England recorded its hottest June on record after weather in Coventry turned part of a late-month heatwave that brought three consecutive days of red extreme heat warnings. The Met Office said the month ended with searing heat across England, while Wales and the UK as a whole also had very warm Junes.
Dr Emily Carlisle said: “June’s high temperatures are part of a broader pattern of warmth during 2026. So far, five of the first six months of the year have recorded mean temperatures at least 1C above average, with only January seeing below average temperatures.” That places the record month inside a longer run of warmth, not an isolated spike.
Met Office June records
The Met Office said provisional statistics showed Wales and the UK as a whole recorded their second-warmest June since 1884. England stood apart at the top of the table, driven by a searing spell in the final days of the month. June was also the first time since extreme heat warnings were introduced in 2021 that a red warning for extreme heat was issued for three consecutive days in the UK.
Records dating back several decades, and in some cases over a century, were challenged or exceeded during the three-day red extreme heat alert. The thermometer did not drop below 20C during frequent tropical nights, and England’s overnight temperatures were 2.6C above average.
Prof Stephen Belcher CBE
Prof Stephen Belcher CBE said: “June’s heatwave was a significant weather event, with a red extreme heat warning issued. Human-induced climate change has made events like this more likely and more intense.” He added: “To see temperatures like this in the UK in June is sobering. Events like this bring home the implications of climate change, with very high temperatures and humidity bringing significant health implications from heat stress, as well as impacts to a range of sectors such as transport, energy and water supply.”
Met Office projections indicate that hot spells will become more frequent in the future climate, particularly over the south-east of the UK, with temperatures rising in all seasons and the heat most intense in summer. For readers tracking the next spell, the practical takeaway is simple: the warning system is already showing longer red-flag periods, and the record now sits against a warmer baseline that has been building through 2026.
