2026 United Kingdom heatwaves
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During 2026, parts of the United Kingdom were severely affected by a series of record-breaking heatwaves, the western portion of a wider sequence across much of Europe.
| Type | Heatwave |
|---|---|
| Areas | United Kingdom |
| Start date | 22 May 2026 |
| Peak temp. | 37.7 °C (99.9 °F), recorded at Lingwood on 26 June 2026 |
| Losses | |
| Deaths | 2,750+ |
The first heatwave started on 22 May and saw country's record for hottest day during May broken on 25 May when 34.8 °C (94.6 °F) was recorded at Kew Gardens in London, surpassing the previous record of 32.8 °C (91.0 °F) set in 1922 by 2 °C (3.6 °F); this record was broken again when 35.1 °C (95.2 °F) was recorded in the same location the following day. Other records which were broken included the hottest May day in Guernsey, Jersey and Wales, as well as the highest minimum May temperature in the UK. Experts estimated that around 550 people died during this period of extreme heat.
The second heatwave started on 19 June and saw more records broken, including that for hottest day during June when 37.7 °C (99.9 °F) was recorded in Lingwood, Norfolk on 26 June, which is also the 6th hottest day in the UK ever. The previous record for June of 35.6 °C (96.1 °F) was set in 1957 and 1976. A further 2,200 deaths were estimated to have occurred during this heatwave, bringing the total to roughly 2,750.
A third heatwave began on 4 July, with temperatures peaking at 35.5 °C (95.9 °F) in Wisley, Surrey, on 9 July. This marked the first year when temperatures have reached 35 °C (95 °F) in three separate months, whilst the records for most days reaching both 34 °C (93 °F) and 35 °C (95 °F) in a single year were broken at nine and six respectively.
Background
The Met Office considers a heatwave to be when temperatures on three consecutive days surpass 25–28 °C (77–82 °F), depending on the location within the United Kingdom.[1] The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issues heat-health alerts to provide warning when high temperatures are expected to impact the population's health and wellbeing; the core alerting system runs from 1 June to 30 September, with alerts outside of this core period described as "extraordinary".[2]
Climate change in the United Kingdom was one cause of the extreme heat,[3] but the strong El Niño probably was not.[4]
May heatwave
| Areas | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Start date | 22 May 2026 |
| End date | 31 May 2026 |
| Peak temp. | 35.1 °C (95.2 °F), recorded at Kew Gardens on 26 May |
| Losses | |
| Deaths | 550 |
On 22 May, the UKHSA issued yellow heat-health alerts for the East Midlands, East of England, London, South East and West Midlands regions, in place from 9 a.m. that day. These alerts were escalated to amber from 2 p.m. as further yellow alerts were issued for the remaining regions of England; all alerts were set to remain in place until 5 p.m. on 27 May.[5]
The first areas of the country met heatwave conditions on 24 May, when temperature thresholds were reached in eight locations in Essex, London, Oxfordshire and Suffolk. England, Wales and all recorded their highest temperatures of the year so far at 32.3 °C (90.1 °F) in Kew Gardens, 27.4 °C (81.3 °F) in Cardiff and 23.4 °C (74.1 °F) in Armagh; Scotland reached 23.5 °C (74.3 °F) in Edinburgh, just short of a high recorded earlier in May.[6] Jersey's record for the hottest May day ever was broken as temperatures reached 29.2 °C (84.6 °F) in St Helier, breaking the previous record of 28.9 °C (84.0 °F) set in 2003.[7]
Overnight temperatures in Kenley did not fall below 19.4 °C (66.9 °F), breaking the record for highest minimum May temperature; the previous record of 18.9 °C (66.0 °F) was set in Folkestone in 1944.[8] The record for the hottest May day in the United Kingdom was broken on 25 May after 34.8 °C (94.6 °F) was recorded in Kew Gardens, surpassing the previous record of 32.8 °C (91.0 °F), which was reached in 1922 and 1944, by a whole 2 °C (3.6 °F); this also broke the record for hottest bank holiday Monday as it exceeded the 33.3 °C (91.9 °F) recorded on the August Bank Holiday in 2019. Wales also saw its hottest May day on record as temperatures reached 32.2 °C (90.0 °F) at Hawarden Airport, surpassing the previous record of 30.6 °C (87.1 °F) set in Newport in 1944. Northern Ireland and Scotland saw their warmest days of the year so far, with temperatures of 25.8 °C (78.4 °F) and 25.5 °C (77.9 °F) being recorded in Derrylin and Charterhall, respectively.[9] The May record for Jersey was broken again as temperatures reached 31.9 °C (89.4 °F), whilst a temperature of 30.7 °C (87.3 °F) broke Guernsey's previous record of 26.8 °C (80.2 °F).[10]
