Overview
- The Met Office confirmed a provisional 36.7°C reading in Merryfield on Thursday, marking the hottest June day on record and following several consecutive days of broken June highs.
- Rare red and amber heat warnings covered large parts of England through Friday, with forecasters saying the peak is passing and cooler, more changeable weather should spread in from the west this weekend.
- Multiple NHS trusts declared critical incidents and the London Ambulance Service reported a roughly 50% rise in life‑threatening calls and a 30% increase in cardiac arrests as hospitals faced equipment failures and cancelled operations.
- Rail operators imposed speed restrictions and reduced timetables because overhead wires and steel rails overheated, water firms saw big demand spikes that prompted a legal hosepipe ban in Kent, and grid operators warned of tight electricity margins.
- Scientists and attribution groups say human‑driven climate change made this heatwave far more likely, underscoring calls for urgent short‑term protections and long‑term investment to adapt ageing infrastructure.