Oxford News
June temperature record for UK broken after 50 years
The record was broken when provisional temperatures reached 36°C in Wisley, Surrey, and Gosport, Hampshire, today (Wednesday, June 24), the Met Office said.
It follows provisional temperatures reaching 35.7°C in Charlwood, Surrey, and 35.8°C at Wiggonholt, West Sussex, earlier on in the day.
Wednesday’s highs break the previous top temperature of 35.6°C in 1976 and 1957, the forecaster said.
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It comes as much of England and Wales swelters in exceptionally hot and humid conditions, which have prompted a rare red warning from the Met Office for extreme heat.
The heatwave, which has led to health warnings, school closures and transport disruption, is driven by a “heat-dome” settling over western Europe that has brought extreme conditions across the continent.
The 50-year-old record has fallen as climate change, mostly the result of burning fossil fuels, is driving increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves, which experts say the UK is not prepared for.
Figures are currently provisional and would be verified at the end of the heatwave to check if it is a new national record.
Met Office science manager Amy Doherty said: “If confirmed, a new June daily temperature record would be significant, especially following on the heels of the recent records set in May.
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“The new record provides further evidence that temperatures previously considered extreme are becoming increasingly common as a result of human-induced climate change.”
Temperatures could rise even higher on Thursday, the Met Office said.
If they hit 39°C, that would make it the second-hottest day in the UK on record and the hottest June day on record. If 38°C is recorded, that is still in the top five days ever recorded and still hotter than any day of the 20th century.
The record comes amid a sweltering heatwave, with the Met Office issuing a rare red warning for extreme heat for Wednesday and Thursday for an area from London and the south coast to Swansea, Somerset and Birmingham.
Red heat health alerts have also been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the East of England, East Midlands, London, the South East, the South West and the West Midlands, and amber heat health alerts for the North East, North West, and Yorkshire and the Humber.
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These alerts are in place from 4pm on Wednesday to 11pm on Friday, and mean “adverse temperatures are likely to impact on the health and well-being of the population”.
The Met Office has also issued an amber warning for heat on Friday, covering much of England, while a yellow warning for thunderstorms is in place for the South West on Thursday evening.
And with the extreme heat set to linger in some parts of the country into the weekend, the Met Office has issued an amber warning for extreme heat covering parts of east and south-east England on Saturday.
At least 1,000 schools and nurseries will either be closed or partially closed in England and Wales over the next two days.
Some have brought in early finishing times or relaxed uniform rules, while transport services have been disrupted, and people are being urged to stay inside, close windows and curtains and stay hydrated to beat the heat.
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Night-time temperatures have also been unusually high, staying above 20°C in many places, with Brize Norton in Oxfordshire not dipping below 22.3°C and Heathrow, west London, not dipping below 22.1 °C, the Met Office said.
These “tropical nights” make it hard to sleep and for people to recover from the heat of the day, experts warned.
More than 100 schools will be at least partly closed in Bristol, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hampshire. In Somerset, more than 200 schools will be shut or operating on more limited opening hours.
Children at some schools have been told they can wear a PE kit rather than a full school uniform, which can involve long trousers and blazers.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said parents should send children to school if they remain open, saying schools were taking steps to help pupils cope with the heat, and absences had a cost.
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“I know hot weather can be a struggle. But my message to families is simple: if your child’s school is open, you should keep sending them into school,” she said.
Transport bosses have urged people to avoid travelling on Wednesday and Thursday and are warning those who do to “prepare for a disrupted journey”.
Travel into central London in the past few days was down on last week as workers heeded advice to stay at home during the heatwave, while there were disruptions on a raft of rail lines.
The heatwave has prompted new calls for the Government to take more action to protect the UK from increasingly extreme heat – a feature of the changing climate – including cooling for hospitals, schools and care homes.
The Met Office said the frequency and intensity of heatwaves have increased worldwide.
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Professor Stephen Belcher, Met Office chief scientist, said: “Human-induced climate change has made events like this more likely and more intense. To see temperatures like this in the UK in June is sobering.
“Events like this bring home the implications of climate change, with very high temperatures and humidity bringing significant health implications from heat stress, as well as impacts to a range of sectors such as transport, energy and water supply.”
In Hampshire, Testwood Lakes, near Totton, Southampton, have been closed off to the public as police marine units join other emergency services in the search for a 15-year-old boy who was reported missing after last being seen swimming at 1.35pm on Wednesday.
Police marine units have joined emergency services in the search for a 15-year-old boy who was reported missing at 1.35pm on Wednesday after last being seen swimming at Testwood Lakes, near Totton, Southampton.
A Hampshire Constabulary spokesman said: “We have deployed the marine units to aid in the search, alongside colleagues from NPAS, South Central Ambulance Service, and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire Service.”
The UK’s Met Office has revealed the storm names for 2026/27, selected from more than 40,000 public suggestions.
The scheme is run in partnership with Met Eireann in Ireland and KNMI in the Netherlands, and the list starts each year in September to reflect the beginning of the autumn storm season.
This storm season includes names such as Austen, Boelo and Chloe and each has a story behind its nomination.
Staying safe during a thunderstorm
Names were submitted in honour of children, pets and even characters like Shaun the Sheep, as well as in memory of loved ones and meteorological trailblazers.
