Dressed in a full wizard outfit, the man who calls himself the ‘real Merlin’ stood among the crowd of more than 20,000 at Stonehenge this morning, watching the sun rise at 4.25am on the longest day of the year. ‘It’s my son’s birthday, son of Merlin, and it’s the solstice,’ he said, gesturing to his son beside him. ‘That’s a really magical time for me as a father. And the sun.’
The solstice — which occurs at 09:24 BST on Sunday, when the northern hemisphere’s pole is tilted at its maximum angle toward the Sun — drew visitors to both Stonehenge and Avebury in Wiltshire, according to English Heritage. Some wore flower head-dresses, touching the ancient monument and cheering as the glowing sun emerged over the misty horizon.
“20,000 gather at Stonehenge for solstice as a 'real Merlin' attends; UK braces for record heat”
Merlin, who said he had been to Stonehenge 40 times, spoke of picking up ‘vibrations from the cosmos’ and noted that the stones have been concreted, ‘which stops a lot of energy coming up. But it’s still there, it’s still powerful on the ley lines.’
The solstice celebrations came as the Met Office warned that the UK is braced for a heatwave that could break the record for the hottest June temperature of 35.6C, set in 1976 in Southampton. Forecasters said there is ‘growing confidence’ that this week could see the record fall, with temperatures expected to peak at about 35C on Tuesday and Wednesday.
An amber extreme heat warning has been issued for Monday and Tuesday for most of southern England, south-eastern and eastern Wales, and much of the Midlands. The alert flags potential health impacts for vulnerable people, a risk of heat-related issues for the wider population, and a potential increase in water safety incidents. The Met Office advised people in the alert area to drink plenty of fluids, keep out of the sun, and avoid exercising between 11am and 3pm.
The heat follows a hot spell in May in which at least 15 people died after getting into trouble in open water. In France, highs of 40C are expected on Sunday, with Monday likely to be even hotter, prompting emergency services to be put on wildfire alert, alcohol consumption restrictions, and the cancellation of some outdoor sporting events.
Across the UK, the solstice was marked in other ways. More than 200 people took part in a solstice walk from The Valley Evesham to New Farm Nature Reserve in Worcestershire. Sunrise brought a dramatic display of red and orange hues in St Martin, Jersey.
Merlin, reflecting on the day, said: ‘We come here, and we pick up vibrations from the cosmos. … the vibrations are still here. … It’s still powerful on the ley lines.’