Yesterday marked 50 years since the first day of a heatwave with widespread 30 °C temperatures across the UK. 1976 saw a remarkable summer, which endures in the collective memory as notably hot and dry. This anniversary came as the Met Office issued a Red Extreme Heat National Severe Weather Warning – see more on that in ‘From the experts’ below.  

Met Office scientists have highlighted how events similar to the 1976 heatwave could become significantly more intense in the future, with a plausible scenario showing UK temperatures reaching 45 °C by 2056.  

London Climate Action Week (LCAW) is underway with over 750 in-person and online events taking place throughout this week.  

The Met Office is supporting LCAW by contributing scientific expertise across a range of events focused on climate resilience, adaptation and sustainable investment. 

Earlier this month, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) published two new reports - State of the Climate in Asia 2025 and State of the Climate in Africa 2025.  

Key messages from the State of the Climate in Asia 2025 report included dangerous heat, devastating floods, severe drought and dust storms affecting millions, but it also noted that early warnings and coordinated action helped reduce disaster impacts. 

Meanwhile, the State of the Climate in Africa 2025 report highlighted that Africa faces critical gap in early warning systems but is making progress. Extreme weather on the continent last year wreaked heavy economic and human cost, with floods the most common reported hazard. 

On Monday, the Met Office issued a Red Extreme Heat Warning for Wednesday and Thursday, with June’s all-time daily record temperature forecast to be broken. Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Mark Sidaway, said: “Red warnings are reserved for the most severe events and we’re expecting severe and significant impacts from this heatwave, with health impacts likely for many, even beyond those who are normally more vulnerable to the heat.” 

Professor Stephen Belcher CBE, Met Office Chief Scientist, said: “Human induced climate change has made events like this more likely and more intense. To see temperatures like this in the UK in June is sobering. Events like this bring home the implications of climate change, with very high temperatures and humidity bringing significant health implications from heat stress, as well as impacts to a range of sectors such as transport, energy and water supply.” 

This week’s very high temperatures mean that our forecast maps show a great deal of dark oranges and reds. The scale for displaying temperatures in Met Office forecasts is static. We are often challenged that we – and others – are using different colours to be alarmist, but the same sliding scale is used no matter the time of year or region on screen. 

You can find out more about the colour scale we use and why – including the importance of accessibility – on our website. 

The Met Office is introducing UK Climate Information (UKCI) - a new national climate service which is being designed to support climate resilience and adaptation. To mark this, we are hosting a kick-off webinar on Thursday 9 July 2026.  

UKCI will build on the legacy of UK Climate Projections (UKCP18), providing enhanced data, tools and engagement opportunities tailored to user needs across sectors. At the webinar attendees will gain insight into UKCI’s purpose, structure and development pathway. They will also hear from leading climate scientists on the underlying science and learn how climate information can be applied in real-world decision-making, as well as how they can contribute to and shape UKCI.