Britain’s 50-year-old June temperature record was shattered three times in a single day — with highs of 36C recorded at Wisley in Surrey and Gosport in Hampshire, the Met Office said, after provisional readings of 35.8C at Wiggonholt in West Sussex and 35.7C at Charlwood in Surrey pushed past the previous benchmark of 35.6C set in 1957 and tied in 1976.
The unprecedented heat, which forced schools to close early or shut completely, hospitals to cancel appointments and trains to drive slower, prompted a rare red extreme heat warning from the Met Office covering London and the south coast up to Swansea, Somerset and Birmingham from 9am Wednesday to 9pm Thursday. Amber warnings remain in place for Friday and Saturday.
“UK records hottest June day at 36C, breaking 50-year-old record three times in one day.”
“To see temperatures like this in the UK in June is sobering,” said Stephen Belcher, the Met Office’s chief scientist. “Events like this bring home the implications of climate change, with very high temperatures and humidity bringing significant health implications from heat stress, as well as impacts to a range of sectors such as transport, energy and water supply.”
Heat-health alerts issued by the UK Health Security Agency cover much of England, and the World Health Organization director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned Europe’s heatwave was “putting lives at risk”. He said: “The data are clear: temperatures across Europe are rising at roughly twice the global average rate, increasing the likelihood and severity of extreme heat in the future. We cannot afford further delay.”
The scorching conditions, driven by a “heat-dome” over western Europe, have already led to reports of heat-related deaths in France, which experienced its hottest night and day on record. Climate breakdown is thought to have increased temperatures by 2C to 4C, according to a rapid analysis by ClimaMeter published Monday.
Met Office science manager Amy Doherty said: “If confirmed, a new June daily temperature record would be significant, especially following on the heels of the recent records set in May. The new record provides further evidence that temperatures previously considered extreme are becoming increasingly common as a result of human-induced climate change.”
In London, the mercury reached 35.1C as the capital sweltered under a “do not travel” warning. Wimbledon qualifying was suspended after the Electronic Line Calling system failed due to a power outage at Roehampton. Mayor Sadiq Khan faced criticism over Tube air conditioning, with no new air-conditioned trains introduced since 2017.
Forecasters warn temperatures could climb further, with the potential for 39C on Thursday — which would make it the second hottest day in UK history and the hottest June day ever, eclipsing even the highest 20th-century records.