An estimated 2 877 heat-associated deaths occurred in England during two periods of hot weather in May and June 2026, according to an interim assessment published by the UK Health Security Agency on July 30. The figure is only 108 below the annual record of 2 985 reported for 2022, while a prolonged July heat episode is not included in the assessment.
More than 100 firefighters remained involved in the response to a major wildfire across Dunwich Heath and RSPB Minsmere in Suffolk on July 31, 2026, as crews reported good progress after two nights of operations. Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service said conditions remained changeable, while the RSPB’s latest published area estimate placed the fire at around 100 ha (247 acres) at 14:00 LT on July 30.
Western Europe recorded its warmest June on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 20.74°C (69.3°F), 3.06°C (5.51°F) above the 1991–2020 average, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). The record-breaking month coincided with widespread heatwaves across western and central Europe that set national and local temperature records, while June ranked as the second-warmest globally in the ERA5 dataset.
Temperatures reached 36.7°C (98.1°F) at Merryfield, Somerset, on June 25, 2026, provisionally making it the hottest June day on record in the United Kingdom, according to the UK Met Office. The agency also reported new provisional June records in Wales and record-equalling heat in Northern Ireland.
The UK Met Office has issued a Red Warning for Extreme Heat for Friday, June 26, 2026, marking the first time in the history of the current weather warnings system that red warnings have been issued for extreme heat for three consecutive days.
Extreme heat continued to spread across Europe on June 24, 2026, prompting widespread red alerts and health warnings across Europe. The prolonged heatwave driven by a strong upper-level ridge is affecting much of Western, Central, and Southern Europe, with temperatures forecast to remain 3 to 10°C (5.4 to 18°F) above seasonal averages and locally exceed 40°C (104°F) through the end of June.
Eleven people have died after getting into difficulty in open water across the UK during a record late-May heat episode. The fatalities include nine children and two adults. The Met Office said 35.1°C (95.2°F) at Kew Gardens on May 26 provisionally broke the UK May and spring temperature record for the second consecutive day.
A historic heatwave intensified across the UK on May 25, with 13 locations provisionally breaking the country’s all-time May temperature record. Kew Gardens reached 34.8°C (94.6°F), surpassing the previous record of 32.8°C (91.0°F), while temperatures above 30°C (86°F) expanded across large parts of England. Forecasts show the heat persisting into May 26, with London potentially reaching 35°C (95°F).
The United Kingdom could record its hottest May day in Met Office records on Monday, May 25, with highs forecast to reach 35°C (95°F). Unusually warm overnight conditions have already set a provisional national daily minimum-temperature record for the month of May.
A bright fireball lit up the skies over the United Kingdom and neighboring parts of northern Europe at around 23:24 UTC on April 12 (00:24 BST on April 13), 2026. Trajectory analysis indicates the object burned up over the North Sea, while witness reports described a bright green fireball with terminal flaring and fragmentation.
