What is the hottest day on record in UK? when it was recorded, peak temperature, could it be surpassed

The UK could see temperatures as high as 35C this weekend, amid wildfires, drought, and thunderstorms.

It comes as the southern half of the UK has been beset by drought conditions this weekend, while the northern half braces for thunderstorms on Sunday.

An amber heat warning has been issued by the Met Office.

This means heat-related illnesses including sunburn and heat exhaustion are “likely” among the general population, and delays to public transport are “possible”.

Meanwhile, yellow thunderstorm warnings are in place from noon on Sunday until 6am on Monday for most of Scotland and Northern Ireland, and from 10am until midnight for Wales and England.

Met Office meteorologist Dan Stroud said that the weather will continue to be dry across the south.

But what is the hottest day on record in the UK?

When was the hottest day on record?

The Met Office has declared that Tuesday 19 July 2022 is the hottest day on record.

A new record for the hottest day ever seen in the UK, of 40.3C, was recorded in Coningsby, in Lincolnshire.

It beats the previous record of 38.7C in Cambridge recorded in 2019.

The same day, Scotland also recorded its hottest day ever as temperatures climbed to 34.8C on 19 July.

The temperature was recorded at Charterhall, in the Scottish Borders, according to provisional Met Office figures, and beat an almost 19-year-old record by 1.9C.

Dr Mark McCarthy, from the Met Office National Climate Information Centre, said: “Historically UK summer heatwaves would typically tend to peak in the low 30s Celsius with extreme events reaching the mid-30s.

“The UK climate has been warming since the mid 20th Century, and this has been accompanied by similar increase in the hottest day of the year, which for the most recent decade has been 0.8C higher when compared with the period 1961-1990.

“Climate change has increased the likelihood and severity of heatwave episodes across Europe, which will have also increased the risks of a 40.0 C temperature event in the UK.”

Where was it recorded?

The hottest day on record - Tuesday 19 July 2022 - was recorded in Coningsby, in Lincolnshire.

Could it be surpassed?

An amber weather warning is in place for heat in parts of the UK - including southern England and Wales.

It comes as temperatures could reach as high as 35C.

While it is extremely warm, it would not beat the record set in July of this year.

Met Office meteorologist Dan Stroud said that the weather will continue to be dry across the south.

“For the rest of the weekend, across the south, there will be a continuation of the very dry and hot conditions,” he said.

“We’re looking at temperatures, for the remainder of Saturday, of up to 34C or 35C across the south, feeling a little bit fresher across the north, but temperatures up there still well above where they should be for the time of year.

“As we move into, into Sunday, a slight change with low pressure starting to arrive from the south.

“There is an increasing risk of some isolated showers across Devon and Cornwall, very early on Sunday.

“Most places still generally dry and fine, with some strong August sunshine, with those temperatures rising rapidly during the course of Sunday morning and into the afternoon.”

What is the hottest temperature recorded on Earth?

The hottest day on record, according to the Guinness World Records, was recorded at Greenland Ranch, Death Valley, California.

A temperature of 56.7°C (134°F) was recorded at the location on 10 July 1913.