UK heatwave approaches two-week mark

• 01Southern England has recorded 13 consecutive days above heatwave criteria.
• 02Merryfield in Somerset reached 30.6C on Thursday, marking the UK's 12th consecutive day at or above 30C.
• 03This is the longest period of days at or above 30C since 2006.
• 04The 1976 UK record of 16 consecutive days at or above 30C is considered unlikely to be broken.
• 05UK temperatures are on average 1.33C warmer than the 1961-1990 average.
• 06Temperatures on the very hottest days in the Greater London region have warmed by 4.5C, which is three times faster than the national average.
• 07A slow-moving high-pressure system and a jet stream north of the UK have created a 'heat dome' that traps and heats sinking air.
• 08The UK broke monthly temperature records for both May and June 2026 by more than two degrees.
• 092026 has seen six days with temperatures exceeding 35C, and 35C has been recorded in May, June, and July consecutively for the first time.
• 10Wisley in Surrey has recorded no rainfall for 30 days.
• 11No part of the UK is currently in drought, unlike the conditions in 1976.
• 12The Met Office's State of the UK Climate report states that the number of days over 30C in Greater London has quadrupled.
• 13In September 2023, an autumn heatwave brought seven consecutive days of temperatures over 30C.
• 14Late May 2026 saw the UK's highest May daytime temperature and its first tropical night (overnight minimum of 21.4C) of the year.

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The UK is experiencing its longest heatwave since 2006, with 12 consecutive days at or above 30C and 13 days above heatwave criteria in southern England. This event is driven by rapid climate warming, where the hottest days have warmed significantly faster than the national average, and a stationary high-pressure system that has created a persistent heat dome. While the duration has not yet matched the 1976 record, the intensity has been greater, featuring the first recorded instance of 35C temperatures across three consecutive months.