The UK recorded its hottest day of the year so far on Thursday, with a provisional 38.1C at Kew Gardens during the September Heatwave. The reading came as an amber extreme heat warning covered a large swathe of the UK and amber heat health alerts applied across England.
The warning ran until 23:59 BST across Eastern England, London and the south-east, the Midlands, north-west England, south-west England and parts of Yorkshire and Humber. The health alerts were in force across the entirety of England until 21:00 BST on 14 August.
Kew Gardens and 38C
Thursday was the second time this year that the UK reached 38C. The first reading at that level came at Lingwood, Norfolk, on 26 June. The only other year in which that temperature has been recorded twice in a calendar year was 2022.
The same day also became the 38th day this year when temperatures somewhere in the UK exceeded 30C. That moved beyond the previous annual record of 34 days, adding another measure of how often the country has already cleared that threshold.
England and health alerts
The UK Health Security Agency said the amber heat health alerts warned of significant impacts across health and social care services, including a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions. It also said a tropical night was possible in places as increasingly humid air spread into western areas.
Wednesday added to the pattern before Thursday’s peak, becoming the first day in August to reach 35C or more and the fourth consecutive month to do so. That left the week with a new year-high temperature, a second 38C reading and nationwide alerts still in place.
Met Office and weekend easing
Temperatures were forecast to begin falling by the weekend, even as the heat warning and health alerts remained in force on Thursday. The source did not put a sharper figure on how far the drop would go, so the immediate question for people across the warning areas is how long conditions stay close to the edge before easing.
