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.
Storm Chandra the United Kingdom and Ireland with major flooding, power outages, and travel disruptions on January 27 and 28, 2026. Hundreds of flood alerts were issued across the affected regions while local councils and emergency services carried out rescues in the southwest, where rainfall totals reached 45 mm (1.8 inches) in 24 hours with coastal gusts peaking near 110 km/h (70 mph).
Storm Goretti struck the United Kingdom on January 9, 2026, causing at least 2 fatalities in England and Wales. Winds reached 160 km/h (100 mph) as the storm brought heavy snow and significant coastal flooding, leaving nearly half a million customers without power — approximately 1.2 million people. The Met Office issued rare red wind warnings for southwest England as power cuts, flight cancellations, and travel disruption spread across the country.
A major incident was declared after a canal bank collapsed on the Shropshire Union Canal (Llangollen Canal main line) near Whitchurch, Shropshire, at around 04:22 local time on December 22, 2025, triggering rapid water loss and the formation of a large sinkhole. Multiple narrowboats were affected, with at least two reported to have been pulled into the cavity.
