UK records hottest day of 2026 at 38.1C in London

The United Kingdom recorded its hottest day of the year on August 13, 2026, as temperatures provisionally reached 38.1 degrees Celsius at Kew Gardens in London, marking the fifth hottest day in the country's history. The peak occurred during the nation's fifth heatwave of an exceptionally hot and dry summer, which has seen widespread drought declarations and a significant strain on public services.

The Met Office confirmed the reading at Kew Gardens, which surpassed the previous 2026 high of 38 degrees Celsius set in Lingwood, Norfolk, on June 28. This makes 2026 the first year on record to see two separate days where temperatures reached the 38-degree threshold. Other locations, including Charlwood in Surrey and Pershore in Worcestershire, also recorded temperatures of 37.8 degrees Celsius. The all-time UK temperature record remains 40.3 degrees Celsius, set in Coningsby, Lincolnshire, in July 2022.

An amber extreme heat warning was in effect across much of England, with forecasts indicating the heat would begin to ease over the weekend. The prolonged heat has contributed to a summer that is on course to be the UK's warmest on record, with mean temperatures nearly 2 degrees...