UK sees hottest day of the year so far as temperatures pass 34C
The previous warmest day in the UK in 2025 was June 21 when 33.2C was recorded in Charlwood, Surrey.
It also exceeds Monday's peak temperature of 33.1C at Heathrow, which marked the hottest start to Wimbledon on record.
Forecasters said temperatures could reach 34-35C in London on Tuesday before cooler conditions sweep in from the north later in the day.
The hot weather marks the second heatwave for parts of the UK within the last month, with scientists warning the searing temperatures earlier in June were made 100 times more likely because of human-caused climate change.
People on horseback in dry conditions in Hyde Park in London (Jonathan Brady/PA)
Provisional Met Office figures, released on Tuesday, show England had its warmest June on record last month, while the UK experienced its second warmest since the series began in 1884 – only surpassed by June 2023.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has amber heat health alerts in place for much of the country until Wednesday morning.
In Bedfordshire, gritters have been dispatched to protect the roads and provide grip for drivers amid concerns the heat could cause the tarmac to soften, the local council said in a Facebook post.
People swim in the River Nene in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire (Joe Giddens/PA)
Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said Tuesday was likely to mark 'the peak of this current heatwave in terms of absolute temperatures we're expecting'.
'It's a continuation of recent days in the South East in particular, with those temperatures well beyond average for the time of year, in a fairly notable heatwave,' he added.
However, Tuesday will also bring the start of a transition towards more average temperatures, as a cooler, wetter front over Scotland and the north of England gradually moves south-eastwards.
'It's already bringing some rain to parts of Scotland through the day today, and will gradually move southwards through the day today and overnight tonight,' Mr Dixon said.
As July kicks off, forecasters said temperatures in the mid-30s are still relatively uncommon for the month in the UK, although they are becoming increasingly frequent with climate change.
Conservationists and green experts have also warned of the wildfire risk as well as the impact on farmers, who face another poor harvest following one of the driest springs on record.
People play golf on dry and scorched fairways at Thorpe Wood golf course in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire (Joe Giddens/PA)
Ben McCarthy, head of nature conservation and restoration ecology at the National Trust, said: 'With record-breaking temperatures across the country this week following the driest spring on record, our ranger and countryside teams are on high alert for fires which can cause decades of damage to habitats, decimate ecosystems and result in significant losses to our wildlife.'
Tom Lancaster, Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) land, food and farming analyst, said: 'Crop condition remains poor following one of the driest springs on record, with the quality of key arable crops such as wheat, barley and oats well down on recent years.
'Many farmers will now be looking towards this harvest with real trepidation.
'For some, the weather in the coming weeks will determine whether they have anything worth harvesting at all.'
Dr Garyfallos Konstantinoudis, research fellow at the Grantham Institute, Imperial College London, said: 'Heatwaves are silent killers.
'Unlike floods or storms, their impact can be invisible: people who die during extreme heat usually have pre-existing health conditions, and heat is rarely recorded as a contributing cause of death.'
In a warning to drivers, Alice Simpson, RAC Breakdown spokeswoman, said: 'It's vital that anyone driving today carries plenty of water to stay hydrated behind the wheel and in case of a vehicle breakdown.'
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