- Thursday was the UK’s hottest day of the year so far, with a provisional temperature of 38.1C recorded in Kew Gardens, surpassing the previous high of 38C on 28 June.
- It is just the second day this year the country has reached 38C, and is also the fifth hottest day on record.
- The Met Office said temperatures in England exceeded 37C in many parts of the UK on Thursday, making 2026 the first year on record to feature three separate days reaching 37C or higher.
- The weather forecaster previously warned temperatures could peak at 38C during the fifth heatwave of what is on track to be the UK's hottest summer on record.
- Amber extreme heat warnings and health alerts are active across large swathes of England, while Northern Ireland faces a yellow thunderstorm warning; climate Change Committee chair Baroness Brown warned extreme weather will worsen until net zero emissions are reached, urging government action to adapt.
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