UK records hottest June day as temperatures hit 36.1C in Hampshire

Gosport, Hampshire, reached 36.1C on Wednesday, setting a provisional UK June record and forcing much of southern and central England into a rare red extreme heat warning. The reading topped the previous June maximum of 35.6C, set on 28 June 1976 and matched on 29 June 1957, and it became the highest June temperature recorded since UK records began in 1884.

The record did not arrive in a single jump. Earlier provisional highs for the day reached 35.7C in Charlwood, Surrey, then 35.8C at Wiggonholt, West Sussex, and 36C at Wisley, Surrey, before Gosport edged past them all. The 36.1C figure was provisional and would have to pass formal verification, and the June record was in danger of falling as the heat intensified across southern England.

The UK Health Security Agency extended red heat-health alerts across six regions of England, including the South East, the South West, London, the East of England, the West Midlands and the East Midlands. The alerts ran from 1am on Wednesday 24 June until 11pm on Friday 26 June, reflecting the scale of the risk as the heatwave spread into a second day and temperatures were expected to hold high through Thursday and Friday.

The effects were visible well beyond the weather stations. Hundreds of schools closed across England and Wales, while school leaders were told they could relax uniform rules to keep pupils safe and comfortable. The Department for Education told school leaders they could relax uniform rules to keep pupils safe and comfortable.

Rail passengers were also told to avoid all non-essential travel. Hot weather can cause overhead power lines to expand and sag, slowing services and raising the risk of disruption. The hot spell was part of a broader European heatwave, with temperatures forecast to climb to 37C in southern England and as high as 38C to 40C in some places.