Night of the Big Heat

Jeff Callum hires a new secretary at The Swan inn, hoping to boost his work as a novelist. The secretary turns out to be Angela Roberts, his former lover who has arrived with the aim of destabilizing his marriage. The tense atmosphere on the island of Fara sets the scene for personal and provincial intrigue.

Angela continually uses her presence to tempt Jeff, hoping to draw him away from Frankie or derail his marriage. Her arrival stirs jealousy and suspicion among the locals. Jeff, seeking refuge on the island, must navigate both her advances and his own commitments.

Winter on Fara turns into an unbearable heat wave, with temperatures rising rapidly. Cars stall, beer bottles shatter, televisions explode, and telephones stop working. The island's normal routines are upended as heat and silence press in on the inhabitants.

Godfrey Hanson rents a room at The Swan and begins roaming the island with motion cameras and soil samples. His secretive scientific activities arouse suspicion among the locals who sense something unusual is happening. The stormy weather, heat, and odd equipment add to the atmosphere of mystery.

A tramp is found dead in a cave, killed by something that emits a high-pitched whirring sound. The death is sudden and unexplained, foreshadowing an unseen threat on the island. The event heightens the sense that something alien or unnatural is at work.

A farmer reports his sheep have died, their bodies burned. Hanson examines the carcasses and confirms they are scorched as if touched by intense heat. The scientist’s findings suggest a heat-based danger linked to the supposed extraterrestrial presence.

Bob Hayward, a Swan regular, is blinded by a bright light while driving into the village and his car crashes after being attacked by something. The incident underscores the danger posed by the mysterious force and its effect on everyday life. The flash of light also heats the car enough to ignite the petrol tank.

Tinker, driven insane by the heat, attacks Angela in the pub; she defends herself with an ashtray and knocks him out. He flees but dies from burning injuries, further hinting at the lethal heat and alien presence. The event shows how the island’s residents are unraveling under pressure.

Jeff finally confronts Hanson and demands an explanation for the strange events. Hanson reveals that Fara is the site of an extraterrestrial invasion whose beings burn anything that comes near due to extreme heat. The scientist names the threat and links the phenomenon to the heat-driven anomalies.

Dr. Stone, the local physician, heads for the weather station to alert the mainland but is waylaid by the aliens and killed. His death removes a critical line of communication and raises the stakes for any hope of outside help. The alien threat grows more urgent as more people realize the scale of the crisis.

Stella Hayward, Bob's wife, becomes a victim as the aliens reveal their attraction to light. The attack underscores the aliens' vulnerability and their methods, while also signaling the widening impact on the community. The deaths mount as the island spirals toward crisis.

At the weather station, meteorologists Ken Stanley and Foster report that the aliens have killed the communications operator and destroyed all equipment. There is no way to call for help or coordinate a response. The isolation of the island intensifies the stakes for everyone aboard.

Hanson and Foster devise a plan to lure the aliens by burning hay in a field and then dropping dynamite to destroy them, while the others signal for help with flare pistols. The plan showcases a desperate, last-ditch effort to neutralize the threat. The execution depends on precise timing under extreme heat.

The attempt to ambush the aliens with hay and dynamite quickly falls apart, with Foster and then Hanson killed in the process. The survivors are left surrounded by the dangerous beings, and hope looks grim. The failure of the plan reveals the aliens' lethal advantage.

A sudden thunderstorm breaks, and the rain proves fatal to the aliens, bringing death to them. Jeff, Frankie, Angela and Ken survive the ordeal as the creatures die from the downpour. The storm ends the crisis and restores a fragile peace to the island.