England has just had its hottest June on record, Met Office data shows

Chief scientist says dangerous heatwaves, which are getting more likely, ‘bring home the implications of climate change’

The month of June was the warmest in England on record, driven by a searing heatwave in the final days of the month, which for the first time had red heat alerts for three days, according to Met Office data.

The Met Office said provisional statistics showed Wales and the UK as a whole had recorded their second-warmest June since 1884.

Dr Emily Carlisle, a Met Office scientist, 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.”

The heat in June was preceeded by the warmest spring on record for England and Wales , and the third-warmest for the UK.

In May the Met office said one of the most striking values was recorded at Kew Gardens in Greater London, where temperatures reached 35.1C, exceeding its previous station record of 29.3C and the previous UK May record of 32.8C.

“This reflects the exceptional nature of the heat, with values more typical of mid-summer being observed in late spring,” the Met office said.

The record-breaking temperatures in the second half of June were notable for exceptionally warm nights, with frequent “tropical nights”, during which the thermometer did not drop below 20C.

June 2026’s minimum temperature was more than 2C above average across the UK, while England recorded overnight temperatures 2.6C above average.

Prof Stephen Belcher CBE, the Met Office chief scientist, 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.

“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.”

June was the first time since extreme heat warnings were introduced to the weather warnings system in 2021, that a red warning for extreme heat was issued for three consecutive days in the UK, with the extent and persistence of the heat particularly notable, the scientists said. Records dating back several decades, in some cases over a century, were challenged or exceeded during the three day red extreme heat alert.

The frequency and intensity of heatwaves has increased worldwide. Met Office projections indicate that hot spells will become more frequent in our future climate, particularly over the south-east of the UK. Temperatures are projected to rise in all seasons, but the heat would be most intense in summer.

Analysis out this week by Dr Christopher Callahan, a climate scientist at Indiana University, found that the recent European heatwave had killed more than 20,000 people, according to a rapid modelling study based on peer-reviewed methods.

The analysis found there were likely to have been more than 5,000 excess deaths in France, 4,500 in Germany, 3,000 in Spain, 2,700 in Italy, 1,070 in Poland and 862 in the UK between 22 and 28 June.