25 June 2026, in force from 00:01 on 3 July 2026, after demand peaked at 687 million litres a day.
24 June 2026
Further Amber warnings issued for Friday and Saturday
The Met Office has issued further Amber extreme heat warnings for Friday and Saturday, shifting east of southern and central England, alongside a Red warning in force until late Thursday night.