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

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. Workers taking a break in the heat in London during the red heat alert. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images “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. skip past newsletter promotion