Red heat warning issued as UK faces record-breaking temperatures

Britain is facing a severe heat episode that is set to push temperatures into the high 30s and place public health, travel and working conditions under pressure. The Met Office issued a Red Extreme Heat Warning for Wednesday 24 June and Thursday 25 June 2026, saying temperatures could reach around 38C, with locally higher values possible.

The warning sits on top of amber Extreme Heat Warnings already in force from Monday 22 June through Thursday 25 June across much of southern and central England and much of Wales. Forecasts suggest southern England could hit 34C on Monday and 37C on Tuesday before the peak arrives midweek, and the Met Office says June’s all-time daily temperature record is forecast to be broken.

The UK Health Security Agency has added a red heat-health alert for the West Midlands, East Midlands, South East, South West, London and the East of England from 1am on Wednesday 24 June until 11pm on Thursday 25 June. The alert is aimed at the people most likely to suffer first when temperatures surge: older adults, those with long-term illness, and anyone already under strain from heat, dehydration or poor sleep.

This is the kind of weather that can ripple through daily life well beyond the thermometer. High heat can make commuting more difficult, reduce productivity for outdoor workers, and place extra pressure on schools, care settings and the power grid as demand rises for cooling. Health officials have framed the warning as a period when people should take action to keep themselves and others safe.

The scale of the warning is notable because it recalls the UK’s first ever Red Extreme Heat warning in July 2022, when 40C was forecast for the first time in the country. On 19 July 2022, Coningsby in Lincolnshire reached 40.3C, the first recorded temperature above 40C in the UK.

Met Office scientists said in 2025 that the chance of exceeding 40C in the UK is accelerating at pace, a reminder that this week’s heat is not just a short-term weather event but another marker of a hotter baseline.