Summary

Live Reporting

Edited by Tinshui Yeung and Angus Thompson

  1. London firefighters get hundreds of calls following thunderstorm

    Simon Jones
    Reporter, BBC South East Today

    Lightning seen over London's skylineWeather Watchers SableD

    Lightning seen above London's skyline overnight

    London Fire Brigade (LFB) has taken around 400 calls since midnight after a series of intense thunderstorms struck the capital.

    Firefighters across the city have been responding to numerous flooding calls and at least two house fires suspected to have been triggered by lightning strikes.

    Some areas were also hit by flash flooding, including roads, with drivers asked not to drive through floodwater and take extra care.

    LFB assistant commissioner Pat Goulbourne says: “Whilst the worst of the rain now seems to have passed, we continue to work through outstanding calls as well as receive new incidents as Londoners wake.

    “We’d like to reassure Londoners that crews are available to respond to emergencies so please call 999 if you have to."

  2. Heathrow rail services disrupted by overnight flooding

    Flooded street in west London after heavy rain

    Streets were flooded in west London on Tuesday morning

    Rail services at London's Heathrow Airport have been disrupted by flooding following heavy rain in some areas overnight.

    Transport for London (TfL) says there is no service on the Elizabeth line between terminal 4 and terminals 2 and 3 due to the flooding.

    TfL also advises that flooding has seen London Tramlink trams suspended between Sandilands and Elmers End/Beckenham.

  3. Tuesday to be significantly hotter than Monday across UK

    Sarah Keith-Lucas
    BBC Weather

    Today is expected to be the UK's warmest day of the year so far, and significantly hotter than Monday across all parts.

    There may be some early mist and low cloud, especially close to coasts in the west, but that will soon burn away to leave a day of strong June sunshine with very high UV levels.

    A little more cloud with the odd spot of rain will linger in the north-west of Scotland.

    Winds on Tuesday will be lighter than Monday from a south-easterly direction and temperatures will rise to around 24 to 29C (84.2F) for Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England, but peaking between 30 and 36C across England and Wales.

    Humidity will also be increasing, making temperatures feel up to five degrees warmer than the reading on the thermometer.

  4. Analysis

    Why this heatwave is more than just hot weather

    Justin Rowlatt
    Climate editor

    A graph showing how temperatures have risen since 1950 into the 2000s

    We tend to experience heatwaves as: a sweaty commute, a sleepless night, a warning to stay indoors. But the bigger story is even more unsettling.

    Human civilisation has developed during roughly 12,000 years of unusual climate stability - a narrow band of conditions in which farming, trade, cities and all of modern life became possible.

    Now, over the course of a few decades, we are pushing that system into new territory.

    One broken temperature record does not prove climate change. But records falling repeatedly, across continents and seasons, show the dice are being loaded towards extremes.

    That is why this heat matters.

  5. Heatwave sweeping mainland Europe with temperatures exceeding 40C

    Jack Grey
    Live reporter

    A woman sits on the floor of a crowded carriage on metro line 11 during a heatwave in Paris, Ile-de-France, France, June 22, 202Getty Images

    Parts of France saw temperatures reach 42C (108F) on Monday

    In addition to the heat sweeping the UK, red heat alerts have been issued in France, Spain and other nations across western and central Europe - with temperatures expected to exceed 40C (104F) in several areas.

    In France, more than half of the country's regions are under the most severe heat warnings, with hundreds of schools ordered to close as temperatures reach 42C in some places.

    On Tuesday, two children aged two and four were found dead in their family car in Carpentras, in the south of France, in an accident being linked to the extreme heat.

    Spain's state weather service Aemet warns of "extremely high" temperatures until Wednesday, which it says will be "between five and 10 degrees above what is typical".

    Similar red warnings have been issued by the authorities in Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Luxembourg.

