UK Heatwave Brings Record-Breaking Temperatures, Climate Change Blamed for Surge
UK Swelters Under Relentless Heatwave
If you think this June feels hotter than ever, you’re not imagining it. The UK is facing one of its longest and fiercest heatwaves in recent years, with high pressure trapping a blanket of warmth across much of the country. Latest forecasts from the Met Office suggest eastern England could see the mercury soar to 34°C by Saturday, bringing conditions not far off some all-time UK records.
Central and southern England are already feeling the brunt, heading for 31°C on Thursday. Even further north and west, places like Wales, Northern Ireland, and parts of Scotland aren’t escaping the steam, expecting temperatures in the 25-28°C range. Nights aren’t offering much comfort either, especially around London, where lows may stubbornly stay above 18°C for several consecutive evenings.
Friday looks set to up the ante with the heart of England seeing highs around 32°C. Alongside this intense heat, isolated thunderstorms could pop up, specifically in Northern Ireland and the southwest, giving a brief but risky reprieve from the sun. The heat isn’t expected to let up until the weekend, when cooler Atlantic air should begin to move in, bringing some rain and much-needed relief to western regions.
Climate Change: Turning Up the Heat—Literally
While UK summers aren’t strangers to warm spells, this type of searing, persistent heat is no longer just a rare outlier. Scientists point the finger at climate change for tilting the odds. According to recent analysis by the World Weather Attribution group, these kinds of heatwaves used to be a once-in-50-year phenomenon in the UK. Thanks to greenhouse gases and warmer seas, they’re now happening every five years or less.
Research shows June heatwaves are now 2-4°C hotter than they were before the industrial era. The Met Office has even updated the official definition of a UK heatwave: now, regions like southeast England need three straight days above 28°C to fit the bill. That threshold was raised just in 2022, signaling how quickly our climate norms are shifting.
It’s tough not to compare this looming scorcher to infamous hot spells of the past. Saturday’s forecast could push close to the 1976 June record of 35.6°C, a number etched in weather history. But the 2022 heatwave smashed every expectation—temperatures spiked above 40°C and scientists found that event was made 100 times more likely by human-driven warming.
Meteorologists warn this current pattern is a preview of what’s to come. Hot spells like this—once freakish and headline-grabbing—may soon become our new normal as global temperatures creep higher year by year.