Ben Rich
BBC Weather

As of 3pm, the highest temperature we’ve seen is 37.5C at Cavendish.

Meanwhile, a broad area from East Anglia to London is recording values of 36 or 37C.

The highest temperatures at this time of year are normally recorded around 4 or 5pm, so it’ll be a close-run thing as to whether the all-time UK record is exceeded today.

Either way, we’re forecasting even higher temperatures for some eastern areas tomorrow.

Why are the evenings so hot?published at 15:26 British Summer Time 18 July 2022

15:26 BST 18 July 2022

Nikki Berry
BBC Weather

Why is it taking longer for temperatures to cool down at the end of the day, asks Sarah B in Leamington Spa?

In this current weather pattern, we have an extremely warm air mass pushing up from Spain.

Air masses are defined by the temperature and humidity in a layer 1.5km up in atmosphere. The temperature at that height is expected to peak at between 9 and 10pm this evening for much of England and Wales.

This is also why the temperature will not cool very quickly tonight and why we are likely to see potentially record-breaking overnight temperatures.

Image source, PA Media

Harry Low
BBC London News

Homeless charities have been out since this morning trying to offer support to those on the streets.

They are most concerned about those in tents and have been offering showers and shelter to some of those most in need across London, where UK temperatures are at their highest.

“Rough sleeping is dangerous at any time of year but during the heat we’re seeing this week in particular, it can be life threatening,” says Claire Hopkins, Westminster street outreach manager, at St Mungo’s.

“We’re providing sun cream, water and triaging people to indoor spaces to get respite from the heat."

What have they come across so far today?

“We’ve seen lots of people struggling in the heat," she adds. "Some of our rough sleepers have blistered skin.

"They're very keen to get inside and have a little bit of a break from the relentless heat.”

A 16-year-old boy has died after getting into difficulty in a lake in Berkshire, police have confirmed.

Officers from Thames Valley Police were called to Bray Lake, near Maidenhead, at 11.45am on Monday. A body was found just after 1.30pm and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Supt Michael Greenwood, LPA Commander for Windsor and Maidenhead, said it was an "absolute tragedy".

His next of kin have been informed, he added.

More here

A red extreme heat warning, external has been issued by the Met Office for Monday and Tuesday in much of England.

But the Met Office is forecasting cooler Atlantic air to arrive from the west later on Tuesday, bringing temperatures down to more normal levels.

Sarah Keith-Lucas
BBC Weather

Is this scaremongering? No.

When we say these temperatures are unprecedented we mean truly unprecedented in records going back over 150 years.

When temperature records are broken, its usually only by a fraction of a degree rather than by several degrees (which we may see over the next few days).

The widespread impact to health and infrastructure cannot be over-emphasised.

Our transport networks and buildings are not designed to withstand temperatures this high and our bodies are just not accustomed to this kind of heat.

Rowan Bridge
BBC News

Nine-year-old Evie is surprised how hot it is in school today and is glad she didn’t have to wear her uniform as it is “normally black and white.”

Sweatshirts and trousers at Rosedale Primary School in Doncaster are out - in favour of t-shirts and shorts.

With PE lessons cancelled, Evie says play time looks different too and is "a bit boring, but I understand that if we do run, we will get really tired and hot and sweaty.”

Headteacher Sarah Gallacher says the weather is unprecedented, so as the day goes on she will review measures and see how things are going.

In the Year Four classroom, three fans are on and the blinds are shut but the teachers may have to move the students later to a cooler area of the school as things heat up.

Heather Bell, the lunchtime supervisor, didn’t sleep very well last night and says some of the students are uncomfortable and tired. But when they heard ice pops were on the menu, there was a big cheer.

Her top tip for parents is to encourage their children to drink plenty of water and to keep them as still as possible, so to try activities like “colouring and reading books, not running about”.

Nikki Berry
BBC Weather

The Met Office has recorded Santon Downham in Suffolk as the highest temperature in England so far today at 36.4C.

It says it was 36.3C at Heathrow and Cavendish at 2pm, while 36.2C at St James Park and Kew Gardens.

The highest temperatures across other nations are:

• Wales - 35.3C at Gogerddan - thought to be Wales' highest temperature ever
• Scotland - 30.2C at Aboyne
• Northern Ireland - 28.8C at Armagh

It's provisionally the hottest day on record in Wales, according to the Met Office.

Gogerddan has reached 35.3°C so far today, exceeding the previous high of 35.2°C at Hawarden Bridge, Flintshire on 2 August 1990.

The temperature record still needs to be verified to check the site and equipment to ensure there are no problems.

Pallab Ghosh
Science correspondent, BBC News

Image source, Getty Images

Remember the good old days? Snowy winters, idyllic summers that were just balmy enough? Nostalgia is selective of course, recalling treasured moments from our past.

But for decades, Britain’s climate has indeed been changing in line with what science has been saying about global warming.

Data from an annual UK climate report shows that this century so far has been warmer than the previous three centuries. And the top 10 warmest years for the UK since 1884 have occurred since 2002.

Between 2011 and 2022 there were 25% fewer days of air frost and 20% fewer days of ground frost compared to the average between 1961 and 1990.

Meanwhile, winters have got wetter: 2020 was the UK's fifth wettest year in a series since 1862.

