No one could have escaped the fact that much of the UK has experienced aN exceptional run of heat this year with five heatwaves recorded by mid-August, beginning as early as May.
June brought particularly exceptional temperatures, with 37.7°C recorded at Lingwood, Norfolk, on 26th June – a new UK record for the highest June daily maximum, overtaking the previous record of 35.6°C set in 1976. Wales also broke its June record, reaching 35.9°C in Cardiff.
By July, the UK had achieved an unprecedented milestone: temperatures of 35°C or higher had been recorded in May, June and July of the same year for the first time in the UK’s weather record. The number of days reaching 30°C had also matched the total recorded during the exceptionally hot summer of 1976.
The fifth heatwave peaked in August, with 38.1°C recorded at Kew Gardens, London, on 13th August – the UK’s hottest temperature of 2026 so far and the country’s fifth-highest temperature on record.
The continued heat has also contributed to severe drought, record wildfire activity and substantial pressure on water resources. With the Met Office reporting that summer 2026 is on course to challenge the record set just last year, the events of this summer further demonstrate why overheating and climate resilience need to be considered important elements of modern building design.
The UK’s 2026 heatwaves have highlighted numerous issues including a significantly growing problem: many buildings are simply not designed to remain comfortable during prolonged periods of extreme heat.
The impact on occupants has included:
- Overheating and discomfort: Buildings can retain heat, with internal temperatures remaining high even overnight. This is particularly problematic in homes, offices, schools, health and care settings.
- Sleep and wellbeing: Poorly ventilated, overheated buildings can make it difficult for occupants to sleep and recover, while excessive heat can affect concentration, productivity and general wellbeing.
- Health risks: Older people and other vulnerable occupants are particularly susceptible to heat-related illness. England recorded significant heat-associated mortality among older age groups even before this year’s extreme conditions.
- Workplace disruption: This summer, overheating has made some London offices particularly uncomfortable or effectively unusable, increasing demand for air conditioning and making thermal comfort a more important consideration for businesses and tenants. London and other built-up areas are particularly susceptible to the heat island effect as it is.
- Schools and education: Excessive classroom temperatures have contributed to school closures and made learning and teaching more problematic during heatwaves.
- Healthcare pressures: The consequences have been particularly serious in hospitals. Recent data found average July ward temperatures of 31.9°C across 33 NHS trusts, with one recorded internal temperature reaching 41.8°C. Excessive heat has affected patients and staff and contributed to problems with equipment and some clinical procedures.
Hoe Valley School in Woking now boasts Solinear’s stunning bespoke Medera Western Red Cedar solar shading fins and projecting brise soleil system, adding natural warmth and elegance to its design while reducing solar glare.
The broader lesson for building design is significant
Thermal comfort can no longer be considered primarily a winter heating issue in the UK. Buildings need to be designed to manage both heat loss and heat gain.
This supports the case for passive measures such as external solar shading, effective ventilation, appropriate glazing as well as thoughtful building orientation. External shading is particularly valuable because it prevents solar radiation from entering the building in the first place, reducing the heat load that occupants and mechanical cooling systems subsequently have to deal with. Current guidance and research increasingly emphasise passive measures as part of a climate-resilient approach as we experience even more erratic and unpredictable weather.
Edit: Just when we thought it was all over and we were celebrating that much-needed wet stuff falling from the sky, according to the Met office, we’re heading for heatwave no.6.
