The UK is bracing for the hottest June on record as temperatures could reach 40C in the red weather warning zone. Yesterday, over 300 schools across England and Wales closed due to the soaring temperatures, and Londoners argued over the raging thunderstorm that struck the capital overnight. Tube and rail delays were also rife as multiple routes across the country struggled with rising temperatures, sparking disruption for many commuters. Additional disruption is expected across the country as the heatwave continues today, with National Rail urging people to travel only when ‘absolutely necessary’. Meanwhile, the London Underground continues to experience some delays, currently affecting Bakerloo and Hammersmith & City lines as the rush hour gets underway. Follow the latest on the UK heatwave with our live blog right here. Live Feed Sort: Newest first Oldest first Pinned Update June 23, 2026 10:31 am Where are London cool spaces? Noora Mykkanen A map shows where you can find designated cool spaces, drinking fountains and canopy cover in London (Picture: London.gov.uk) London is likely to feel unbearable this week as the temperatures could reach 37C on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Many homes are not designed for extreme heat, and flats can become heat traps. Due to more frequent and extreme heatwaves, the City Hall and Mayor have put together a handy map showing where Londoners can escape the sweltering conditions, including drinking fountains and cooling spots nearby. June 23, 2026 11:27 pm Thanks for following our live coverage of the heatwave to end heatwaves. This blog will resume in the morning. Barney Davis June 23, 2026 11:11 pm Passengers forced to walk along rails at Finsbury Park Barney Davis Train passengers compared themselves to being stuck in an oven when their Great Northern Train broke down for 2 hours outside Finsbury ParOver 200 passengers were all walked off the train and along the tracks to Drayton Park.One complained on Facebook: They had no plan. This was an example of putting bureaucracy first, not people’s wellbeing.’ June 23, 2026 11:07 pm Hosepipe bans coming into force Barney Davis A hosepipe ban has been put in place by South East Water in Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire.The company said it treated and supplied 644m litres of water on Sunday 56m litres more than the average.South East Water warned that demand was likely to rise further as temperatures increase in the coming days. It said the restrictions were necessary to help maintain supplies.Other water companies have also encouraged customers to reduce usage. In a post on X, Wessex Water urged people to avoid watering their lawns, writing: ‘Grass is tougher than it looks. It naturally copes during hot, dry spells,’ adding that ‘with warmer weather returning [reducing lawn watering] is an easy way to save water’. June 23, 2026 10:30 pm No freak thunderstorms planned for tonight but don’t worry you will still have that ‘exceptional’ heat tomorrow Barney Davis A very warm start to Wednesday morning 🌡️Some low cloud possible to start, but this soon clearing to bring wall-to-wall blue skies for many ☀️It is going to be an exceptionally hot day ahead with both amber and red extreme heat warnings in places ⚠️⚠️ pic.twitter.com/2R0LAPvDPe— Met Office (@metoffice) June 23, 2026 June 23, 2026 10:11 pm Police put dispersal orders in place to stop youth carnage at seaside during heatwave Barney Davis Dispersal orders have been put in place across Kent’s town centres and seafronts for the next 48 hours.Patrols will be out to remind people to socialise responsibly or face action taken against them.The Section 34 dispersal orders became active in Ramsgate, Margate, and Westgate, as well as the Westwood area of Broadstairs, from 2pm on Tuesday 23 June 2026.An order covering Broadstairs town centre and seafront started earlier in the day at 11am and has already resulted in more than 15 people being dispersed. June 23, 2026 9:52 pm Abandon all ye hope Barney Davis This is the A406 this morning (credit: @richstowching) A white Mercedes was left stranded in deep floodwater on the North Circular after torrential rain and thunderstorms battered London overnight, with the road underwater in parts.It comes right in the middle of the… pic.twitter.com/Ghk3IQN8I6— UB1UB2 West London (Southall) (@UB1UB2) June 23, 2026 June 23, 2026 7:15 pm Hundreds of schools to close in next few days Barney Davis Hundreds of schools will fully or partially close over the next few days because of the extreme heat, with temperatures set to hit record highs.A ‘heat-dome’ settling over western Europe could bring temperatures of nearly 40C by Wednesday, with this latest heatwave expected to surpass the record for June of 35.6C set in Hampshire in 1976.A red weather warning for extreme heat covering an area stretching from London to Swansea and Somerset to Birmingham was issued by the Met Office from 9am on Wednesday to 9pm on Thursday.The temperature could come close to the UK’s all-time high of 40.3C which was measured in July 2022.Some 100 schools in Somerset will be closed over the next three days, with the vast majority fully closed on Wednesday and Thursday, according to Somerset Council.Around 100 schools will also be at least partially closed over the next three days in Buckinghamshire, along with 86 schools in Gloucestershire, according to council data.Children at some schools have been told they can wear PE kit rather than full school uniform, which can involve long trousers and blazers. June 23, 2026 6:45 pm London conference on global warming cancelled due to extreme heat Barney Davis June 23, 2026 6:39 pm New WFP (Working From Park) trend emerging in London Barney Davis June 23, 2026 6:13 pm