Met Office Issues Rare Red Heat Warning for 40C England, Wales
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 22
Met Office Issues Rare Red Heat Warning for 40C England, Wales
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 22
Summary
Parts of England and Wales face a red extreme-heat warning from 09:00 BST Wednesday to 21:00 Thursday, with temperatures forecast to reach 39C to 40C and peak midweek.
High humidity and overnight lows of 21C to 22C are expected to intensify the heat, and the Met Office warned of serious illness, danger to life and significant disruption to daily routines.
UKHSA separately issued red heat-health alerts for six English regions through late Thursday, while schools prepared early closures and South East Water urged customers to limit use to essentials.
Travel disruption has already started, with some Great Western Railway services delayed or cancelled Monday, Avanti cutting some trains from Tuesday, and road agencies warning heat could soften surfaces and trigger breakdowns.
The warning is only the second red heat alert ever issued by the Met Office, coming as the UK nears its 40.3C record from 2022 and a broader European heatwave grips France and beyond.
As UK infrastructure buckles under 40C heat, are we simply reacting instead of adapting for the future?
With no legal workplace heat limit, are British workers being left dangerously exposed to extreme temperatures?
June 2026 UK Red Heat Alert: Record Temperatures, Widespread Impacts, and the Challenge of Climate Adaptation
Overview
The UK is facing an extreme heat event on June 24-25, 2026, with the UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office issuing a rare red heat-health alert for the South East. This highest-level warning signals a critical risk to everyone’s health, not just vulnerable groups. Experts describe the situation as a 'heat-dome driven furnace,' pushing temperatures into truly exceptional territory. While the red alert covers the South East, an amber warning extends across most of Wales and England. This event highlights the growing threat of extreme heat in the UK, following the first-ever red warning in July 2022.