According to the Met Office, Wednesday saw the year’s highest temperature so far, with 30.3°C (86.5°F) recorded at Heathrow. The intense heat was mainly felt in southern England, coinciding with the Glastonbury music festival, where attendees used umbrellas and water to stay cool.
Met Office meteorologist Kathryn Chalk confirmed that 30.3°C was the highest temperature recorded this year, surpassing Tuesday’s 30°C, the first time the 30°C mark had been reached since September 2022.
While southern areas basked in the heat, parts of northern England experienced milder temperatures, with Aberdeen expecting a peak of 18°C.
Beachgoers flocked to popular spots like Brighton and Blackpool to enjoy the sunny weather. The NHS reported a surge in visits to its online heat exhaustion advice page, with a 107% increase over two days.
The heatwave is expected to ease by Thursday, with temperatures dropping to the low to mid-20s.
Chalk noted that a low-pressure system moving into the northwest would bring cooler, wetter, and windier conditions by Friday, with showers focused on Scotland.
Despite the change, the weekend will remain relatively warm, with temperatures around 24-25°C.