Map shows just how badly scorched the UK has been by 'scary' heatwave

Satellite images have revealed how bad the recent heatwave has scarred the UK.

The images come as the Met Office issued a four-day extreme heat warning with an amber alert until Sunday (August 14), with temperatures expected to reach the mid-30s.

A drought has also been declared for parts of England caused by prolonged dry weather.

James Cheshire, a Professor of Geographic Information and Cartography at University College London, has since taken to Twitter with an image showing the heatwave's toll.

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"I've been obsessively checking satellite imagery to witness the UK turn from green to yellow, thanks to the period of extreme heat and lack of rain Europe has been enduring," he said.

"The parched landscape is unlike anything I've seen before, and a cloud free day today (10th August) has revealed the true extent of the drought.

"It shows with extraordinary clarity where the UK gets the most rain (and where some has fallen) thanks to being more to the west or at higher elevations."

Hundreds of concerned people responded to the satellite image – and despite the seriousness, of course, some were armed with memes.

Eight of 14 areas designated by the EA have now moved to "drought", the second stage, including Devon and Cornwall, Solent and South Downs, Kent and South London, Herts and North London, East Anglia, Thames, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, and East Midlands.

Speaking about the driest summer in 50 years, water minister Steve Double said action was already being taken by the Government, the EA and others to manage the impacts.

"All water companies have reassured us that essential supplies are still safe, and we have made it clear it is their duty to maintain those supplies," he said.

"We are better prepared than ever before for periods of dry weather, but we will continue to closely monitor the situation, including impacts on farmers and the environment, and take further action as needed."

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