England has just had its hottest June on record, Met Office data shows | Extreme heat

According to Met Office data, June became the hottest month on record in the UK, driven by a scorching heatwave in the final days of the month, and red heat warnings were issued for the first time for three days.

The Met Office said provisional statistics showed Wales and the UK as a whole recorded the second warmest June since 1884.

Met Office scientist Dr. Emily Carlisle said: “High temperatures in June are part of a wider temperature pattern in 2026.

“So far, five of the first six months of the year have recorded average temperatures at least 1 degree above average; only January has seen below-average temperatures.”

The hottest spring in history occurred before the June heat For England and Walesand the third hottest country for the United Kingdom.

In May, the Met office said one of the most striking readings was recorded at Kew Gardens in Greater London, where temperatures reached 35.1°C, beating the previous station record of 29.3°C and exceeding the UK’s previous May record of 32.8°C.

“This reflects the extreme nature of the temperature, with values ​​more typical for midsummer being observed in late spring,” the Met office said.

The second half of June was notable for record-breaking temperatures, exceptionally warm nights with frequent “tropical nights” when the thermometer did not drop below 20C.

The minimum temperature across the UK in June 2026 was 2°C above average, while nighttime temperatures in England were recorded 2.6°C above average.

Met Office chief scientist Prof Stephen Belcher CBE said: “The heatwave in June was a significant weather event, with a red extreme heat warning issued. Human-caused climate change has made such events more likely and more intense.”

“It is sobering to see temperatures like these in the UK in June. Events like this bring with them the consequences of climate change, with very high temperatures and humidity impacting various sectors such as transport, energy and water supply, as well as significant health consequences from heat stress.”

Scientists said it was the first time since June was added to the weather warning system in 2021 that a red alert for extreme heat had been issued in the UK for three consecutive days, with the extent and persistence of the heat particularly notable. During the three-day red extreme heat alert, records dating back several decades and, in some cases, as far as a century, were challenged or exceeded.

The frequency and intensity of heat waves have increased worldwide. Met Office forecasts show that hot weather will become more common in our future climate, particularly in the south-east of the UK. It is estimated that temperatures will increase in every season, but the hottest month will be the summer months.

Indiana University climate scientist Dr. Christopher Callahan’s analysis this week found that the latest heat wave in Europe killed more than 20,000 people, according to a rapid modeling study based on peer-reviewed methods.

The analysis found that between 22 and 28 June there were more than 5,000 deaths in France, 4,500 in Germany, 3,000 in Spain, 2,700 in Italy, 1,070 in Poland and 862 in the United Kingdom.