UK sees hottest day of the year so far as temperatures pass 34C
The Met Office confirmed that 34.7C was recorded at at St James's Park in central London on Tuesday afternoon, beating a 34.4C reading recorded in Writtle, Essex earlier in the day.
The previous warmest day in the UK in 2025 was June 21 when 33.2C was recorded in Charlwood, Surrey.
It also exceeds Monday's peak temperature of 33.1C at Heathrow, which marked the hottest start to Wimbledon on record.
Forecasters said temperatures could reach 34-35C in London on Tuesday before cooler conditions sweep in from the north later in the day.
The hot weather marks the second heatwave for parts of the UK within the last month, with scientists warning the searing temperatures earlier in June were made 100 times more likely because of human-caused climate change.
Provisional Met Office figures, released on Tuesday, show England had its warmest June on record last month, while the UK experienced its second warmest since the series began in 1884 – only surpassed by June 2023.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has amber heat health alerts in place for much of the country until Wednesday morning.
A man died after getting into difficulty in water off Skegness beach in Lincolnshire at around 3.30pm on Saturday, the local RNLI Lifeguards team said in a Facebook post.
In Bedfordshire, gritters have been dispatched to protect the roads and provide grip for drivers amid concerns the heat could cause the tarmac to soften, the local council said in a Facebook post.
Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said Tuesday was likely to mark 'the peak of this current heatwave in terms of absolute temperatures we're expecting'.
'It's a continuation of recent days in the South East in particular, with those temperatures well beyond average for the time of year, in a fairly notable heatwave,' he added.
However, Tuesday will also bring the start of a transition towards more average temperatures, as a cooler, wetter front over Scotland and the north of England gradually moves south-eastwards.
'It's already bringing some rain to parts of Scotland through the day today, and will gradually move southwards through the day today and overnight tonight,' Mr Dixon said.
As July kicks off, forecasters said temperatures in the mid-30s are still relatively uncommon for the month in the UK, although they are becoming increasingly frequent with climate change.
Conservationists and green experts have also warned of the wildfire risk as well as the impact on farmers, who face another poor harvest following one of the driest springs on record.
Ben McCarthy, head of nature conservation and restoration ecology at the National Trust, said: 'With record-breaking temperatures across the country this week following the driest spring on record, our ranger and countryside teams are on high alert for fires which can cause decades of damage to habitats, decimate ecosystems and result in significant losses to our wildlife.'
Tom Lancaster, Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) land, food and farming analyst, said: 'Crop condition remains poor following one of the driest springs on record, with the quality of key arable crops such as wheat, barley and oats well down on recent years.
'Many farmers will now be looking towards this harvest with real trepidation.
'For some, the weather in the coming weeks will determine whether they have anything worth harvesting at all.'
Dr Garyfallos Konstantinoudis, research fellow at the Grantham Institute, Imperial College London, said: 'Heatwaves are silent killers.
'Unlike floods or storms, their impact can be invisible: people who die during extreme heat usually have pre-existing health conditions, and heat is rarely recorded as a contributing cause of death.'
In a warning to drivers, Alice Simpson, RAC Breakdown spokeswoman, said: 'It's vital that anyone driving today carries plenty of water to stay hydrated behind the wheel and in case of a vehicle breakdown.'
