LONDON — The United Kingdom officially shattered its national temperature record for the month of June on Wednesday, with the mercury soaring to an unprecedented 35.8 degrees Celsius (96.26 degrees Fahrenheit) in southern England.
According to provisional data released by the Met Office, the record-breaking temperature was monitored at a weather station in Wiggonholt, located in West Sussex, England. This reading officially eclipses the previous June milestone of 35.6°C, which was originally established in 1957 and subsequently matched during the historic summer heatwave of 1976 since official record-keeping began in 1884.
The intense meteorological event follows an exceptionally volatile spring and summer pattern, coming directly on the heels of a record-breaking May that observed the hottest day ever documented for that month at 35.1°C. While this week’s heatwave has introduced extreme conditions across the British Isles, it remains below the highest temperature ever recorded in the UK, which was registered at 40.3°C during the unprecedented heatwave of July 2022.
Extreme Heat Warning Issued as Plume Expands
The extreme weather system has been driven by an intense heatwave enveloping western Europe, which has steadily migrated north across the English Channel. In response to the intensifying conditions, meteorologists and public health authorities have issued a rare extreme heat warning covering southern and central England, as well as parts of Wales.
Forecasters warn that the atmospheric pressure system could intensify further as the week progresses. The Met Office indicated on Monday that the mercury could potentially climb as high as 39°C (102.2°F) by the middle of the week, threatening to push the newly established June baseline even higher and prompting warnings over infrastructure strain and public safety.