The country saw a tropical night – one where temperatures do not fall below 20 °C (68 °F) – on 26 May, with a minimum temperature of 21.3 °C (70.3 °F) recorded at Kenley Airfield, breaking the record for highest minimum May temperature again.[11] The heat-health alert in South West England was upgraded to amber, whilst all warnings were extended to 5 p.m. on 28 May.[12] The British record for hottest May day was surpassed again, with temperatures peaking at 35.1 °C (95.2 °F) in Kew Gardens.[13] A temperature of 32.9 °C (91.2 °F) in Bute Park also broke Wales's record again.[14] Records in the Channel Islands were also broken again as temperatures continued to rise for a third consecutive day, with 34.2 °C (93.6 °F) and 31.5 °C (88.7 °F) recorded in Jersey and Guernsey, respectively.[15]
On 1 June, the Met Office said provisional statistics showed that both England and Wales had experienced their warmest springs on record with mean temperatures of 10.41 °C (50.74 °F) and 9.73 °C (49.51 °F) respectively, whilst the UK as a whole saw its third at 9.33 °C (48.79 °F); Scotland saw its sixth warmest at 7.46 °C (45.43 °F) and Northern Ireland saw its tenth at 9.06 °C (48.31 °F). All three months of spring ranked within the country's top ten warmest, with March ranking joint tenth, April seventh, and May joint third, whilst 40 counties saw their warmest spring on record.[16]
Impact
An estimate from Imperial College London, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Met Office placed the number of deaths from the heat between 21 and 29 May at around 550.[17] Between 24 and 31 May, at least 20 people died in water-related incidents across the country, including 14 children, prompting water safety experts to urge the government to treat drownings as a "public health disaster".[18]
The heatwave disrupted numerous services, including public transport and water supply. South East Water first reported supply issues in the villages of Challock, Charing and Molash on 23 May, with a peak of around 800 properties affected before the issue was resolved on 26 May. Separate issues affected 168 properties in Eastbourne and around 20 homes in Ulcombe,[19] whilst a failed pump disrupted supplies to 64 properties in Radfall.[20] By 27 May, around 18,000 properties were facing water supply disruptions across Kent in areas including Ashford, Maidstone and Whitstable.[21]
Rail transport was severely disrupted, with South Western Railway saying all lines were being affected by heat-related speed restrictions, multiple signalling faults and track defects on 26 May. Heat-related incidents between Peterborough and Stevenage disrupted services on some lines between the former and London Kings Cross, whilst a problem with equipment at Deptford meant trains were unable to call at one of its platforms. Avanti West Coast services were hit by points and signalling failures, blocking some lines at London Euston as well as between Milton Keynes Central and Watford Junction, whilst high track temperatures led to speed restrictions between the latter and Clapham Junction and Euston. Speed restrictions also affected services between London Liverpool Street and Cheshunt and Stratford, whilst several lines of the London Underground and Overground were disrupted.[22]
June heatwave
| Areas | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Start date | 19 June 2026 |
| End date | 28 June 2026 |
| Peak temp. | 37.7 °C (99.9 °F), recorded at Lingwood on 26 June |
| Losses | |
| Deaths | 2,200 |
On 18 June, the UKHSA issued amber heat-health alerts for the East of England, London, South East and South West regions, with yellow alerts for the East Midlands and West Midlands, in place until 8 p.m. on 23 June. On 20 June, the UKHSA announced that, from 11 a.m. on 22 June, the East and West Midlands would be under amber alerts, with yellow alerts issued for the North East, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber; all alerts were set to remain in place until midnight on 24 June. They announced the following day that the alerts for the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber would be upgraded to amber, with all alerts in place until 11 p.m. on 26 June. On 22 June, they announced that red alerts would be in place for the East Midlands, East of England, London, South East, South West and West Midlands from 1 a.m. on 24 June to 11 p.m. on 25 June, marking only the second time this level of warning has been issued, the first being during the heatwave in July 2022; further amber alerts were issued for the remaining regions of England. These alerts were extended until 11 p.m. on 26 June two days later.[23]
