UK hits 40°C in June for first time on record, a month earlier than 2022's heat threshold

The Met Office issued rare red extreme heat warnings on June 23, 2026, as temperatures reached 40°C across parts of England and Wales. If confirmed, this marks the first time the UK has breached that threshold in June—a full calendar month ahead of July 2022's historic record. Red warnings signal significant risk to life. Schools closed across both nations. The shift reflects the quickening seasonal envelope of extreme heat in the British Isles.