England’s warmest June on record following historic heatwave
England's Warmest June on Record Follows Historic Heatwave
England s warmest June on record - Provisional data from the Met Office indicates that June 2026 was England's warmest June ever recorded, while the UK as a whole experienced its second-hottest June in history. The month saw consistently high temperatures, with an average of 17.1°C, surpassing the typical June mean by nearly 3°C. Unusual tropical nights—periods where temperatures never dipped below 20°C—played a key role in elevating the overall average.
The extreme heat broke several records, including the UK's highest June temperature of 37.7°C (99.9°F), set on June 26 at Lingwood, Norfolk. This surpassed the prior benchmark of 35.6°C (96°F) from 1957 and tied with the 1976 heatwave. A rare red extreme heat warning was issued for parts of England and Wales, remaining active for an unprecedented three consecutive days in eastern regions.
Heatwaves and Climate Change
Wales also recorded its second-warmest June, with Cardiff experiencing its hottest June day at 35.9°C (96.6°F), breaking the previous record of 33.7°C (92.6°F). Meanwhile, Northern Ireland matched its June high with 30.8°C (87.4°F) in Castlederg, County Tyrone. These records follow a May heatwave that set a new benchmark in London, where Kew reached 35.1°C—outperforming the old record of 32.8°C from 1922 and 1944.
“This event underscores the growing frequency and intensity of heatwaves linked to climate change,” noted Spanish meteorologists, highlighting that half of the 12 June heatwaves recorded in Spain since 1975 occurred in the last decade.
Impact Across Europe
The June heatwave extended beyond the UK, affecting large parts of Europe and triggering new temperature records in countries such as Hungary, Austria, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Denmark. France, in particular, saw its hottest-ever single day, with temperatures averaging 30°C for the first time in history. This surpassed the extreme heatwaves of August 2003 and July 2019, as reported by MeteoFrance.
Health authorities in France reported approximately 1,000 excess deaths linked to the heatwave, many among individuals over 65. Spain also saw 1,029 fatalities attributed to the extreme conditions. While the full scale of the crisis may take weeks to clarify, experts suggest the toll is unlikely to match the August 2003 event, which claimed between 30,000 and 70,000 lives.
Following the June heatwave, there has been heightened recognition of its dangers. National weather services began issuing extreme heat warnings to help reduce risks. With climate heating accelerating, such events are expected to become more common, challenging infrastructure and public health systems across the continent.