  6. Heat to ramp up as week progresses

    Simon King
    Lead weather presenter, BBC Weather

    Map of Wales and southern and central England with an amber warning issued across most areas and a small red warning across parts of the Midlands, south-east Wales and southern England

    Following an earlier amber warning, the Met Office has issued a red warning for extreme heat on Wednesday and Thursday

    It will be a hotter day for all of us in the UK on Tuesday.

    Across northern England and Wales it will get to 28 to 30C (86F), but for the Midlands, eastern and southern England, temperatures will widely exceed 33C.

    In some locations around the south Midlands towards Greater London, the mercury is expected to peak at about 36 or 37C.

    This will comfortably exceed the current June temperature record of 35.6C set in 1976.

    With sunnier weather across Scotland and Northern Ireland, it will also turn warmer with highs of 24 to 27C on Tuesday.

    The heatwave will build further across England and Wales, with a Met Office red warning coming into force at 09:00 BST on Wednesday and lasting through until 21:00 on Thursday.

  7. How are you coping with the heat?

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  8. UK expected to see hottest June day on record as searing heat continues

    Heatwave Bus Passengers As one bus passenger holds a bottle of water, another fans himself during a bus journey across south London, on 22nd June 2026, in London, England. The Met Office has issued a rare red warning for extreme heat, covering parts of England and south Wales, with Amber Warnings already in place for much of the UK.Getty Images

    The UK is braced for what will likely be the hottest June day on record, with temperatures expected to rise above 35C (95F) in parts of the country on Tuesday.

    The Met Office has issued a rare red extreme heat warning for parts of England and Wales on Wednesday and Thursday, with significant health and infrastructure impacts expected.

    Amber heat warnings are also in force more widely across England and Wales as temperatures rise up to the mid-to-high 30s.

    Heat will build through the middle of the week, potentially reaching 40C - less than one degree Celsius below the UK's highest ever reading.

    We'll bring you all the latest updates right here throughout the day.

  9. Rare red weather warning issued for parts of UK as heatwave grips Europe

    The Met Office has issued its second ever red warning for extreme heat as temperatures are expected to reach at least 39C, with some areas potentially reaching 40C.

    It will come into effect on 09:00 BST on Wednesday to 21:00 Thursday for parts of England and Wales, with substantial disruption to travel, critical infrastructure and widespread damage to property a possibility.

    East Surrey Hospital has already declared a critical incident due to high levels of demand on its emergency care services, exacerbated by high temperatures, while South East Water is asking customers to use water for "essential purposes only". The forecast has also prompted calls for caution around the water.

    A group of boys in the Trocadero Fountain next to the Eiffel TowerReuters

    A group of boys in the Trocadero Fountain next to the Eiffel Tower, as Europe swelters through a heatwave

    In France, two children were found dead in their family car in an accident that is being linked to the heatwave, although the full circumstances are not yet clear. Soaring temperatures in Europe have also led to school closures, alcohol bans and events being scrapped.

    The Met Office has warned the wider population will be susceptible to heat stress, which can lead to heat exhaustion and heatstroke, so it is important to be able to recognise the symptoms for both.

    Tuesday is expected to be the UK's warmest day of the year so far, and significantly hotter than Monday, with temperatures forecast to reach between 30 and 36C across England and Wales.

    We're ending our live coverage here. You can read more in our news story.

  10. Tuesday forecast to be warmest day of the year

    Sarah Keith-Lucas
    BBC Weather

    Tuesday is expected to be the UK's warmest day of the year so far - and significantly hotter than Monday across all parts.

    There may be some early mist and low cloud, especially close to coasts in the west, but that will soon burn away to leave a day of strong June sunshine with very high UV levels. A little more cloud with the odd spot of rain will linger in the northwest of Scotland.

    Winds on Tuesday will be lighter than Monday from a south-easterly direction, and temperatures will rise to around 24 to 29C for Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England, but peaking between 30 and 36C across England and Wales.

    Humidity will also be increasing, making temperatures feel up to 5C warmer than the reading on the thermometer.

  11. Take care near water in extreme heat, emergency services urge

    A man on a paddle board in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire.PA Media

    People are being urged to take care near open water and outdoor spaces because extreme heat worsens the risk of wildfires and water-related deaths.

