UK records hottest day of year so far - as 40C highs close schools in Europe
A temperature of 34.7C (94.4F) was recorded at St James's Park in central London on Tuesday afternoon, the Met Office said, beating a high of 34.4C (93.9F) in Writtle, Essex, earlier in the day.
The UK's previous warmest day of 2025 was Saturday 21 June, when 33.2C (91.8F) was recorded in Charlwood, Surrey.
Much of Europe is also facing hotter-than-usual temperatures, with a high of 40C (104F) recorded in Paris.
More than 1,300 schools in France were partially or fully closed on Tuesday after the country's national weather agency placed several regions under the highest red alert.
The Paris region was particularly hard hit, and the Eiffel Tower's summit was closed to visitors as locals and tourists alike were warned to take care in the heat.
In Italy, 17 major cities - out of a total of 27 - were experiencing a heat wave, according to the country's health ministry.
At the Prague Zoo, staff are currently distributing up to 10 metric tons of ice per day to keep animals cool as temperatures in the Czech Republic reach 37C (98.6F).
Numerous Spanish cities have also reported sweltering temperatures, with highs over the 40C in Madrid, Sevilla and Barcelona.
Speaking in Seville on Monday, António Guterres, the UN secretary general, said: "Extreme heat is no longer a rare event - it has become the new normal."
The city is forecast to roast in more the 40C heat for the next three days.
Meanwhile, wildfires on Turkey's coastal provinces are raging for a second day running.
2:17
More than 50,000 people have been evacuated from their homes, including 42,000 from the western province of Izmir, where officials say strong winds have fanned the flames.
Turkey's Hatay Province has also seen wildfires.
A Met Office spokesperson said Tuesday was likely to mark "the peak of this current heatwave in terms of absolute temperatures we're expecting" in the UK.
Colder temperatures will come in from the north overnight and into Wednesday morning, Stephen Dixon said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
2 hours ago
- Times
How to track temperature change over the years
If you wish to know current hourly temperatures across various weather stations in the UK then is the website for you. By clicking on a temperature symbol you can see the latest reading and comparisons with the rest of the day, the month, the year and even historical readings going back decades. As for 'normal', this is the temperature taken at the same time of day and time of year averaged over a 30-year period, from 1991 to 2020. This is a striking way of showing how the country's climate is changing with rising temperatures — important benchmarks because it is easy to lose sight of how much hotter each place is becoming. The website, designed by Dan Harris and Ed Hawkins, was inspired by a similar idea in Australia. Another vivid example of changing climate is Hawkins's use of 'climate stripes', with various shades of red for hot and blue for cold, representing the average temperature for a single year going back over nearly two centuries. The result is a powerful way of showing how the climate has warmed not just in the UK but also across every country in the world, mainly caused by the burning of fossil fuels. As for this June in the UK, it comes as no surprise that it was hotter than normal, especially in the southeast and East Anglia, where last month's two heatwaves were concentrated. Many parts of the UK also suffered a severe lack of rain, with northeast, east, central and southeast England having particularly low rainfall after early June. The dry conditions followed six months with little rain that left many eastern and southern rivers with low levels of water. Reservoir storage has also declined across most areas after high demand in the hot weather, so it is no wonder that hosepipe bans may be coming shortly in Yorkshire Water, Thames Water and Southern Water areas.
South Wales Guardian
3 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Rebel Wilson and Cate Blanchett among stars in Royal Box on another sweltering day at Wimbledon
Temperatures hit around 32C by mid‑afternoon, edging close to the tournament's all-time record of 35.7C which was set in 2015. Wilson, best known for Pitch Perfect and Bridesmaids, attended the tennis tournament with her wife Ramona Agruma, while two-time Oscar-winner Blanchett was joined by her husband Andrew Upton. Also in the crowd were reality star Molly-Mae Hague and actress Sarah Lancashire – who was sat alongside Peter Salmon. Australian actress Blanchett's fellow screen star Rose Byrne, known for Bridesmaids, Spy and Physical, was also among the invited guests. Also among the celebrities attending were Andy Murray's mother, Judy Murray, golfer Justin Rose, broadcaster Sir Trevor McDonald, Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson and Pointless host Alexander Armstrong. Centre Court's order of play on Tuesday included world number two Coco Gauff, who faced Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska, and Novak Djokovic, who began his campaign against France's Alexandre Muller. Russell Crowe kept cool in a full suit despite the soaring heat, joining partner Britney Theriot in the Royal Box on Centre Court. Temperatures at SW19 soared past 30C again, with the Met Office provisionally confirming Monday was the hottest opening day on record. Kew Gardens hit 29.7C on Monday, breaking the previous record of 29.3C set in 2001. On Monday, play on Centre Court was paused after a woman collapsed in the stands during Carlos Alcaraz's match. The defending champion rushed to help, passing her a water bottle as paramedics and other spectators assisted.
Sky News
5 hours ago
- Sky News
Women's Euros: Extreme heat warnings in place as tournament kicks off
The Women's Euros begin in Switzerland today - with extreme heat warnings in place. Security measures have had to be relaxed by UEFA for the opening matches so fans can bring in water bottles. Temperatures could be about 30C (86F) when the Swiss hosts open their campaign against Norway in Basel this evening. Players have already seen the impact of heatwaves this summer at the men's Club World Cup in the US. It is raising new concerns in the global players' union about whether the stars of the sport are being protected in hot and humid conditions. FIFPRO has asked FIFA to allow cooling breaks every 15 minutes rather than just in the 30th minute of each half. There's also a request for half-time to be extended from 15 to 20 minutes to help lower the core temperature of players. FIFPRO's medical director, Dr Vincent Gouttebarge, said: "There are some very challenging weather conditions that we anticipated a couple of weeks ago already, that was already communicated to FIFA. "And I think the past few weeks were confirmation of all worries that the heat conditions will play a negative role for the performance and the health of the players." Football has seemed focused on players and fans baking in the Middle East - but scorching summers in Europe and the US are becoming increasingly problematic for sport. While climate change is a factor, the issue is not new and at the 1994 World Cup, players were steaming as temperatures rose in the US. There is now more awareness of the need for mitigation measures among players and their international union. FIFPRO feels football officials weren't responsive when it asked for kick-off times to be moved from the fierce afternoon heat in the US for the first 32-team Club World Cup. FIFA has to balance the needs of fans and broadcasters with welfare, with no desire to load all the matches in the same evening time slots. Electric storms have also seen six games stopped, including a two-hour pause during a Chelsea game at the weekend. This is the dress rehearsal for the World Cup next summer, which is mostly in the US. The use of more indoor, air conditioned stadiums should help. There is no prospect of moving the World Cup to winter, as Qatar had to do in 2022. And looking further ahead to this time in 2030, there will be World Cup matches in Spain, Portugal and Morocco. The temperatures this week have been hitting 40C (104F) in some host cities. 1:08 FIFA said in a statement to Sky News: "Heat conditions are a serious topic that affect football globally. "At the FCWC some significant and progressive measures are being taken to protect the players from the heat. For instance, cooling breaks were implemented in 31 out of 54 matches so far. "Discussions on how to deal with heat conditions need to take place collectively and FIFA stands ready to facilitate this dialogue, including through the Task Force on Player Welfare, and to receive constructive input from all stakeholders on how to further enhance heat management. "In all of this, the protection of players must be at the centre."
