The 38°C figure, set on 26 June 2026, comes from the same station – Lingwood - as the previously reported provisional record. As part of the usual Met Office verification process, the site weather assessment team identified the original figure was incorrectly reported as an average through a defined period, rather than the usual daily maximum at the site. The verification process corrected this and confirmed the 38°C figure, reported with the consistent operating practices used across the country’s weather network.

Verification of the figure puts 38°C as the new highest June temperature on record in the UK, with the rigorous validation process confirming the figure.  

A number of other provisional records have also been verified, or discounted, due to this stringent verification process.

This national meteorological service process includes a site inspection and check of the equipment. In addition, the data provided undergoes a series of quality control checks for their meteorological feasibility, including that of neighbouring station comparisons and minute-by-minute analysis.

When stations or instruments don’t meet the high national and international standards, provisional records are rejected and a verification process takes place at the next highest-ranking site.

The new records confirmed are as below:

  • UK and England June highest daily maximum temperature: 38.0°C, Lingwood, 26 June 2026.
  • Wales June highest daily maximum temperature: 35.1°C, Hawarden, 26 June 2026.
  • Northern Ireland June highest daily maximum temperature: 30.8°C, Castlederg, 25 June 2026.
  • UK and England June highest daily minimum temperature: 23.2°C, Hastings, 26 June 2026.
  • Wales June highest daily minimum temperature: 22.7°C, Tenby, 25 June 2026.
  • Northern Ireland June highest daily minimum temperature: 19.1°C, Murlough, 26 June 2026.

Met Office Surface Observations Operations Manager Katharine O’Boyle said: “All our official land surface weather data is subject to the highest national and international standards, this additional quality assurance process for notable records ensures that we’re as accurate and consistent as possible.”

Rejected figures

Figures are first reported as ‘provisional’ to enable this considered verification process to take place, often utilising further data not available at the time of original recording. If this process cannot affirm the expected levels of confidence during the analysis the figures are rejected.

Such is the rigour of this verification process, some sites have been discounted from providing new records on this occasion. A broken slat on the Stevenson Screen at Wiggonholt invalidated the readings from that site and remedial work is now underway.

The site at Eastbourne was also discounted as the grass was too long and nearby interference at the site didn’t meet usual high standard and so this data was excluded from the daily extremes.

In addition, the recent temperature figures reported from Cardiff Bute Park have also been rejected following a detailed review of the site, which found the station no longer meets the standards required for national temperature records.

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