French mum, 33, charged with manslaughter after kids left in hot car Barney Davis Mum charged with manslaughter after brothers, 4 and 2, died in car in 40°C heat June 23, 2026 5:08 pm That’s one way to keep your baba cool in all this Barney Davis The best places with air conditioning to take your baby or toddler in London June 23, 2026 5:05 pm Claims British Airways can’t hand out water on stranded flights Barney Davis Passengers stranded on a delayed flight have been left to suffer without water for hours, it has been claimed.Doc Em posted on X: ‘My daughter has been on a plane on the ground for 3h now. Not your fault. ‘But the staff can’t give anyone any water because the card machines only work once airborne. That’s a bit silly isn’t it?’But people were less impressed by the BA response:They have to be ready to depart at short notice, which won't be possible if they're in the middle of a drinks service. Corry— British Airways (@British_Airways) June 23, 2026 June 23, 2026 3:42 pm Spain activates red weather alert Noora Mykkanen A man pours water over himself to cool off during a hot day amid a heatwave in Madrid, Spain, today (Picture: REUTERS) Spain is also enduring a blistering heatwave like most of southern and central Europe. Officials activated the highest level red alert in several areas, including in two provinces in Andalucia popular among British tourists. Jaén and Cordoba in Andalucia could be hit by 44C, while 40C is likely in Liébana, northern Spain. Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia in the Spanish Basque country are slated for 40C, an area that is usually spared the worst of Spain’s heatwaves thanks to cooler Atlantic climate. In neighbouring France, more than half of the 96 mainland departments have are under a red heat alert. June 23, 2026 3:26 pm Train firms cut schedules during heatwave Noora Mykkanen Brace for longer and busier journeys during the heatwave as the railways will have a host of mitigation measures in place like speed restrictions to protect the railways (Picture: Myles Goode) Commuter train operators have cut their timetables and services have to adhere to temporary speed restrictions on some routes due to extreme heat. Northern, South Western Railway, West Midlands Railway, Chiltern and Great Western Railway are just some of the services that will run a reduced timetable, so it is worth checking with your operator before you travel. Chiltern Railways warned of ‘significant delays and very busy conditions’ today until Thursday as it plans to run fewer than 50% of normal levels on some routes. June 23, 2026 3:15 pm ‘London is cooking’ Noora Mykkanen United Nation’s chief Antonio Guterres spoke about climate during the London Climate Action. His opening line of ‘London isn’t just calling, it’s cooking’ hit close to home as temperatured reached mid-30s today. UN chief warns London is ‘cooking’ amid unprecedented heatwave June 23, 2026 3:07 pm Met Office predicts 45C across England by 2056 Noora Mykkanen If you struggle in the ongoing heatwave, the Met Office’s predictions will be sent a shiver down your spine.The 2056 scenarios, which the Met Office described as ‘plausible,’ are based on the 2.5C global warming average. England could see 45C maximum temperatures 41C in Wales 38C in Scotland 30C in Northern Ireland This what the weather maps could look like within in a few decades as the climate warms and extreme conditions become more common (Picture: Met Office) June 23, 2026 2:52 pm CCTV captures lightning strike over London Noora Mykkanen City of London Police’s security cameras captured lightning strikes raging over the capital last night. One CCTV camera recorded the moment a massive bolt lit up the sky above St Paul’s Cathedral shortly after 2am. Our extensive CCTV cameras in the City captured this superb shot in the early hours of this morning. Safer City Streets means lightning response times, day and night in the Square Mile. pic.twitter.com/yGWA7Tj67k— City of London Police (@CityPolice) June 23, 2026 June 23, 2026 1:57 pm Tube travel status update Noora Mykkanen London Underground has made headlines today, but for all the wrong reasons, as the TfL network was hit by several issues. Here is the line-by-line situation after lunchtime: Central line – Minor delays due to train cancellations between North Acton and Ealing Broadway, North Acton and West Ruislip, Epping and Leytonstone, and Hainault and Leytonstone Circle line – Severe delays on the entire line because of train delaysDistrict line – Severe delays on the entire line because of the earlier signal failure Metropolitan line – Severe delays between Baker Street and Aldgate due to the same signal failure The Overground Mildmay laine and tram are also seeing delays. The entire Mildmay line has minor delays because of hot weather, TfL says. June 23, 2026 1:00 pm Drowning deaths rise in France Noora Mykkanen Dozens of people have drowned in France since last Thursday as the country grapples with the same heatwave as the UK. 40 people have died after being pulled from water across the country. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has activated the emergency plan Orsan 2 in response to the high demand for ambulances linked to the heatwave. Most of France, Spain and Italy are a red heat warning zone. June 23, 2026 12:51 pm Disruption extended on Elizabeth line after points failure Noora Mykkanen Passengers on the Elizabeth line have endured disruption today after flooding at Heathrow and a points failure at Southall, which is ongoing.It will not be resolved until 4pm, National Rail warned. Trains between London Paddington and Reading could be cancelled, delayed by up to 25 minutes or altered.Great Western Railway and Heathrow Express services are also affected.