UK suffers third major heatwave of 2025, with record spring and June temperatures already set

Britain is sweltering under its third heatwave of the year, and it’s only mid-July. After the warmest spring and hottest June on record, 2025 is quickly becoming a year of unprecedented heat for the UK.

On 1 July, Faversham in Kent reached a scorching 35.8°C, marking the highest temperature of the year so far. While still below the historic 40.3°C set in July 2022, the upward trend is unmistakable—and deeply concerning.

This latest heatwave has sparked renewed concern among climate scientists. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), there is now “unequivocal” evidence that human activity is warming the planet’s atmosphere, land, and oceans.

A temperature anomaly map for spring 2025 reveals the UK experienced 1.4°C above average. In isolation, that figure may seem minor. But as Professor Ed Hawkins of Reading University explains, “1°C of global warming does NOT mean heatwaves ‘just’ get hotter by 1°C. In many UK areas, they’re 3–4°C warmer.”

And it’s not just the air. Oceans absorb more than 90% of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases. That’s destabilising Earth’s climate further, with marine heatwaves now surging globally, weakening the oceans’ ability to regulate temperatures.

Some extreme heat events in recent years have been tied to El Niño, a natural climate cycle that warms the Pacific and temporarily nudges global temperatures higher. But scientists at NOAA now warn that even La Niña years—typically cooler—are now hotter than past El Niño years, thanks to global warming.

So, is this “just summer”? Not quite. The summer of 1976 is often raised as a benchmark. That year delivered the UK’s longest heatwave—16 consecutive days—and the highest June temperature of 35.6°C. But data now shows that 1976 was an anomaly in an otherwise cooler decade. In contrast, 2025’s heat is part of a relentless, intensifying trend.

And it isn’t done yet. Meteorologists expect the current heatwave to persist into next week. Slightly cooler and more unsettled weather may arrive by Monday or Tuesday, especially in the north, but high pressure is forecast to rebuild quickly, bringing hot, dry conditions back.

By the end of July and into early August, temperatures may dip briefly before climbing again. Forecasts for the next three months suggest southern England will remain warmer and drier than average, with the north potentially seeing more rain. September, however, may usher in wetter conditions overall.

Looking ahead, the Met Office projects hot spells will become more frequent, particularly in the south-east, as climate change continues to heat all seasons—with summer extremes becoming the norm.

This isn’t just another hot spell. It’s the result of carbon emissions, greenhouse gases, and a climate system straining under the weight of human impact. For many across the UK, it’s a wake-up call delivered in blazing degrees.