Today, Britain is experiencing a mini heatwave, with temperatures surging to 35°C (95°F) on the hottest day of the year after 5,000 thunderstorms in just 24 hours.
A burst of warm and humid air from Spain and France is bringing exceptionally warm and sunny weather to much of southeastern England and the Midlands.
Cambridgeshire is expected to see the highest temperatures this afternoon, while London, East Anglia, and the Home Counties could reach up to 33°C (91°F).
This sudden heat is partly due to Tropical Storm Debbie, which caused flooding in the eastern United States before moving through Canada last week. The UK will be hotter today than Ibiza and Feroe (both at 29°C), Malta (31°C), and even Dakhla (28°C) in Western Sahara.
However, there is a thunderstorm warning for Scotland and northern England until 1:00 p.m. today, with temperatures of only 26°C (79°F) in Manchester and 21°C (70°F) in Edinburgh.
The Met Office confirmed that there were 5,000 lightning incidents across the UK in the 24 hours up to 7 a.m. today, most of them in the north.
Today’s peak is likely to surpass the current hottest day of 2024, which was on July 30, when 32.0°C (89.6°F) was recorded at Kew Gardens and Heathrow in London.
Hottest Days of the Year in the UK Over the Past Decade:
- 2024 (so far): 32.0°C (89.6°F) in London (Heathrow and Kew) on July 30
- 2023: 33.5°C (92.3°F) on September 10 in Faversham, Kent
- 2022: 40.3°C (104.5°F) on July 19 in Coningsby, Lincolnshire
- 2021: 32.2°C (90.0°F) in London (Heathrow) on July 20
- 2020: 37.8°C (100.0°F) in London (Heathrow) on July 31
- 2019: 38.7°C (101.7°F) in Cambridge on July 25
- 2018: 35.6°C (96.1°F) on July 27 in Felsham, Suffolk
- 2017: 34.5°C (94.1°F) in London (Heathrow) on June 21
- 2016: 34.4°C (93.9°F) on September 13 in Faversham, Kent
- 2015: 36.7°C (98.1°F) on July 1 in London (Heathrow)
- 2014: 32.3°C (90.1°F) in Gravesend, Kent, on July 18
Today’s levels are also set to exceed last year’s highest temperature in the UK, which was 33.5°C (92.3°F) in Faversham, Kent, on September 10.
However, it will not approach the 2022 peak when Coningsby, Lincolnshire, reached 40.3°C (104.5°F) on July 19, the highest temperature ever recorded in the UK.
Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said today: “It’s going to be hot. The weather comes with a lot of humidity, so it will feel quite uncomfortable across the central east of England.
“Elsewhere, it will remain warm and humid, but the warmest weather will be in the central east of England.”
During hot weather, the Met Office recommends keeping curtains closed during peak hours and drinking plenty of water.
There is a chance of thunderstorms in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and northern England today, bringing heavy rain in some areas.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for affected areas, advising drivers to expect spray on the roads and some road closures.