Heatwave: What is the UK temperature record as Met Office shows part of Hampshire is close to breaking it

The UK temperature record could be broken here in Hampshire today - and one island is close to it already.

Temperatures could hit 40 degrees Celsius on Wednesday and Thursday in some parts of England and Wales as a “heat-dome” settling over western Europe has brought extreme conditions across the continent.

A red Met Office weather warning for extreme heat covering an area stretching from London to Swansea and Somerset to Birmingham came into force at 9am on Wednesday, June 24, and is due to last until 9pm on Thursday, June 25.

During the peak of the heatwave on these two days, the temperature could come close to the UK’s all-time high of 40.3 degrees, which was measured in Lincolnshire in July 2022.

BBC weather forecaster Chris Fawkes said he expected the June temperature record to get “absolutely smashed”, telling the Today programme: “I think this afternoon we’re probably looking at highs reaching around 37 degrees, maybe 38, so by a big margin we are likely to set a new June temperature record.”

Already, one part of Hampshire is close to breaking that record.

Live data from the Met Office shows Hayling Island is already at 39 degrees Celsius, putting it within touching distance of that 40.3 degree record. The forecast was for the island - which is part of the Havant borough - to peak at 37 degrees this afternoon.

At the time of publication, the temperatures in our patch are as follows:

Portsmouth: 33 degrees Celsius

Fareham: 30 degrees Celsius

Gosport: 33 degrees Celsius

Havant: 32 degrees Celsius

Hayling Island: 39 degrees Celsius

Rowland’s Castle: 31 degrees Celsius

Winchester: 31 degrees Celsius