The hottest June day record has been smashed again after the Met Office extended its rare red weather warning for extreme heat in London and the South East.
A provisional temperature of 36.7 was reached in Merryfield, Somerset, on Thursday, exceeding yesterday’s record of 36.1C at Gosport, Hampshire.
The Met Office expects the “exceptional spell of hot and humid weather” to continue until Friday night, along with thunderstorms that will bring heavy rain and lightning to most of the UK.
Hundreds of thousands of people have come under a hosepipe ban in Kent as the extreme heatwave drives record demand for water.
South East Water is urging its 850,000 customers in the county to immediately follow the restrictions, which will be enforced from 3 July.
It follows the hottest June night on record in the UK after overnight temperatures in Cardiff failed to drop below 23.5C.
Train passengers have been told to only travel if necessary, as commuters face significant travel delays and cancellations amid the red weather warning.
The extreme weather also triggered at least three hospitals to declare critical incidents. equipment including MRI scanners stopped working and some operations were cancelled.
At least two hospitals declare critical incidents amid heatwave
At least two hospitals have declared critical incidents amid a rare red warning for extreme heat and record-breaking temperatures.
Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust both declared critical incidents on Wednesday.
It comes as a new record high temperature has been set for June on Thursday, for the second day in a row, as the UK swelters in a heatwave.
Queen Alexandra Hospital said it declared the critical incident after the “failure of several chiller units supporting critical infrastructure during the ongoing heatwave”.
It added that some planned care and appointments have been stood down until the issues are resolved.
In an update on Thursday, the trust said that while the chiller units were up and running, the exceptionally hot weather has meant that cooling down vital infrastructure was taking much longer than normal.
The trust said it has extended the critical incident to allow it to “bring services back online in a safe and controlled way”.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain25 June 2026 21:30
The hidden risk of swimming during a heatwave and why men are more at risk of drowning than women
As fire crews issue warnings about jumping into open water as people look to cool down, swimming teacher Vinny Simpson – who lost his uncle to drowning – explains to Radhika Sanghani why taking a dip to cool off can prove much more dangerous than it looks:
Why men are more at risk of drowning than women in a heatwave
As fire crews issue warnings about jumping into open water as people look to cool down, swimming teacher Vinny Simpson – who lost his uncle to drowning – explains to Radhika Sanghani why taking a dip to cool off can prove much more dangerous than it looks
Harriette Boucher25 June 2026 21:00
‘Politicians are playing with people’s lives’: Campaign group calls for government to act on climate change
The government must put the public’s need for cheaper bills and a safe climate ahead of the profits of oil companies, a campaigning organisation has stated.
Robert Palmer, the deputy director of Uplift, which supports the transition away from oil and gas production, said: “Politicians are playing with people’s lives.
“We smashed the June heat record yesterday and are set to break it again today. This morning the papers are reporting the devastating impact of this heat: one in six babies are living in overheated homes, hospitals are canceling operations, 10 people have been taken to hospital after being stuck on the red hot M25. We’re seeing a meltdown in normal services, including shut schools, halted trains and struggling care homes.
“This is the impact of climate change, right on our shores. Yet we have politicians going out to bat for more North Sea oil and gas drilling, which is the very thing driving climate breakdown.
“The huge Rosebank oil field isn’t compatible with safe climate limits or the UK’s commitments to tackling climate change.
“Politicians need to wake up to the reality that the rest of the country is facing, which is that climate change is already disrupting lives – and act on it. Whoever leads our country must decide to put the public’s need for cheaper bills and a safe climate ahead of the profits of oil companies.”
Harriette Boucher25 June 2026 20:20
Watch: Why women struggle more than men in a heatwave
Harriette Boucher25 June 2026 19:50
Three hospitals declared critical incidents amid extreme heat
At least three hospitals have declared critical incidents amid a rare red warning for extreme heat and record-breaking temperatures.
Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust both declared critical incidents on Wednesday.
University Hospital Southampton declared a critical incident on Thursday afternoon because of the ongoing extreme heat, “which is placing significant pressure on our services”, it said.
The hospital had to cancel a number of planned operations as well as some outpatient appointments.
Chiller units failed and MRI scanners were unable to operate across several hospitals.
Critical incidents can be declared when health and care services are so busy that special measures are needed to restore normal operations and keep patients safe.
Rebecca Whittaker25 June 2026 19:26
Do hot drinks cool you down in a heatwave?
The Independent’s Albert Toth writes:
Studies show that hot drinks can surprisingly reduce body temperature – but no more than cool drinks.
A 2016 study by Loughborough University found that a key factor in which is better depends on the environment. Researchers found that hot drinks increase sweat production, and so in moderate, dry heat can leave people feeling cooler long-term as this evaporates from the skin.
But in hotter and more humid conditions, it is usually preferable not to sweat excessively, as this can lead to “inefficient sweat losses” which will affect overall hydration.
And this is key – staying hydrated is one of the most important things in hot weather, with more liquid than usual required to prevent dehydration.
Overall, the difference between ingesting hot and cool drinks is minimal, although cooler drinks will likely provide more immediate relief. What’s most important is drinking plenty of liquid to aid general hydration.
Harriette Boucher25 June 2026 19:20
Watch: Record-breaking june temperatures draw crowds to beaches and pools
Rebecca Whittaker25 June 2026 19:18
Recap: Series of thunderstorm warnings issued with heavy rain and lightning on way
Multiple weather warnings for thunderstorms have been issued ahead of the heavy rain and frequent hail set to hit the UK.
A thunderstorm warning came into force at 3pm on Thursday for Grampian, Highlands & Eilean Siar, Orkney and Shetland, and Strathclyde.
The warning will be extended to include all of Scotland on Friday, when a thunderstorm warning also comes into force for most of England and Wales.
Friday’s weather warning will cover the East Midlands, London & South East England, North East England, North West England, South West England, Wales, West Midlands, and Yorkshire & Humber until 10am.
The Met Office said: “Many areas missing the worst, but thunderstorms could bring disruption in places during Thursday night and into Friday morning.”
It warned there was a chance of power cuts, flooding and travel disruption with winds reaching 60 mph possible.
Harriette Boucher25 June 2026 18:50
Mayor unveils ‘heat plan’ to help Londoners during heatwave
The Mayor of London has unveiled the capital’s first ever heat plan to keep Londoners safe during increasingly frequent heatwaves.
Expanding access to public drinking water and blue spaces are among the priority areas of focus set out in the plan, entitled Heat Ready London.
Sir Sadiq Khan said he hopes it will help tackle the “huge obstacles” the city faces with rising temperatures.
It comes as the UK swelters in exceptional heat as the hottest ever June day was recorded, with provisional temperatures reaching 36.1C in Gosport, Hampshire, on Wednesday.
Heat Ready London focuses on six key sectors: the built environment, business and economy, emergency preparedness, resilience and response, health and care, green space and nature and infrastructure.
The plan sets out a series of objectives, which includes protecting Londoners from the health impacts of rising temperatures and prioritising vulnerable people in high-risk areas.
Harriette Boucher25 June 2026 18:20
Hottest June day recorded in Wales
Wales has seen its hottest June day on record, with 35.9C recorded in Cardiff.
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland has seen the previous record high for June matched after a temperature of 30.8C was reached in Castlederg, the Met Office said in a post on social media.
Rebecca Whittaker25 June 2026 18:00