And scientists say there's more to come, with days on average getting hotter and wetter more often.

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas will ask an urgent question in the Commons later this afternoon, about the heatwave and "the government’s preparedness for the extreme heat in the UK".

We'll bring you updates on that later.

Image source, Getty Images

The heat has been building through the day, as forecasters say we could hit 41C later this afternoon.

That’s a big number - but pay attention too to the number of degrees by which temperature the record could be broken.

The previous record was 38.7C in 2019. It may sound small, but a 2C+ jump would be significant.

And comparing today’s temperatures with the past 100 years also shows how unusual this heat is.

In 1922, the maximum temperature on 18 July was 19.9C., external

And 50 years ago it was 24.5C.

In 1997, on the same day, it was 20.1C.

Carol Kirkwood
BBC Weather Presenter

Today and tomorrow across the UK we are looking at unprecedented levels of heat. You will have heard us talk frequently in the last few days about the possibility of reaching 40C today in some parts of south-east England with the potential of it being even hotter tomorrow across parts of the Midlands, East Anglia and eastern England.

We have never recorded temperatures like this before. The Met Office has issued a red extreme heat warning for the first time ever, for today and tomorrow, that covers a large area across England.

This means dangerous weather is expected and you should take action now to keep yourself and others safe from the impacts of severe weather.

There is also an amber weather warning which is running in tandem with the above, and covers all of England, Wales, southern and eastern parts of Scotland.

This means there is an increased likelihood of impacts due to severe weather. The impacts we are talking about in both instances will be on health and infrastructure.

Whilst there is a tendency to focus on the potentially highest temperatures ever recorded in the UK, it is most definitely worth pointing out that a temperature of 36C in Hull, or 38C in Birmingham are not values we would expect in the UK mid-July either.

Malcolm Prior
BBC Rural Affairs Producer

Image source, Getty Images

When it comes to working the land, farmers have to be ready for all extremes of weather - but this heatwave is something different. And the full impact of these hot and dry conditions on the UK’s food production might not be known for weeks and months to come.

The National Farmers Union says it’s too early to say how hard hit the yield and quality of crops will be.

In the meantime, farmers - already facing sky-high fuel and fertiliser prices – are struggling with the increased costs of pumping water around their fields.

And a lack of rain now will mean poor grass growth may hit fodder supplies in the winter – yet more cost for livestock farmers.

As for today, they’ll simply be trying to do their best to keep their cattle in the shade and their water troughs filled.

From buckets of ice to freezing your socks, there are things we can all do to feel more comfortable during the UK heatwave.

BBC Look East reporter Helen Mulroy has compiled some top tips for keeping cool at home.

Image source, .

Nine out of ten of the hottest days ever recorded in the UK have been since 1990, according to the Met Office.

The only date that makes it into the top ten from an earlier period was 9 Aug 1911, when the temperature hit 36.7 in Raunds in Northamptonshire.

The great heatwave of 1976 doesn’t figure, even though in that year there were 15 consecutive days at 32C or above.

The highest temperature in 1976 was 35.9C, recorded in Cheltenham.

The highest temperature ever recorded in the UK was 38.7C, at Cambridge Botanic Gardens on 25 July 2019.

How can we cool our bodies down?published at 13:13 British Summer Time 18 July 2022

13:13 BST 18 July 2022

Michelle Roberts
Health editor, BBC News online

S. Wilson, 60, in Nottingham, wonders if there is any merit to wearing a damp cloth around the neck to help keep the body cool.

As well as drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated, cooling your skin with water is a good idea if you are struggling with the heat.

When liquids evaporate from surfaces they cool them. You could use a cool wet sponge or flannel or a cool water spray.

Cold packs around the neck and armpits can also help. Do what feels comfortable for you.

Image source, EPA

Hugh Pym
BBC News Health Editor

At St Helier hospital in south-west London many of the buildings pre-date the foundation of the NHS in 1948.

Very few wards have air conditioning.

Temperatures inside the hospital are already above 30C. Staff have been asked to do extra shifts with the anticipated increased number of admissions.

Chief medical Dr Ruth Charlton says: “Our hospitals are very busy - without air conditioning we are struggling to keep patients and staff as cool as we would like - the buildings are not fit to deliver the 21st century healthcare we would like to deliver in normal circumstances let alone at this time of extreme heat”.

The BBC's Sharon Barbour added that York and Scarborough hospitals are restricting visiting to the cooler part of the day, after 6pm.

Matt Taylor
BBC Weather

At midday, the temperature had already reached 34.8C at Charlwood, Surrey.

There is still three or four hours of warming and temperatures rising ahead of us.

Should schools close in the hot weather?published at 12:52 British Summer Time 18 July 2022

12:52 BST 18 July 2022

Alice Evans
BBC Education reporter

Kelly Ng asks if schools should close for younger students during this extreme heat?

Schools haven't been ordered to close. Instead, the government has asked school leaders to take steps to make sure pupils stay safe and comfortable.

Government guidance, external issued for schools in England includes:

• Giving children lots of water
• Closing windows and blinds, as long as classrooms stay ventilated
• Using mechanical fans
• Watching out for signs of heatstroke and exhaustion

Other steps schools are taking include relaxing uniform rules, handing out ice lollies and rescheduling sports days.

Some have decided to close early and others are choosing to close completely.