    The National Fire Chiefs Council says parents and carers should speak to children and youth about the dangers of open water. The organisation is also warning that water temperatures can be dangerously cold, even though the air is hot.

    The warning follows several water-related deaths, including those involving young people, during May's heatwave.

    "We have already seen the consequences that periods of extreme heat can have, with a number of lives tragically lost in water-related incidents during recent hot weather," NFCC chairman Phil Garrigan says.

  12. The last red extreme heat warning saw broken records and buckling services

    Sarah Keith-Lucas
    BBC Weather

    Red warnings for any weather type are rare and the Met Office only issue them around once per year. Red warnings for extreme heat are rarer still, and this is only the second time one has been issued since the extreme heat warnings service started in 2021.

    The only other time the warning was issued was during the unprecedented heatwave of July 2022. On the 19th temperatures reached 40C for the first time. The highest temperature in this spell was 40.3C recorded at Coningsby in Lincolnshire.

    This smashed the previous all time UK temperature record - 38.7C in Cambridge in 2019 - by a staggering 1.6C.

    During this time the UK government declared a national emergency. Transport infrastructure was severely impacted due to buckling rails, melting roads and sagging overhead cables, flights were suspended at Luton airport due to the temperature of the runway, and fire services were put under a huge strain.

    The Office for National Statistics estimates that during the late July heat there were 2,227 excess heat-related deaths in the UK.

  13. Work as usual for some as UK heats up

    We've been receiving lots of pictures from BBC Weather Watchers across the country. Some have been getting on with their days, while others are looking out for those taking to the water to beat the heat.

    A red tractor can be seen in the middle distance mowing a field, where yellow piles of dead grass are already covering the ground. Trees surround the filed above a blue sky with streaks of white cloudBBC Weather Watchers/Outnabout

    A farmer gets on with his day despite the hot weather in Lancashire

    Two lifeguards stand on the back of an RNLI pick up truck on a sandy beach overlooking the sea on Barry island. A surf broad is propped up to the left of the car and an ATV is seen to the rightBBC Weather Watchers/Nadezna

    Lifeguards keep a watchful eye on Barry beach this afternoon

    A melted ice cream and chocolate flake on a waffle cone is being held by someone off camera in the middle of a grassy field next to the beachBBC Weather Watchers/uWhoAndyR

    I'd eat that quickly if I were you

  14. South East Water asks customers to use water for 'essential purposes only'

    South East Water is asking that people only use water for essential reasons.

    The company, which failed to supply thousands of customers in the previous heatwave, says demand is high given the temperatures.

    "Please use water for essential purposes only: hygiene, drinking and cooking," the company says.

    It adds that 644 million litres of water was treated and put into the network yesterday, 56 million litres higher than the June average.

  15. Hospital declares critical incident in hot weather
    Breaking

    A hospital in Surrey has declared a critical incident due to high levels of demand on its emergency care services, exacerbated by high temperatures.

    East Surrey Hospital is having to reschedule some non-urgent appointments to accommodate patients with the most urgent clinical need, Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust says.

    A critical incident is declared when a service is under extreme pressure, threatening a hospital's ability to deliver safe and effective care. Patients are being urged to only attend the hospital in a life-threatening emergency.

  16. Harry Styles' Wembley show to go ahead on Tuesday - with free sun cream and half-price water

    Harry Styles wears a red bomber jacket, light blue shirt, floral tie and navy trousers while performing on stage. He can be seen holding his mouth open with a microphone in front of a crowd of people holding their phonesGetty

    Harry Styles performing in Amsterdam in May

    Wembley Stadium has confirmed the Harry Styles concert will go ahead on Tuesday, despite temperatures forecast by the Met Office to reach 36C.

    Organisers told the BBC the show will proceed as planned, though it will allow guests to bring their own metal or hard plastic bottles and fill them up inside the venue.

    The prices of bottled water sold across all bars will be reduced by 50%, while free sun cream will also be available.

