The United Kingdom has provisionally set a new highest June temperature for the second consecutive day, with the Met Office reporting 36.7C at Merryfield, Somerset, on Thursday, surpassing the 36.4C recorded earlier at Yeovilton. This breaks the previous record of 36.1C set on Wednesday in Gosport, Hampshire, and the long-standing June high from 1976.
Wildfires and Emergency Services Under Pressure
Firefighters in Derbyshire are battling a 500-square-metre wildfire on Tintwistle Moor, with billowing smoke and flames consuming trees. The London Ambulance Service reported its highest ever number of life-threatening emergencies on Wednesday, with 642 category one calls, driven by the extreme heat. Chief executive Jason Killens said: “We have seen the highest number of life-threatening emergencies in our history, driven by the extreme heat across London.”
In Wales, a 50-year-old man from Cilfrew, Neath Port Talbot, died after entering the water at Aberavon beach on Wednesday, police confirmed.
Hospitals Declare Critical Incidents
Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and University Hospital Southampton have all declared critical incidents due to heat-related pressures. South Central Ambulance Service also declared a critical incident on Thursday, citing a “significant increase” in response times for category two calls. Doctors have reported “awful conditions” in NHS facilities, with overcrowding, lack of air conditioning, and temperatures reaching 35C on geriatric wards.
Red Warning Extended and Health Alerts
The Met Office extended its rare red warning for extreme heat until 9pm on Friday for London, parts of east and South East England, Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire, Hampshire, and Kent—the first time red warnings have been issued for three consecutive days. Amber warnings cover a wider area on Friday and extend into Saturday for parts of east and South East England. Yellow thunderstorm warnings are in place for South West England on Thursday night and northern Scotland on Thursday afternoon, with widespread yellow warnings for thunderstorms on Friday across Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Red heat health alerts from the UK Health Security Agency apply to the East of England, East Midlands, London, South East, South West, and West Midlands, with amber alerts for the North East, North West, and Yorkshire and the Humber.
Regional Records and Warnings
Wales recorded its hottest June day with 35.9C in Cardiff, while Northern Ireland matched its previous June high of 30.8C in Castlederg. Jersey recorded its hottest day since records began in 1894, with 39.3C at Maison St Louis Observatory. Anglian Water said it has no plans for a hosepipe ban but urged customers to “use less water wherever they can.”
Schools Close and Calls for Adaptation
Many schools and nurseries closed or implemented early pick-up times. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said schools should decide their own measures, but stressed government coordination across the UK. The National Education Union has written to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, urging a timetable for equipping schools with air conditioning. Phillipson acknowledged “more to do” on building adaptation. London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan called for air conditioning in schools, offices, and hospitals as part of the capital’s first heat plan. Councils have opened “cool hubs” in Lambeth, Barking and Dagenham, and Woking, while churches in Birmingham, Chichester, and the Diocese of Ely have offered shade.
Climate Context
The current heatwave is driven by a “heat-dome”—a high-pressure area trapping heat over western Europe. The Met Office’s deputy chief meteorologist, Greg Wolverson, stated: “This marks unprecedented heat for the month of June and provides further evidence of how high temperature extremes are becoming increasingly common in the UK as a result of human-induced climate change.” He added that the record could be challenged again as warmth moves east on Friday, with a gradual easing through the weekend.
