Britain set a provisional hottest June day record on Thursday as 36.4C was recorded in Yeovilton, Somerset, while the UK Health Security Agency extended its Brighton Red Heat Warning by 24 hours to 11pm on Friday. The Met Office also kept its red alert for south-east England in place until 9pm on Friday.
The new peak beat Wednesday’s 36.1C in Gosport, Hampshire and moved past the old June high of 35.6C set in Southampton in 1976. Earlier on Thursday, Cardiff recorded a 23.5C overnight minimum, the highest minimum temperature ever recorded in June in the UK.
Sadiq Khan in London
Sadiq Khan launched London’s first heat plan on Thursday and said, “Extreme temperatures are no longer a future threat, they are a present danger,” as the city faced surface readings of 50C to 60C on Wednesday at pavements, rail platforms and building sites. The plan includes retrofitting homes at the highest risk of overheating, more tree cover and safe access to water for paddling and swimming.
Schools and rail services were disrupted during the UK heatwave this week, giving the record temperature a direct effect on daily travel and childcare plans. People in Britain facing the heatwave now have two separate expiry times to watch: the UKHSA alert at 11pm on Friday and the Met Office alert for south-east England at 9pm on Friday.
Simon Stiell and emissions
Simon Stiell linked the heat to wider warming, saying, “Europe’s savage heatwave is the latest price to pay for fossil fuel pollution baking our planet,” and adding that, “Extreme heat will keep getting worse, and other climate impacts – from mega-droughts, floods, wildfires and storms – will keep hammering every economy and population harder each year,” The UK parliament voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to set a legally binding target of an 87% cut in emissions by 2040, while the source also says global heating will not stop until carbon emissions fall to net zero.
The immediate question for Britain is how long the heat holds after Friday’s alert window closes, and whether the combination of high temperatures, overnight warmth and transport disruption eases in step with it. For now, the record stands, and the period of highest risk has a fixed end time rather than an open one.
