Met Office issues 'sinister' warning for future after UK sees hottest June ever

03 July 2023 , 13:09

746     0

Met Office issues 'sinister' warning for future after UK sees hottest June ever

Last month was the hottest June on record, the Met Office has confirmed today.

June's average mean temperature of 15.8C beats the previous record of 14.9C but Met Office has stressed this is a warning climate change is having a huge impact.

Paul Davies, Met Office climate extremes principal fellow and chief meteorologist, said: "The background warming of the Earth's atmosphere due to human induced climate change has driven up the possibility of reaching record high temperatures.

"Using our... climate projections, we can also see that there is a difference in the frequency of these sorts of extremes depending on the emissions scenario we follow in the future.

"By the 2050s the chance of surpassing the previous record of 14.9C could be as high as around 50 per cent, or every other year."

Gales, snow and rain to batter country today with 80mph wind gusts

People out last month on a hot day by The River Thames in Oxfordshire (Geoffrey Swaine/REX/Shutterstock)

Climate change and energy journalist, Hannah Thomas-Peter, wrote: "The 'fingerprint of climate change' on the UK’s June temperature record is a stark declaration from the Met Office.

"The phrase invokes something sinister, as far away as possible from any celebration of a lovely warm June."

The hottest day last month was June 10 when temperatures reached 32.2C in Chertsey, Surrey.

Visitors enjoy the hot weather in the sea at Weymouth beach on June 15 (Getty Images)

Rainfall was at only 68 per cent of its average for June too, and the drier month led to a hosepipe pipe for households in the Southeast of England.

The previous record, of 14.9C, was set in both 1940 and 1976. Records began in 1884.

But some 72 counties across the UK set their hottest June since 1957, including Surrey, Somerset and Orkney, many of which recorded a mean temperature more than 2.5C above average.

Last month was officially the hottest June on record (Geoffrey Swaine/REX/Shutterstock)

Mark McCarthy, who works in the team responsible for weather and climate records for Met Office, said: "It's officially the hottest June on record for the UK, for mean temperature as well as average maximum and minimum temperature.

"June started with a good deal of high pressure and temperatures initially around average for many, but once that subsided, warm, humid air began to influence temperatures, with 32.2C the highest temperatures reached.

"What's striking is the persistent warmth for much of the month, with temperatures widely into the mid 20Cs for many and even into the low 30s at times."

Temperatures look set to remain humid and warm throughout July (Getty Images)

Mirror reported last week how the balmy heatwave is set to return this month too - with temperatures to reach their peaks at around Saturday July 15.

Tips to stop windscreen freezing and prevent blades from sticking to window

It means tennis fans can expect to watch Wimbledon Womens' Final in the sun, and racegoers can bake at Summer Mile Family Raceday at Ascot.

Schools typically break up for the summer around one week later.

Bradley Jolly