Met Office: UK experienced hottest June on record as average monthly temperature topped 15.8C

The Met Office has said that the UK experienced its hottest June since record began, smashing the previous records recorded in 1940 and 1976.

The average monthly temperature in June 2023 reached 15.8C. This marked a 0.9C increase on the record last set almost four decades ago.

The meteorological service said that 72 out of the 97 areas on the country measure for temperature broke the record. It also added that while the average temperature hit new heights, temperatures across all parts of the UK individually hit the highest level since records began in 1884.

Experts have placed the blame for soaring temperatures on climate change. Scientists in the field have said that climate change had made the chance of breaking to 1940 and 1976 joint-record of 14.9C almost twice as likely.

Mark McCarthy, the Met Office's climate science manager, said: “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-20s Celsius for many and even into the low 30s at times.”

A lack of rainfall during the month was also noted, with only 68% of the average June rainfall recorded in 2023 at 52.2mm. The Met Office said that Wales saw a particularly dry month, reaching just over 50% of its average monthly rainfall for June.

The mixture of a lack of rainfall and warm, dry weather has raised concerns for a number of sectors, including the fishing industry. Experts in the field have warned that the UK could experience more fish deaths if temperatures continue to climb.

Mark Owen, head of fisheries at Angling Trust, said: “Where I was this morning on a canal near Birmingham, fish were caught up against a lock and you saw hundreds of seagulls picking up the dead fish, the stench was really quite amazing.

“If July is like June, if August is like June, then we will get far more fish kills than we’ve ever seen. There is a knock-on effect.

“The fish are the visible bit because that’s what people see floating on the surface but it is also (about) what is happening to the ecosystem.”

 John Ellis of the Canal and River Trust added that along with the record-breaking temperatures seen in June, the number of fish deaths reported in the same period as a result of weather has been "unprecedented".

Mr Ellis told the BBC's Today programme: “We’ve had more than 60 fish mortality incidents on 21 different canals up and down the UK and to put that into perspective, a typical year we may see half-a-dozen incidents.”