A blistering heatwave is set to deliver the hottest-ever start to Wimbledon, with temperatures expected to soar to 35 degrees Celsius.
Forecasters predict highs of 34 degrees Celsius across central and eastern England on Monday, making it one of the hottest June days on record.
Since 1960, temperatures in the U.K. have exceeded 34 degrees Celsius in June on just three occasions, with the hottest being 35.6 degrees, recorded on June 28, 1976.
Parts of southeast England could reach 35 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, forecaster Matthew Lenhert said – hotter than conditions in Barbados.
Wimbledon is set for its warmest opening day on record Monday and could even experience the highest temperature ever recorded during the London tournament.
The hottest Wimbledon day occurred on July 1, 2015, when temperatures reached 35.7 degrees Celsius. The warmest opening day was June 25, 2001, when temperatures hit 29.3 degrees.
The hottest day of 2025 in the U.K. so far was recorded June 21 in Surrey, in southern England, where the mercury hit 33.2 degrees Celsius.
A second amber heat-health alert in two weeks went into effect Friday.
The alert – covering London, the East Midlands, Southeast, Southwest and East of England – will remain in place until Tuesday evening.
The U.K. Health Security Agency also issued a yellow alert for Yorkshire and the Humber and the West Midlands for the same period, warning of significant impacts across health and social care services.
An amber alert had previously been issued for all regions in England on June 19 – the first such alert since September 2023.
An official heatwave is declared when areas record specific temperature thresholds for three consecutive days. The thresholds vary by region, ranging from 25 to 28 degrees Celsius across the U.K.
London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Thomas Goodall said in a statement: “London is already facing its second heatwave of the year, and we know that people will be looking forward to getting outside to enjoy the wonderful weather.
“But the high temperatures and low rainfall in recent months mean the current risk of wildfires is severe. So far this year, firefighters have responded to around 14 wildfires in the capital.”
