UK weather: hottest day of the year so far as temperatures top 30C

UK temperatures have reached their highest point of the year so far, the Met Office has confirmed, with temperatures of 31.2C recorded at Heathrow airport in west London.

The high temperatures, which were recorded largely along the eastern half of the country, came as the majority of schools in England and Wales closed for the summer.

The previous highest UK temperature of 2024 so far was 30.5C (86.5F), recorded at Wisley, Surrey on 26 June.

Temperatures across the UK were widely expected to reach 25C to 31C on Friday as the hot spell peaked. However, many places have not reached 25C since the short burst of warm weather at the end of June.

Cooler weather will spread eastward over the weekend with temperatures more typical for July expected by Sunday.

The warm spell came with temperatures in July about 2C below average, after a cooler start to the month.

The Met Office issued a reminder to people to protect themselves against sunburn by applying SPF [sun protection factor sunscreen] and finding shade, where possible, at the hottest times of the day between 11am and 3pm.

“Remember, protect yourself from the strong sunshine, especially between 11am and 3pm as UV levels will be very high in the south,” it said on X.

Heat health alerts were in force across the Midlands, eastern and southern England until 11am on Saturday.

These alerts are primarily for the health and social care services, warning that heat could affect the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.