The Met Office issued several weather warnings for extreme heat: an amber warning covered large parts England and Wales from 1 a.m. on 22 to midnight on 23 June;[24] another amber warning covered a larger area for all of 24 and 25 June;[25] a red warning covered parts England and Wales from 9 a.m. on 24 June to midnight on 25 June;[26] an amber warning covered large parts of England all day on 26 June;[27] another red warning covered parts of southern and eastern England from midnight to 9 p.m. on 26 June;[28] and an amber warning covered parts of eastern England from midnight on 27 June to 9 a.m. on 28 June.[29] Since their introduction in 2021, extreme heat warnings are rarely issued, with the first of this heatwave's amber warnings being only the sixth issued,[30] and the red warning the first in Wales and only the second nationally;[31] this heatwave also marked the first time red warnings for extreme heat had been issued on three consecutive days.[32]
On 21 June, the first areas of the country met heatwave conditions as temperatures surpassed 27 °C (81 °F) for the third consecutive day in Writtle,[33] with temperatures peaking at 31.8 °C (89.2 °F) at Heathrow Airport.[34] The following day the highest temperature was 32.5 °C (90.5 °F), recorded in Yeovilton.[35] Thunderstorms across parts of southern England that evening prompted a yellow weather warning,[36] with flash flooding, power cuts, travel disruption and several house fires caused by the storms,[37] including one in Bristol that forced the evacuation of multiple homes.[38]
Many parts of the country experienced a tropical night, with the Welsh record for highest minimum June temperature broken in St Athan when readings did not fall below 20.3 °C (68.5 °F). On 23 June, temperatures peaked at 34.6 °C (94.3 °F) in Wisley, with 32.3 °C (90.1 °F) recorded in Wales as both Scotland and Northern Ireland saw their hottest days of the year so far at 29.0 °C (84.2 °F) in Dyce and 28.1 °C (82.6 °F) in Katesbridge.[39] More areas experienced another tropical night, with the highest overnight low of 22.3 °C (72.1 °F) recorded at RAF Brize Norton.[40] The record for the hottest June day in the United Kingdom was broken on 24 June after 36.1 °C (97.0 °F) was recorded in Gosport, surpassing the previous record of 35.6 °C (96.1 °F) set in 1957 and equalled in 1976. Wales saw its hottest day of the year so far when 33.3 °C (91.9 °F) was recorded at Bute Park in Cardiff.[41] Jersey's record for hottest June temperature was broken when 37.2 °C (99.0 °F) was recorded, surpassing the previous record of 33.4 °C (92.1 °F) set in 2025 by almost 4 °C (7.2 °F); this is also the second highest temperature ever recorded on the island.[42]
The record for highest minimum June temperature was broken after temperatures only fell to 23.5 °C (74.3 °F) in Cardiff, breaking both the Welsh and UK records, whilst the English record was also broken with a minimum temperature of 23.0 °C (73.4 °F) recorded in Plymouth.[43] On 25 June, the record for hottest June day was broken again as temperatures reached 36.7 °C (98.1 °F) at Merryfield in Somerset. Wales also saw its hottest June day on record after 35.6 °C (96.1 °F) was recorded at Bute Park, surpassing the previous record of 33.7 °C (92.7 °F) from 2000; Scotland and Northern Ireland saw their hottest days of the year so far at 31.2 °C (88.2 °F) in Threave and 30 °C (86 °F) in Castlederg.[44] The Channel Islands saw their hottest day on record when 39.3 °C (102.7 °F) was recorded in Jersey, whilst Guernsey also had its hottest day on record at 36.4 °C (97.5 °F).[45] For the third consecutive day, the record for hottest June day was broken again on 26 June after 37.7 °C (99.9 °F) was recorded at Lingwood in Norfolk.[46] However, the highest temperatures for the other three countries of the UK started to decrease, with Wales seeing 35.1 °C (95.2 °F) in Hawarden, Scotland seeing 29.2 °C (84.6 °F) in Eskdalemuir, and Northern Ireland seeing 25.6 °C (78.1 °F) in Katesbridge.[47]