Under naming conventions used for storms in the North Atlantic, the list runs alphabetically, missing out Q, U, X, Y and Z.
Chloe, the third name on the list this year, was nominated more than 120 times.
One suggestion came from the mother of a five-year-old described as being “fascinated by the weather” who can also “create a storm by herself” when tired.
Other names have similarly personal backstories.
Finn was put forward for a two-year-old described as “wild and a force to be reckoned with”, while Ivy was nominated in honour of a nine-month-old Labrador puppy affectionately called “the absolute destructor”.
Nicola was suggested as a tribute to a mother who has “weathered many a storm and only come out stronger”.
Some names reflect a wider cultural reach.
Shaun, selected following a public vote, was included as part of a collaboration with Aardman, the studio behind Wallace and Gromit, to help raise awareness of storm preparedness.
Scattered showers moving eastwards this afternoon, some heavy and perhaps thundery ☔
Turning drier and fresher in the west, with sunny spells ⛅
Cloud and rain returning to the northwest later 🌧️ pic.twitter.com/0s2Je7rraP
— Met Office (@metoffice) August 31, 2026
The list also honours figures in meteorological history.
Met Eireann chose Austen in tribute to Austen Nagle, the first director of the Irish Meteorological Service as it marks its 90th anniversary.
Evelyn was selected in honour of Evelyn Murphy, the first woman to present weather forecasts on Ireland’s national broadcaster, RTE.
Why are storms named?
The scheme began in 2015 and aims to improve public awareness and response in the face of severe weather.
Last year, four names were used from the list, reaching Storm Dave in April.
The UK was also affected by three additional storms named by other European meteorological services: Benjamin, Claudia and Goretti.
The Met Office said names are reviewed for pronunciation, potential meanings across different languages, connections to public figures and any risk of controversy.
When is a storm named?
A storm is named when it’s expected to cause medium or high impacts in the UK, Ireland or the Netherlands.
Wind is the primary consideration, but significant effects from rain or snow are also taken into account.
Met Office confirms storm names for 2026/27
This year’s names, and the country they came from, are:
- Austen (Ireland)
- Boelo (pronounced Boo-loh) (Netherlands)
- Chloe (UK)
- Dano (pronounced Dah-noh) (Netherlands)
- Evelyn (Ireland)
- Finn (UK)
- Gwendolyn (Netherlands)
- Heather (Ireland)
- Ivy (UK)
- Jade (Netherlands)
- Kilian (Ireland)
- Laoise (pronounced Lee-sha) (Ireland)
- Miriam (Ireland)
- Nicola (UK)
- Olaf (Netherlands)
- Phelim (Fay-lim) (Ireland)
- Ruban (UK)
- Shaun (UK)
- Theo (UK)
- Vesna (Vehs-nuh) (Netherlands)
- Wende (Vhen-duh) (Netherlands)
Holly Clements, Met Office head of warnings and guidance, said: “For more than a decade, storm naming has helped us communicate the risks from severe weather more effectively.
“A named storm provides a clear focus for forecasts and warnings, helping more people understand the potential impacts and take action to protect themselves, their families and their property.”
Recommended reading:
Eoin Sherlock, Met Eireann head of forecasting division, said: “We know that naming storms makes it easier for people to track important and up-to-date forecast and safety-related information as we can see from the levels of traffic and activity through our website and across social media platforms during storm events.
“2026 marks the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the Irish Meteorological Service and we are proud to be able to recognise some of the significant contributors to our history in the list of storm names this year.”
Which names would you add to the list of storm names? Let us know in the comments below.
Charlie Matthews appeared at Oxford Crown Court on August 27.
The 25-year-old is charged with two counts of rape.
The allegations are said to have taken place in Oxford in April and October 2021.
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The complainant for both counts is the same woman.
Matthews, of Langney Road, Eastbourne, pleaded not guilty to both counts.
A trial date, with a time estimate of four to five days, was set for August 21, 2028.
Judge Ian Pringle KC said that this is some seven years after the offences are alleged to have taken place.
The judge said: “Unfortunately, that’s the situation.”
Matthews was released on bail, with the condition not to contact the complainant.
Islandfarm Viscount is a 13-year-old gelding from Island Farm Donkey Sanctuary in Brightwell-cum-Sotwell near Wallingford.
He took the top title at the 2026 Donkey Breed Society National Championship Show, held on August 22 at Pickering Grange Equestrian Centre in Coalville.
He is the offspring of East Lodge Bryony, a donkey left to the sanctuary by the late Alex and Sue Horn.
Mr Horn was a respected figure in donkey showing and won numerous awards during his lifetime.
Viscount has built an impressive record of his own, with championship wins at the Mid Somerset Show and the New Forest and Hampshire Show.
He was named Reserve Champion at the Ellingham and Ringwood Show, placing just behind stablemate Perehill Magical Moments.
Both donkeys qualified for the national finals, where Viscount claimed the Senior Gelding Class and went on to be named British Champion Gelding for the fifth year in a row.
He then competed against other class winners and took home the Supreme Champion title and trophy.
Perehill Magical Moments earned her place at the finals after wins at the Heckinton Show and Ellingham and Ringwood.
At the national event, she won the Senior Mare class and was named Reserve Mare Champion.
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