Solstice dawns as Britain basks in midsummer sunshine — in pictures
Thousands of people gathered at Stonehenge to celebrate the summer solstice as many parts of Britain basked in a heatwave on the longest day of the year.
English Heritage estimated that 25,000 visitors took advantage of the warm weather to watch the sun rise at the neolithic monument near Salisbury, Wiltshire.
Temperatures in Salisbury and London had already reached 18C by 5am. The Met Office said the heat would peak on Saturday before thunderstorms arrived in the evening. The UK's hottest day of the year was recorded on Thursday, with a peak of 32.2C in Kew and Heathrow in London.
An amber heat health alert, issued by the UK Health Security Agency for the first time since September 2023, is in force until 9am on Monday.
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