UK weather maps show hottest day of year as 12 counties hit 38C or more – list

UK weather maps show hottest day of year as 12 counties hit 38C or more – list Weather forecasting models suggest this week’s heatwave could reach a staggering 39C on Thursday - which would be the hottest day so far in 2026 The UK could face the hottest day of the year so far on Thursday as weather models suggest temperatures may peak as high as 39C. Met Office forecasters have already issued an amber extreme heat warning ahead of Thursday. The current temperature record for 2026 stands at 37.7C, which came on June 26 in Lingwood, Norfolk. Temperatures are expected to surge into the mid-30s from Wednesday. The GFS model shows highs of 36C are on the cards in western parts of England tomorrow. Much of the south could reach 35C, with South Wales hitting 33C, the Midlands reaching 34C, and areas as far north as Yorkshire rising to 33C. Temperatures are expected to be a fair few notches cooler in Northern Ireland and Scotland. Thursday should be the hottest day this week. The GFS model shows scorching 39C highs are possible in Gloucestershire, with 38C potentially coming quite widely in western and southern parts of England. Temperature anomaly maps for Thursday show England and Wales shaded in black. This indicates where temperatures will rise well above the seasonal average for this time of year. In total, the GFS model maps suggest 12 counties could reach 38C or more on Thursday. They are all in England. UK counties facing 38C or more - Shropshire - Hereford - Worcestershire - Gloucestershire - Warwickshire - Staffordshire - Oxfordshire - Buckinghamshire - Berkshire - Wiltshire - Hampshire - Northamptonshire Met Office weather forecast “We’ll probably see highs reaching the mid-30s quite widely on Wednesday, and indeed on Thursday too for England and Wales,” Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said. “On Wednesday, probably the Midlands, maybe a little bit further south, the M4 corridor, west of London, up towards the Midlands, is where we might have a small chance of reaching 36C in one or two spots. “But Thursday at this stage looks the most likely hottest day of the week. So 36C is a fairly reasonable probability locally on Thursday and there’s a small chance it could get even higher than that.”