Met Office Issues Red Warning for Forecast 39C in Parts of England and Wales

The Met Office issued a red weather warning at 9am on 2026-06-24 for parts of southern Wales, central England and southern England. Forecasters said Bristol could reach 39C on 2026-06-25, surpassing the June record of 35.6C. The Climate Change Committee stated last month that the UK is built for a climate that no longer exists.

It also warned on 2026-06-24 about the country’s policies for reaching net zero. Last week the Major Oak in Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire, was pronounced dead. The tree, managed by the RSPB, had stood for between 800 and 1200 years.

The RSPB attributed its death in part to extreme heat and drought. A single mature oak can support more than 2,300 insect, fungi, bird and mammal species. Met Office scientists predict the UK will reach 45C by 2056.

Temperatures first exceeded 40C in July 2022. Swifts fell from the sky in London, dehydrated fox cubs, baby birds and hedgehogs were taken to the RSPCA, and many nature reserves fell silent as insects sought shelter. Trees dropped leaves in summer rather than autumn because of water shortages.

2025 was a record year for UK wildfires. The largest blaze occurred around Dava in the Scottish Highlands and was described as the country’s first megafire. Britain has lost 90 percent of its wetland habitats in the last 500 years.

Beavers have been reintroduced in parts of the UK to help retain water. Forestry England has identified sycamore, rowan and Corsican pine as species likely to cope with future conditions.