London struggled to cope with an intense heatwave on Wednesday as the UK recorded its hottest June day on record. A rare Met Office 'risk to life' red weather warning for the capital caused widespread disruption, with shops, offices, and schools forced to close. Temperatures in London reached 35.1C at 3pm, while the highest recorded temperature of 36C was reported at Wisley in Surrey and Gosport in Hampshire, according to the Met Office.
School and Business Closures
Several schools shut entirely, while others sent pupils home early or advised parents to collect their children at lunchtime. Where classrooms remained open, students were encouraged to wear PE kits instead of full uniforms to cope with the extreme heat. Businesses were also heavily affected, with bakeries, salons, and retailers across London closing temporarily, including multiple branches of Greggs. Many workplaces advised staff to work from home as office buildings without air conditioning became stifling.
Public Events and Transport Disruption
Public events were cancelled or postponed due to the conditions. A London School of Economics event on climate change adaptation was called off because of the heat and a lack of cooling systems in the building, organisers said. London’s transport network experienced delays, with emergency services under strain. London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan urged Londoners to 'bear with us' as they faced disruption on the London Underground, with passengers enduring unbearable temperatures.
Khan said that weather of 'biblical proportions' — whether thunderstorms, tropical nights, extreme heat, or flash flooding — is becoming a regular occurrence, and the city has been slow to adapt. 'People across the country can expect to see delays in public transport today, tomorrow and the rest of this week that's a consequence of the extreme heat,' he said, speaking at The Aldgate School in London on Wednesday. 'People across the country I am afraid will have to bear with us – our public transport system is not made for temperatures approaching 40C. 40% of Tubes are now air conditioned with more going forward. I will be publishing very soon a plan of what more we need to do to deal with heat.'
Health Alerts Extended
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) extended the current red heat-health alert for London by 24 hours. The highest possible alert, warning of a risk to life, will now be in place until 11pm on Friday. The South West, South East, East of England, West Midlands, and East Midlands also had their red alerts extended. Forecasters predicted temperatures could hit 36C in London on Friday.
Climate Change Context
Scientists have warned that climate change has led to more frequent and intense heatwaves, with Met Office projections indicating hot spells will become more frequent in the future, particularly in the south-east of the UK. Professor Stephen Belcher, Met Office chief scientist, said: 'Human-induced climate change has made events like this more likely and more intense. To see temperatures like this in the UK in June is sobering. 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.'
