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In pictures: Britain swelters in record-breaking June heat

A woman in sunglasses wearing a white top holds a blue and pink fan in London on 24 June 2026.

Henry Moore

25 June 2026, 14:35 BST

Updated 3 hours ago

The UK experienced its hottest June day on record on Thursday as temperatures hit 36.4C in Somerset.

It marked the second time this week the record was broken after temperatures reached 36.1C in Hampshire on Wednesday.

As extreme temperatures continue to grip the country, hundreds of schools have been forced to close early, while transport has faced significant disruption, with train passengers advised to avoid all non-essential travel.

With a rare red weather warning in place until Friday for the south of England, people across the UK are trying to cope with the heat in different ways.

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People sunbathe at London Fields Lido outdoor swimming pool as the UK is set to experience its hottest June day on record during a heatwave in London, Britain, 23 June 2026.

Park goers relax on deckchairs in the shade during a heatwave in London, Britain, 24 June 2026.

Commuters walk in the sun as they cross London Bridge , during a heatwave, in central London on June 24, 2026. The UK recorded its hottest ever June temperature on Wednesday with the mercury rising to 35.7C south of London, breaking the previous record of 35.6

A woman uses a fan to cool down at a park in London, Britain, 24 June 2026.

Vice Admiral Sir Tony Johnstone-Burt, Master of the Household to the Sovereign, wearing a black suit and red tie, holds a small battery powered fan for King Charles III, wearing a grey pinstripe suit and blue tie.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 23: Children play in a fountain in Leicester Square on June 23, 2026 in London, England.

Pupils eat ice lollies as they attend a maths class at the Harris Academy Primary Mayflower school, as Britain experiences record temperatures disrupting schools and transport networks, in Grays, Britain, June 24, 2026.

People on the boating lake at Highfields Park, Nottingham. A weather warning for extreme heat covering parts of England and Wales has come into force for just the second time.

Mandatory Credit: Photo by ANDY RAIN/EPA/Shutterstock (16956441f) A person covers her face from the sun at a park as the UK is set to experience its hottest June day on record during a heatwave in London, Britain, 23 June 2026.

A man sunbathes next to the water in Battersea park

Emery, a young man in a blue polo neck shirt, smiles while holding an ice cream out of the window of an ice cream van, beneath a sign reading: 'Gloucester Ices'.

People use hand-held fans to cool themselves as they walk past shops in York, on June 24, 2026.

A crossword is worked on in the sunshine in the town centre in Huddersfield in Northern England on June 23, 2026, as temperatures increase to heatwave levels and are set to rise further in the week ahead.

A person uses an electric fan to cool down as commuters travel on the London Underground as the UK is set to experience its hottest June day on record during a heatwave in London, Britain, 24 June 2026. T

A pupil is sprayed with a fine mist as they drink water at the Harris Academy Primary Maxyflower school, as Britain experiences record temperatures disrupting schools and transport networks, in Grays, Britain, June 24, 2026.

People use an umbrella to shelter from the sun on Margate Main Sands Beach as the UK is set to experience its hottest June day

While many people have been enjoying the warm weather, the Met Office has warned it could result in “population-wide adverse health effects”, leading to serious illness or even danger to life.

Doctors are reporting increased pressure and difficult conditions in hospitals, according the Royal College of Physicians.

The college added there are numerous reports of older patients being brought in after collapsing because of dehydration and said its members have linked the extreme heat to causing machines and equipment to malfunction.

A man in sunglasses and a yellow shirt drinks from a bright yellow water bottle on a bench outside Canary Wharf Station in east London.

Three women shelter from the sun beneath umbrellas as they take a punt ride along the River Cam, during a heatwave, in Cambridge.

Commuters faced long delays on Wednesday evening as public transport struggled to deal with the heat.

Train operators including South Western Railway, Thameslink, Northern and Avanti West Coast have asked people to make essential journeys only and have put reduced timetables in place.

Transport for London warned passengers that “very high temperatures” might cause disruption to some Tube and rail services.