UK records hottest day of the year as Kew Gardens hits 38.1C

UK heatwave reaches scorching new peak

The reading surpasses the 38C recorded at Lingwood in Norfolk on 26 June, as the fifth heatwave of 2026 peaked.

Charlwood in Surrey and Pershore in Worcestershire both hit 37.8C, and the Met Office said this summer is on course to be the UK’s hottest since records began. An amber heat health alert remains in place across the whole of England until 9pm on Friday.

Suzanne Badger, front of house manager at the Pickled Plum pub in Pershore, told the BBC people were “walking in off the street, melting”, adding: “We usually say it’s hotter in the kitchen than outside — but today it’s hotter outside. The heat in the kitchen is unbearable, it is 36C in there.”

Hottest day brings wildfire chaos

The extreme heat has fuelled fires across the country. In the West Midlands, a major incident has been declared, with around 60 firefighters tackling an extensive grass fire near Stourbridge golf course.

Six properties have been hit, two people have been affected by heat and smoke, and the town hall has opened as a rescue centre for evacuated residents.

West Midlands Fire Service said it was facing “extreme levels of demand”. Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service is also battling a large blaze in Salford Priors, near Stratford-upon-Avon, where residents have been told to keep doors and windows closed.

With 2026 now the first year on record to see three separate days reach 37C — and the amber alert running into Friday night — our guide on how to keep cool in a heatwave may come in handy before conditions ease.