UK braces for third summer heatwave as temperatures climb above 30C

Temperatures were forecast to climb above 30C across parts of the UK, in what would be the third heatwave of the summer. In its 1 July 2026 national forecast, the Met Office put the hottest conditions in southern areas, where some places could reach 32C to 33C, while northern and western regions were more likely to see cloudier, occasionally wetter weather.

A UK heatwave is officially declared when a location records at least three consecutive days at or above its local threshold, and the warm-up was being driven by high pressure building from the Azores. In its 1 July 2026 national forecast, the Met Office put temperatures above average overall, with the greatest chance of hot conditions in the south.

The warning followed a June of records. Provisional Met Office figures put England's June as its warmest on record, while the UK and Wales had their second warmest June since records began in 1884. The month also brought repeated heat records: the UK provisionally logged a June maximum of 36.1C at Gosport, Hampshire, on 24 June, before 36.7C at Merryfield, Somerset, on 25 June provisionally became the hottest June day on record for the country.

Frequent tropical nights pushed average June minimum temperatures to record levels for the UK, England and Wales, with Scotland also recording its joint highest on record.

The UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office use heat-health alerts in England from 1 June to 30 September, and they issued warnings in late June as temperatures rose.

The Met Office forecast a higher-than-normal chance of heatwaves across June, July and August in summer 2026. Met Office climate research found that a summer like 1976 could last much longer in today's climate, with sustained temperatures above 28C possible for a month or more in southeast England.