The Met Office issued an amber extreme-heat warning for parts of England in mid-August 2026, with temperatures forecast to peak around 38°C in places. That warning covered a specific period and has passed; for today's position, always use the live Met Office warning map. The useful job now is to check what prolonged heat and dryness may have exposed before autumn rain arrives.
Do not climb onto a roof, open a boiler or consumer unit, or disturb suspected asbestos. Look from safe ground, note changes and call the right qualified trade where a fault is present.
Eight checks that take less than half an hour
Heat can expose tired seals and flexible hoses. Check for fresh staining, swelling or a slow bead of water.
Confirm you know where it is and that it moves gently. Do not force a seized valve.
Mark any new stain now so you can tell whether it grows when the next rain arrives.
From ground level, look for slipped tiles, lifted flashing or debris. Never walk a hot or brittle roof.
Remove loose leaves and litter from accessible grates so the first heavy rain has somewhere to go.
Look for sagging joints, plants and obvious blockages; use a professional where ladders are needed.
Fans and portable cooling equipment may have run hard. Stop using anything scorched, cracked or unusually hot.
Use the test buttons on smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms and replace batteries or units as instructed.
Why the change in weather matters
Long dry spells can shrink soil and reveal movement around buried services, while intense heat puts extra hours on pumps, fans and refrigeration. The first heavy rain then tests roofs, gutters and drains all at once. A stain, drip or tripping circuit is easier to deal with before a storm than during one.
The Met Office's 11 August heat-warning report records the event; use the live UK warnings for current conditions.
Faults that should not wait
- Water near sockets, lights or a consumer unit - isolate power only if it is safe to do so and call an electrician
- A ceiling that is bulging or sagging - keep people out from underneath and get urgent roofing or plumbing help
- A leak that continues with taps off - close the stopcock if it moves normally and call a plumber
- Burning smells, repeated tripping, smoke or scorching - stop using the affected circuit or appliance and seek urgent electrical help
For rain-related preparation, use our storm damage roof checklist. If water is already escaping, start with how to turn off the water, then get an emergency plumber on the way.