    Doors open at 17:00 BST, with people advised not to arrive too early and avoid waiting outside in the sun.

  17. Why cities will feel hotter

    Sarah Keith-Lucas
    BBC Weather

    The silhouette of a woman walking with an umbrella with Big Ben in the background.Getty Images

    Urban areas, particularly large cities like London and Birmingham will feel the heat more, and especially at night, due to the urban heat island effect.

    It's because of the materials used in cities, as well as the relative lack of green spaces and bodies of water, that heat gets trapped in urban areas - which can be up to 4C hotter than the surrounding countryside overnight.

    Coastal areas will be a few degrees cooler, especially around the south and east coasts of England, where the breeze will be coming in from the relatively cool sea.

  18. Has climate change caused this heatwave?

    Mark Poynting
    Climate reporter

    The red alert issued today is the latest in a series of increasingly intense and frequent heatwaves the UK has experienced over the last decade.

    The number of days exceeding 32C in the UK has almost quadrupled in the last ten years compared with the 1961-1990 average, the Met Office says - which all points to human-caused climate change.

    As humans burn coal, oil and gas and cut down forests, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere. These gases act like a blanket, causing the planet to heat up.

    Since the 1980s, the UK has been warming at about 0.25C per decade, according to the Met Office. That might not sound like much, but even a small increase to average temperatures makes a big difference, making hotter days more likely and more intense.

    Illustrative graph showing the difference between the previous climate and new climate, as two bell-curves. The new climate has a warmer average temperature, meaning cold weather is less frequent and less intense, while hot weather is more frequent and more intense.

  19. Met Office warns of potential heat stress impact on wider population

    The Met Office is warning of a risk to health, including heat stress, to the wider population, not just those vulnerable to extreme heat.

    Heat stress is when the body's way of controlling its temperature starts to fail, influenced by things like temperature, humidity and clothing. Symptoms include inability to concentrate, muscle cramps, heat rash and fainting.

    This can lead to heat exhaustion - which includes symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, nausea and moist skin. If you see someone you think has heat exhaustion, the NHS says you should move them to a cool place, get them to lie down with their feet raised, make them drink plenty of water and cool their skin.

    Heat exhaustion is not normally serious if they can be cooled down within half an hour - but they are at risk of heatstroke if they do not recover within 30 minutes. Symptoms include confusion, not sweating, a temperature over 40C, nausea, and vomiting. This is a medical emergency - you should call 999 immediately.

    Infographic titled “How heat affects the body.” A stylised illustration of a person stands beside a large sun icon. Dotted callouts label different parts of the body, explaining effects of heat: dizziness and faintness from dehydration; increased heart rate as the body works harder; heat rashes on the skin; sweating, which cools the body through evaporation; and swollen ankles due to increased blood flow. Source credited to Public Health England, with a BBC logo at the bottom.

  20. The hottest areas under this week's red and amber heat warnings

    Sarah Keith-Lucas
    BBC Weather

    A woman uses an umbrella to shield herself from the sun while walking along the street.PA Media

    Two levels of extreme heat warnings have been issued by the Met Office this week.

    A red warning - the highest tier - has been issued for parts of central and southern England and south-east Wales from 09:00 Wednesday until 21:00 Thursday, stretching from Kent all the way to Glamorganshire, and as far north as Birmingham.

    Within this region, temperatures are likely to exceed 37C widely. The hottest spots may see 38 to 40C. Current indications are for the very hottest places to be to the west of London, including Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire.

    Amber extreme heat warnings cover a larger area of England and Wales, including large parts of central, southern and eastern England as well as east Wales until the end of Tuesday. The area then expands to cover more of south-west and northern England as well as most of Wales for Wednesday into Thursday.

    If you're within the amber warning region, then expect daytime temperatures to peak around the low to mid 30s, with 36C possible on any day between Tuesday and Thursday. And, exceptionally warm and humid conditions are expected by night too, with some places not falling below 20 to 22C.