26 June 2026, 12:36
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What is causing this heatwave? And why does it feel so much hotter than it is? Here, the weather experts explain exactly why the UK and Europe are so hot.
June in the UK has brought with it the second heatwave of the year already and this one is busy smashing all the weather records – so what exactly is causing it?
From the hottest ever day temperature recorded this month to the hottest night, the UK has also seen its first ever three-day red weather warning.
But while many of us are very much feeling the 35C plus heat, it could all be down to an intense heat dome above us.
High humidity, a string of tropical nights (where temperatures don’t fall below 20C) and a large area of pressure have all contributed to making the weather feel unbearable.
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The heat dome has been described as the “driving force” behind the intensity by Dr Akshay Deoras, senior research scientist at the University of Reading.
He told BBC Weather said: “This is not just a heatwave, it is a heat-dome driven furnace that will grip most of the southern UK and push temperatures into truly exceptional territory.”
So what exactly is a heat dome? It’s described as when the air is sinking down through the atmosphere, which compresses and heats up as it hits the ground.
The sinking air also means no clouds can form, leaving the sun able to heat the ground up even further.
As the dome is centred more over France, who have been experiencing 40C plus temperatures, the UK is slightly more west and has therefore combatted an airflow of hotter and moister air.
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Further weather experts have weighed in on the heatwave cause debates and have also pointed the finger at global warming.
The Met Office has forecast that intense heatwaves like this one will increase world wide. Professor Stephen Belcher CBE, Met Office Chief Scientist, said: “The heatwave this week is a significant weather event, with a Red Extreme Heat warning issued. Human induced climate change has made events like this more likely and more intense.
“To see temperatures like this in the UK in June is sobering. Events like this bring home the implications of climate change.
The heatwave is due to end this weekend as temperatures begin to drop slightly.
Saturday 26th will still see highs of 30C but by Sunday it will fall to 26C with even cooler temperatures coming in the following week.