On 1 July, the Met Office said provisional statistics showed that England its warmest June on record with a mean temperature of 17.1 °C (62.8 °F), whilst Wales and the UK as a whole saw their second at 15.9 °C (60.6 °F) and 15.6 °C (60.1 °F) respectively; Scotland and Northern Ireland saw their fourth warmest at 13.0 °C (55.4 °F) and 14.6 °C (58.3 °F). The UK, England and Wales all surpassed their records for highest average minimum June temperatures by at least 0.5 °C (0.90 °F), with Scotland equalling its record and Northern Ireland experiencing its second warmest.[48]
Impact
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In the same study which estimated around 550 deaths had occurred during the May heatwave, a further 2,200 deaths were estimated between 18 and 28 June, bringing the total to around 2,750.[17] At least five people died in water-related incidents during the heatwave. On 24 June, a 50-year-old man died after entering the water at Aberavon Beach in south Wales.[49] On 26 June, the body of a 13-year-old boy was recovered from a lake in Syston after he was reported missing the previous day.[50] On 26 June, a 69-year-old man died after getting into difficulty in the water at Clacton-on-Sea.[51] On 27 June, the body of a 15-year-old boy last seen on 24 June was recovered from Testwood Lakes near Southampton,[52] whilst that of a 22-year-old man last seen in the early hours of the previous day was recovered from the River Severn in Shrewsbury.[53]
On 22 June, several railway companies offered warnings to passengers, including Chiltern Railways who advised passengers to avoid travel where possible; Transport for West Midlands warned disruption to services was likely as Severn Valley Railway announced services would be cancelled from 24 June, with plans to resume after 27 June.[54] National Rail asked customers to travel only if "absolutely necessary" during the peak of the heatwave, with some services by the Great Western Railway and Transport for Wales being cancelled.[55] A critical incident was declared at East Surrey Hospital on 22 June due to heightened demand, with the situation being exacerbated by the heat. Some South East Water customers saw further disruption to their water supply, with issues reported in Crawley and Ulcombe.[56]
On 24 June, more than ten people were treated in hospital for heat-related illnesses after being stuck in traffic for many hours on the M25 motorway following a collision between a van and a lorry.[57] The Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth declared a critical incident as the extreme heat caused some of their cooling units to fail.[58] The engines of one of Hovertravel's vehicles in Southsea started smoking amid the heatwave, forcing the vessel and its 31 passengers to be evacuated.[59] Due to the extreme heat, over 1,000 schools across England and Wales were closed or sent pupils home early.[60] Over 800 homes lost power in the Crediton, Chulmleigh and North Tawton areas of Devon as the hot weather put pressure on the electricity network. The Dartmoor National Park Authority warned of a heightened risk of wildfires around Dartmoor due to the extremely dry conditions and heat.[61] Greenpeace urged caution to Londoners as surface temperatures of between 50–60 °C (122–140 °F) were recorded around the city, peaking at 65 °C (149 °F) at a roadworks in Holborn.[62]
On 25 June, South East Water announced a hosepipe ban for around 850,000 customers across Kent, asking them to adhere to it "immediately" despite it not legally coming into force until 3 July.[63] Several NHS foundation trusts and hospitals declared critical incidents as the heat led to a surge in admissions and the failure of IT systems and machines including air conditioning units, linear accelerators and MRI scanners.[64] Trains were suspended between Coventry and Leamington Spa after a rail buckled in the extreme temperatures.[65]
The London Ambulance Service declared a critical incident on 26 June after reporting that it had been its busiest day on record, receiving 8,869 calls and responding to a record 688 Category 1 emergencies, which includes the most serious incidents such as cardiac arrests.[66] South Central Ambulance Service upgraded its critical incident to a major incident as pressure on their services continued to worsen amid the extreme temperatures.[67] The South Western Ambulance Service also saw its busiest day on record, responding to 4,350 incidents; its previous busiest day had came only a month prior when it responded to 3,941 callouts during the May heatwave.[68]
July heatwave
