UK weather: Final day of heatwave for many before weekend cooldown

Kew Gardens in London reached 38.1C on Thursday, making it the UK’s hottest day of 2026 so far, and the fifth hottest UK day on record.

It is also the second time this year that the temperature has reached 38C, after Lingwood, Norfolk recorded 38.0C on 26 June.

This is only the second time that 38C has been reached twice in the same year – the previous occasion being 2022.

Though the Met Office amber warning for extreme heat that covered large swathes of England on Thursday expired at midnight, high temperatures will linger in central and eastern parts of England on Friday.

Long spells of sunshine will lift temperatures to 29-34C (84-93F) across large parts of the Midlands, Lincolnshire, East Anglia and the south-east.

For many places it will mark a third consecutive day above official heatwave thresholds.

The heat will ease elsewhere.

Somewhat cooler conditions will begin to move into northern and western parts of the UK, although temperatures will generally remain above the norm for the time of year – widely reaching the low to mid-20s Celsius.

Many places will be dry with a mix of cloud and sunny spells although a few showers are possible, and these could be heavy and thundery in some places.