Londoners are this weekend enjoying some relief from this summer’s punishing heatwave temperatures.

This week’s searing heat saw 38.1C recorded at Kew Gardens on Thursday - the hottest UK temperature of the year, followed by a high of 34C on Friday.

A temperature high of 26C was reached on Saturday with a similar level of heat expected on Sunday, according to the Met Office.

More than 70 per cent of the country is now in drought following a record dry July, and an August that has so far seen just 5 per cent of expected rainfall.

London’s parks have been turned into “tinderbox” parched lands where wildfires can easily spread.

Sir Sadiq Khan has urged Londoners to create fire breaks in their gardens to protect their homes, while the London Fire Brigade (LFB) has also warned of the dangers that major blazes could start in people’s gardens.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has urged retailers to withdraw disposable barbecues from sale in an effort to prevent wildfires as he warned extreme heat conditions “could be with us for some weeks yet”.

More than 1,000 wildfires have been recorded in England and Wales this year, according to data shared by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), the same as last year’s record-breaking total.

Huge fires caused “apocalyptic scenes” in the West Midlands on Thursday, with a blaze a fire in Stourbridge leading to a child and three firefighters being taken to hospital.

West Midlands Fire Service said 19 houses have been fully destroyed and 18 damaged by the blaze, and the incident is estimated to involve about 40 acres of land, including a wood.

As temperatures ease this weekend, we ask: Was this week’s heatwave that last of an especially hot summer? Or is more boiling weather around the corner?

According to the Met Office, highs of 26C are expected on Sunday, with 28C forecast on Monday and 27C on Tuesday before cooler conditions sweep the capital, with maximum temperatures dropping to 21C next weekend.

Remember, a heatwave in London is defined as at least three days of 28C or higher.

So the actual temperature at the start of the week would only need to be slightly higher than the Met Office forecast for there to be a sixth heatwave in London.

Following weeks or zero rainfall in parts of London, BBC Weather is predicting showers in the days ahead.

The Met Office’s long-range forecast does hold out the possibility of more heatwaves in London.

The forecast for the period August 30 -September 13 says there is likely to be a northwest/southeast split.

“There is a chance that late season hot spells or heatwaves develop, especially in the south,” it says.

So while the extremely high temperatures may nearly be over for now, there is a chance London will see a sixth - or even seventh - heatwave in 2026.