The UK has experienced its hottest June day on record, with temperatures soaring to 37.3C in Santon Downham, Suffolk, amid a rare extreme heat warning. The blistering conditions have disrupted daily life, forcing hundreds of school closures, train and Tube service cancellations, and turning homes into heat traps that fail to cool down during tropical nights. Even a talk on extreme heat during London Climate Action Week was cancelled, and iconic attractions like Tower Bridge and Cutty Sark shut due to the weather, while pavements and station platforms in London reached nearly 60C.
Why UK heat feels different
Many residents have noted that the UK heat feels more oppressive than in hotter countries. One X user commented: "I've lived in the US for the last two summers, and it regularly reached 35, it was NEVER as unbearable as the last two days here have been. UK heat is genuinely the worst." Another added: "We finally reached that time of year where ppl from the UK complain about the heat, then ppl from hotter countries say we're being dramatic, then ppl who r visiting the UK admit that the heat is unbearable."
Met Office spokesperson Stephen Dixon explained to Metro: "Meteorologically, the UK air tends to be more humid compared to that in continental Europe. High humidity can make it harder for sweat to evaporate, which is how we naturally cool ourselves down." He also noted that British homes, built to retain heat during cold winters, become heat traps in summer. "Houses in Europe are often more adapted to higher temperatures, allowing those inside to stay cool. While many in the UK need well-insulated homes for those cold winter months, which means they naturally retain heat."
Mental preparedness plays a role
Dixon added that mentality also contributes: "When people from the UK go abroad, they're often well-prepared for heat. Many European countries have a routine (meal times) that are adapted to it being hot. The heat can sometimes feel worse in the UK simply down to not expecting it in the same way people do when they go abroad."
Calls for adaptation
Campaigners from Greenpeace described the extreme heat week as a "public health emergency" driven by fossil fuel companies and emissions. They have urged the government to help cool down homes and schools, set safe limits for workers, and increase shade and green spaces. Access to green spaces remains unequal: Natural England research shows only 26% of people in the most deprived neighbourhoods have access to a green space, compared with 38% in the least deprived areas.
In London, Mayor Sadiq Khan has admitted the city is not ready for worsening summer conditions as he unveiled the city's first heat plan, inspired by the desert city of Phoenix and its strategies for dealing with extreme temperatures that are predicted to become the new norm.