| Areas | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Start date | 4 July 2026 |
| Peak temp. | 35.5 °C (95.9 °F), recorded at Wisley on 9 July |
On 3 July, the UKHSA issued yellow heat health alerts for the East Midlands, East of England, London, South East and South West regions, in place from midday on 4 July to 5 a.m. on 8 July;[69] this alert was later extended to 8 p.m. on 11 July, also covering the West Midlands.[70] On 6 July, these alerts were upgraded to amber, in force from 9 a.m. on 8 July to 9 p.m. on 12 July, whilst yellow alerts were issued for the remaining regions of England.[71] From midday on 9 July, the alerts for North West England and Yorkshire and the Humber were escalated to amber.[72] On 12 July, the amber alerts for South West England and the West Midlands were extended to 9 p.m. on 15 July, whilst all other regions except from North East England and Yorkshire and the Humber were under yellow alerts for the same period.[73] These alerts were extended further, with these regions remaining under yellow alerts until 9 p.m. on 17 July.[74]
The first areas of England met heatwave conditions during the morning of 6 July as temperatures in parts of south-eastern England exceeded 28 °C (82 °F) for the third consecutive day; temperatures that day peaked at 34.0 °C (93.2 °F) in Teddington.[75] The following day more areas met heatwave criteria, although peak temperatures decreased with a maximum of 32.4 °C (90.3 °F) recorded at both Frittenden and Teddington.[76] On 8 July, temperatures peaked at 33.8 °C (92.8 °F) at Heathrow Airport, whilst Wales saw a peak of 31.2 °C (88.2 °F) at Bute Park, Scotland a peak of 29.0 °C (84.2 °F) at Aboyne, and Northern Ireland a peak of 27.1 °C (80.8 °F) at Helen's Bay.[77] The Met Office warned of an "extreme" marine heatwave affecting parts of the English Channel and North Sea that could be detrimental to some marine life including seagrasses and shellfish, with sea temperatures reaching 4–5 °C (7.2–9.0 °F) above average.[78]
On 9 July, temperatures peaked at 35.5 °C (95.9 °F) in Wisley, making it the eighth day of the year when temperatures exceeded 34 °C (93 °F), breaking the previous record of seven set in 1976 and equalled in 2020. The highest temperature recorded in Wales was 31.3 °C (88.3 °F) at Bute Park, as Scotland saw highs of 29.3 °C (84.7 °F) at Charterhall and Northern Ireland reached 27.5 °C (81.5 °F) at Killowen. Five locations experienced a tropical night, with a minimum temperature of 21.3 °C (70.3 °F) reported at Heathrow.[79] On 10 July, a peak temperature of 35.2 °C (95.4 °F) was recorded at Coton in the Elms in Derbyshire, breaking the record for the most days when temperatures have reached 35 °C (95 °F) at six and marking the ninth day of temperatures over 34 °C (93 °F).[80] Maximum temperatures reached 32.3 °C (90.1 °F) on 11 July,[81] increasing slightly to 32.6 °C (90.7 °F) on 12 July,[82] then decreasing to 30.1 °C (86.2 °F) on 13 July; all of these temperatures were recorded at Hurn.[83] On 14 July, a peak of 30.4 °C (86.7 °F) was recorded at Heathrow,[84] marking the tenth consecutive day of temperatures over 30 °C (86 °F); this is the most since 2006 which saw temperatures exceed this threshold for 14 days in a row.[85] On 17 July, Met Office confirmed over 30 °C (86 °F) for the 13th day in a row, with temperatures on the 18 July falling just below 30 °C (86 °F) ending this historic streak, although many areas remain under heatwave thresholds.[86]
Impact
On 6 July, the London Fire Brigade reported its highest number of emergency calls so far that year at 1,251, with crews attending 13 separate blazes including one in Wood Green that saw 12 engines and 80 firefighters on scene for over 12 hours.[87] Several c2c rail services in southern Essex were cancelled on 9 July as extreme temperatures forced speed restrictions, with disruption continuing into the following day.[88] By 11 July, over eight million households across the country were under hosepipe bans after Affinity Water, Anglian Water, Cambridge Water, South East Water and Southern Water all introduced restrictions for customers in southern and eastern in England.[89] Severn Trent Water, which serves the West Midlands, reported its highest ever demand for one day of 2.4 billion litres on 11 July. They have not issued a hosepipe ban, but did urge customers to reduce their usage. Severn Trent has not issued a hosepipe ban since 1995.[90] On 21 July 2026, Thames Water announced a temporary hosepipe ban with effect from 23 July.[91]