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Daily Mirror
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An investigation by MailOnline revealed that the temperatures on the tubes surpassed the legal limit at which the UK Government's Animal and Plant Health Agency says it is too hot to transport livestock. So, while the heatwave officially ends after today, conditions will remain warm - with 25C (77F) tomorrow, 26C (79F) on Thursday, 28C (82F) on Friday and 24C (75F) this weekend in London. The hottest day of 2024 was 34.8C (94.6F) in Cambridge on August 12; while the peak in 2023 was 33.5C (92.3F) in Kent on September 10; and the 2022 high was 40.3C (104.5F) on July 19 in Lincolnshire - the UK's highest temperature on record. An official heatwave is recorded when areas reach a certain temperature for three days in a row, with thresholds varying from 25C (77F) to 28C (82F) in different areas. The sweltering heat meant yesterday was one of the hottest June days ever, with UK temperatures for the month only surpassing 34C (93.2F) in only three years since 1960. The hottest June day ever was 35.6C (96.1F), recorded on June 28, 1976. And yesterday was the hottest start to Wimbledon on record, with 29.7C (85.5F) being recorded at the nearby Kew Gardens. The previous record at the tennis championships - 29.3C (84.7F) - was set on June 25, 2001. It marks the second heatwave for parts of the UK this month, with scientists warning searing temperatures of 32C (90F) earlier in June were made 100 times more likely because of human-caused climate change, while the heatwave that gripped south-east England was 10 times likelier. They said heatwaves are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change, and experts have warned heatwaves are 'silent killers', with the impacts of heat severely underestimated. They also say that the UK is unprepared for the rising risk of extremely hot conditions that climate change is bringing - especially earlier in the summer, when people are less acclimatised to coping with it. Professor Richard Allan, from the University of Reading, said the UK was on the edge of a 'large dome of heat' over continental Europe which was driving the heat wave, while ocean temperatures were also up to 2C above average to the south-west of the UK and 'hotter still in the western Mediterranean'. 'The ebb and flow of gigantic atmospheric waves have generated the stable, cloud-free conditions for heat to build up across western Europe,' he said, but added that rising greenhouse gas levels due to human activities were making heat waves more intense. Temperatures have climbed above 40C in countries including Italy, Spain and Greece, with holiday destinations such as Rome, Milan and Naples under the highest heat alert, while Greece is on high wildfire alert. Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said: 'The current spell of hot weather is forecast to continue until the middle of this week, with temperatures above 30C likely in most regions of England. 'We are reminding everyone to take sensible precautions while enjoying the sun. 'Remember that it is very important to check on friends, family and neighbours who are more vulnerable, as the temperatures we are likely to see over the next few days can result in serious health outcomes across the population, especially for older adults or those with pre-existing health conditions.' Dr Friederike Otto, associate professor at Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, said climate change was an 'absolute game-changer' for heat in Europe, making heat waves more frequent and more intense. 'Heat waves are called the silent killer, for a reason, every year thousands of people in Europe die due to extreme heat, particularly those that live in poorly insulated homes, on busy, polluted roads, and that already have health problems,' she said. 'But extreme heat also leads to agricultural losses, infrastructure failure and puts a big strain on plants and animals.' Meanwhile, the Business Secretary has said the UK does not need additional workplace laws which would allow Britons to be sent home during hot weather. Jonathan Reynolds said 'behavioural changes' like drinking plenty of water and staying protected in the sun were more important. There is no law nor guidance in the UK for minimum or maximum acceptable workplace temperatures, but employers must follow health and safety law to keep temperatures at a reasonable level. Mr Reynolds suggested a law change was not needed when asked if workers should be sent home in the event temperatures climb too high and there is no mitigation like air conditioning in place. He said: 'It is a hot day today for a northerner like myself. I'm struggling a little bit with it. 'There are existing laws in place, the health and safety acts, around what a safe workplace should be. I don't think we need more legislation in that area.' He added: 'Obviously, some behavioural changes, making sure people are hydrated, obviously are duly protected if they work, particularly outside. 'I think we have got to make sure that we're doing that. We shouldn't need additional laws.' Conservationists and green experts have warned of the wildfire risk of the heatwave as well as the impact on farmers, who face another poor harvest following one of the driest springs on record. Retailers warned today that fruit and vegetable prices in Britain have increased due to the hot and dry weather reducing harvest yields. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said this jump had contributed to shop prices having returned to inflation for the first time in almost a year. Overall shop prices were 0.4 per cent higher in June than a year earlier - a significant jump from the decline of 0.1 per cent seen in May, according to the BRC-NIQ Shop Price Index. Food inflation increased to 3.7 per cent from May's 2.8 per cent in May, while fresh food was 3.2 per cent more expensive than a year ago. Meat prices have also been hit by high wholesale prices and more expensive labour costs. In terms of wildfires, Ben McCarthy, head of nature conservation and restoration ecology at the National Trust, said: 'With record-breaking temperatures across the country this week following the driest spring on record, our ranger and countryside teams are on high alert for fires which can cause decades of damage to habitats, decimate ecosystems and result in significant losses to our wildlife. 'Unfortunately, the sad truth is that most of the fires in the UK that impact our landscapes are started by people, whether accidentally or not, rather than by natural causes. 'Therefore, we're calling on people to help us protect wildlife and habitats by acting responsibly when outdoors, as even a small spark can cause a fire, and to please call 999 if you see a fire or any suspicious behaviour.'
