Britain is facing the hottest June day on record as the Met Office expanded its amber extreme heat warning to cover London, the South East, the East of England, South West England and Wales from 1am on Monday until 11.59pm on Tuesday. Meteorologists say there is a chance that the 1976 record of 35.6C in Southampton could be broken, with forecasts suggesting the mercury could hit 37C in parts of the South East.
The warning — only the sixth since the system was introduced in 2021 — means widespread impacts on people and infrastructure, with adverse health effects and travel disruption likely. The UK Health Security Agency has also issued amber heat health alerts for the East, South East and South West of England and London until 8pm on Tuesday, and yellow alerts for the East and West Midlands.
“Met Office expands amber heat warning as temperatures could break June record of 35.6C”
"Sustained periods of warm weather can result in serious health outcomes, especially for older adults," said Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, urging people to take precautions and look out for elderly relatives and those with underlying conditions.
Temperatures will climb again on Sunday, with sunny spells in most areas and highs of 27-31C in parts of the Midlands, Wales and southern England. By Monday and Tuesday, the heat will peak at 35C or 36C, and possibly 37C, with high humidity making it feel even more uncomfortable. Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Steven Keates warned of "tropical nights" where the mercury does not drop below 20C, especially in urban areas. "The humidity will also mean this feels close, warmer and more uncomfortable for many," added Met Office deputy chief forecaster Greg Wolverson.
The hot spell comes after a record-breaking May heatwave that saw 35.1C at Kew Gardens. While some areas may fall just short of official heatwave thresholds — three consecutive days above 25-28C depending on the county — it is highly likely a heatwave will be declared in parts of southern and eastern England.
Large parts of Western Europe are also sweltering, with temperatures expected to reach 42C in France, where half the population is under a severe weather warning. The hot weather may bring isolated thunderstorms and downpours for some on Monday and Tuesday, but the threat remains fairly limited.