England logs its hottest June as UK heatwave breaks records
The Met Office said June 2026 was provisionally England’s warmest on record and the UK’s second-warmest after a severe late-month heatwave.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
England recorded its hottest June since national data began in 1884, the Met Office said, after a late-month heatwave pushed daytime and overnight temperatures to new highs. The UK as a whole had its second-warmest June on record, according to provisional figures from the weather agency.
The Met Office said England’s average temperature for June 2026 was 17.1C, or 62.78F. That exceeded the previous June record of 16.9C, set in 2025, and put England’s three warmest Junes since 1884 all within the current decade, with 2023 ranking third.
In a statement, the Met Office attributed the record to what it called an intense, record-breaking heatwave at the end of the month. The agency said rare extreme heat warnings were issued for several days, including warnings tied to unusually warm nights.
Heat peaked in the final week
AFP, DPA and Reuters reported that temperatures reached above 30C, or 86F, in parts of the UK for seven consecutive days from June 21 to June 27. The highest provisional reading came on June 26 at Lingwood in Norfolk, where the temperature reached 37.7C, or 99.86F, according to the Met Office.
The Met Office said that figure would be the highest June maximum ever recorded in the UK if confirmed. It was more than 2C above the previous June record of 35.6C, which was first set at Camden Square in London in 1957 and matched at Mayflower Park in Southampton in 1976.
The agency also said June brought a provisional record for the warmest overnight minimum. At Cardiff Bute Park on June 25, the temperature did not fall below 23.5C, or 74.3F, according to the Met Office.
The heat disrupted daily life across parts of the country, AFP, DPA and Reuters reported. More than 1,000 schools and nurseries closed during the heatwave, while public transport faced problems as overhead wires and signalling equipment came under strain from high temperatures.
Pressure to adapt to hotter summers
Critics said the UK was poorly prepared for the heat, according to AFP, DPA and Reuters. Climate experts urged the government to adapt infrastructure for hotter summers, as demand rose for fans and air conditioners, which the agencies reported remain uncommon in British homes.
The same heat episode affected a wide stretch of Europe, including France, Germany, Slovakia, Serbia, Croatia, Italy, Austria and western Ukraine, according to AFP, DPA and Reuters. The agencies reported that more than 1,000 deaths in France alone were linked to the heat.
World Weather Attribution scientists said climate change was responsible for the dangerous heat affecting Europe, according to their report. The group said phasing out fossil fuels is essential to reverse the trend toward more extreme weather.
The Met Office’s June figures remain provisional, but they add to a run of recent UK heat records. The agency said England’s new June average, the late-month maximum and the overnight minimum all point to an exceptional month in the national temperature record.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.