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In pictures: Britain swelters in record-breaking June heat

Henry Moore
News imageEPA A woman in sunglasses wearing a white top holds a blue and pink fan in London on 24 June 2026.EPA
June temperature records set in 1976 and 1957 were broken

The UK experienced its hottest June day on record on Thursday as temperatures hit 36.4C in Somerset.

It marked the second time this week the record was broken after temperatures reached 36.1C in Hampshire on Wednesday.

As extreme temperatures continue to grip the country, hundreds of schools have been forced to close early, while transport has faced significant disruption, with train passengers advised to avoid all non-essential travel.

With a rare red weather warning in place until Friday for the south of England, people across the UK are trying to cope with the heat in different ways.

News imageEPA People sunbathe at London Fields Lido outdoor swimming pool as the UK is set to experience its hottest June day on record during a heatwave in London, Britain, 23 June 2026. EPA
Swimming spots across the country were packed with people hoping to beat the heat
News imageEPA Park goers relax on deckchairs in the shade during a heatwave in London, Britain, 24 June 2026.EPA
The Met Office is predicting more scorching temperatures on Friday
News imageGetty Images Commuters walk in the sun as they cross London Bridge , during a heatwave, in central London on June 24, 2026. The UK recorded its hottest ever June temperature on Wednesday with the mercury rising to 35.7C south of London, breaking the previous record of 35.6Getty Images
Many businesses have allowed employees to work from home this week due to the high temperatures
News imageEPA A woman uses a fan to cool down at a park in London, Britain, 24 June 2026. EPA
Last night, the UK endured its warmest June night on record, as provisional temperatures in Cardiff did not fall below 23.5C
News imagePA Vice Admiral Sir Tony Johnstone-Burt, Master of the Household to the Sovereign, wearing a black suit and red tie, holds a small battery powered fan for King Charles III, wearing a grey pinstripe suit and blue tie.PA
King Charles got a helping hand to stay cool when he attended a London Climate Week reception
News imageGetty Images LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 23: Children play in a fountain in Leicester Square on June 23, 2026 in London, England. Getty Images
Children and elderly people are often considered the most at risk from heat-related illnesses so it’s important for them to keep cool
News imageReuters Pupils eat ice lollies as they attend a maths class at the Harris Academy Primary Mayflower school, as Britain experiences record temperatures disrupting schools and transport networks, in Grays, Britain, June 24, 2026. Reuters
Pupils at a school in Essex were given ice lollies during a maths lesson
News imagePA Wire People on the boating lake at Highfields Park, Nottingham. A weather warning for extreme heat covering parts of England and Wales has come into force for just the second time. PA Wire
In Nottingham, a boating late was a popular choice for people trying to stay cool
News imagePA Media Bob enjoys a free ice cream handed out at TradePoint Barking in London as part of a B&Q TradePoint giveaway with more than 1,000 ice creams offered at selected stores across the UK, supporting trade workers during what is expected to be the hottest day of the year so far PA Media
Some B&Q stores gave away 1,000 ice cream to help support trade workers on the hottest day of the year so far
News imageEPA Mandatory Credit: Photo by ANDY RAIN/EPA/Shutterstock (16956441f) A person covers her face from the sun at a park as the UK is set to experience its hottest June day on record during a heatwave in London, Britain, 23 June 2026. EPA
June marks the second consecutive month in the UK to see temperature records broken
News imagePA Media A man sunbathes next to the water in Battersea parkPA Media
A "heat-dome" settling over western Europe could bring temperatures of nearly 40C in parts of the UK
News imageBBC Newsbeat Emery, a young man in a blue polo neck shirt, smiles while holding an ice cream out of the window of an ice cream van, beneath a sign reading: 'Gloucester Ices'.BBC Newsbeat
Seventeen-year-old ice cream man Emery, from Gloucester said customers were coming out on "almost every street" because of the heat
News imageGetty Images People use hand-held fans to cool themselves as they walk past shops in York, on June 24, 2026. Getty Images
High temperatures were recorded in large parts of England on Wednesday - including where this picture was taken in York
News imageEPA An aerial view taken with a drone shows people sunbathing and swimming at London Fields Lido.EPA
While many people have chosen to enjoy the hot weather, health agencies have warned against spending too much time out in the sun
News imageGetty Images A crossword is worked on in the sunshine in the town centre in Huddersfield in Northern England on June 23, 2026, as temperatures increase to heatwave levels and are set to rise further in the week ahead. Getty Images
Red weather warnings have been extended until 21:00 on Friday - this is the first time we have ever seen the warnings in place for three successive days
News imageEPA A person uses an electric fan to cool down as commuters travel on the London Underground as the UK is set to experience its hottest June day on record during a heatwave in London, Britain, 24 June 2026. TEPA
Commuters were advised to avoid all but essential travel
News imageReuters A pupil is sprayed with a fine mist as they drink water at the Harris Academy Primary Maxyflower school, as Britain experiences record temperatures disrupting schools and transport networks, in Grays, Britain, June 24, 2026. Reuters
Schools and nurseries across the UK were closed as a result of the heatwave
News imageEPA People use an umbrella to shelter from the sun on Margate Main Sands Beach as the UK is set to experience its hottest June day EPA
Beaches were a popular choice for people hoping to cool off from the heat

While many people have been enjoying the warm weather, the Met Office has warned it could result in "population-wide adverse health effects", leading to serious illness or even danger to life.

Doctors are reporting increased pressure and difficult conditions in hospitals, according the Royal College of Physicians.

The college added there are numerous reports of older patients being brought in after collapsing because of dehydration and said its members have linked the extreme heat to causing machines and equipment to malfunction.

News imagePA Media A man in sunglasses and a yellow shirt drinks from a bright yellow water bottle on a bench outside Canary Wharf Station in east London.PA Media
Health agencies have urged people to drink lots of water as temperatures continue to rise
News imageAFP Three women shelter from the sun beneath umbrellas as they take a punt ride along the River Cam, during a heatwave, in Cambridge.AFP
Three women shelter from the sun as the take a punt ride in Cambridge

Commuters faced long delays on Wednesday evening as public transport struggled to deal with the heat.

Train operators including South Western Railway, Thameslink, Northern and Avanti West Coast have asked people to make essential journeys only and have put reduced timetables in place.

Transport for London warned passengers that "very high temperatures" might cause disruption to some Tube and rail services.

News imageEPA A woman with red hair carries a pink tote bag as she travels down an escalotor at a Tube station in London. Next to here is a TFL notice that reads 'please carry water with you in the hot weather'.EPA
Transport for London has urged people carry water during the extreme heat