UK braces for record June heatwave as England draw with Ghana

The Met Office put much of England on a Red Extreme Heat Warning for Wednesday and Thursday, with readings of up to 38C possible in parts of the country. The warning covered the West Midlands, East Midlands, South East England, South West England, London and the East of England, and the UK Health Security Agency escalated red heat-health alerts for those areas from 1am on Wednesday 24 June until 11pm on Thursday 25 June.

The heat and humidity could strain public health, infrastructure, power and water supplies, transport and energy. June’s all-time daily temperature record stands at 35.6C, set in Southampton in June 1976, and the Met Office said that mark will be surpassed. Tropical nights, when temperatures stay high after dark, were also expected in some areas, especially cities where heat lingers in built-up streets and homes.

England’s 0-0 draw with Ghana in the FIFA World Cup 2026 offered a different kind of heat for Wednesday’s papers. The match at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Tuesday 23 June ended with both sides on four points in Group L, leaving England and Ghana needing results in their final matches on 27 June.

England dominated the ball but could not convert late chances, outshooting Ghana 19-1 without finding a winner. FIFA recorded attendance of 63,983. The teams had met only once before, a 1-1 friendly at Wembley in March 2011, and in FIFA's rankings England were fourth, Ghana 73rd.