Met Office declares hottest day of 2025 as temperatures soar to 33C in UK heatwave

Britain has experienced the hottest day of the year so far, the Met Office has said.

A provisional temperature of 33.2C was recorded at Charlwood in Surrey this afternoon as heatwave conditions continue to dominate, the national forecaster announced. It breaks the previous record for 2025 set on Thursday, when temperatures reached 32.2C in Kew, West London. Forecasts show that the mercury could peak at 34C in the southeast today, though thunderstorms are expected further north. An amber heat-health alert issued by the UK Health Security Agency remains in force across England until Monday, with the NHS and wider healthcare sector warned to expect an increase in heat-related hospital admissions, particularly among vulnerable groups.

In other parts of the UK, temperatures of 26.9C were provisionally recorded in Bute Park in Cardiff and 27.2C in Aviemore in the Highlands this afternoon.

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Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Dan Holley, said: “The highest temperatures from this hot spell are forecast for Saturday, with low 30s Celsius fairly widely across England, and up to 34°C possible in eastern areas. Despite this, the more uncomfortable heat will be in northern and western areas initially, where despite somewhat lower temperatures the air will be more humid.

“While Saturday will be a dry and fine day for many, a few showers or thunderstorms will be possible across northern and western parts of the UK, with an increasing risk of some intense thunderstorms developing across portions of north Wales, northern England and southern Scotland later in the afternoon and into the evening hours, which could bring heavy downpours, frequent lightning, gusty winds and possibly large hail."

A yellow thunderstorm warning is in place for much of northern England and parts of Wales from 5pm this evening until 3am tomorrow morning.

In an alert message, the Met Office said the storms "could produce a combination of frequent lightning, large hail, strong winds and heavy rain".

As much as 30-40 mm of rain could fall in less than 2 hours in some affected areas, causing the risk of flooding and localised travel disruption.

Heatwave 'could kill nearly 600 people'

Specialists from both the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Imperial College London have warned the extreme heat could result in excess mortality amid high temperature between Thursday and Sunday.

Their study, which drew upon historical data from previous periods of prolonged hot weather, anticipates approximately 570 deaths between Thursday and Sunday. The projected peak of excess deaths is expected to hit 266 today as temperatures reach their highest level.