UK cools to 25C as Met Office extends amber extreme-heat warning after thunderstorms

The UK is set to cool into the mid-20s Celsius, but the Met Office has kept an amber extreme-heat warning in force for parts of the East and South East until 9am on Sunday.

Forecasters expect temperatures to fall to around 25C to 26C in the east, with mid-20s elsewhere, marking a clear shift away from the peak heat seen earlier in the week. Even so, the warning remains in place as lingering heat continues to pose risks in East Anglia and nearby areas.

Cooling after the heat

The update comes after a late-June heatwave that pushed conditions to dangerous levels across parts of England and Wales. Coverage reviewed for this story said temperatures reached 37.3C in Santon Downham, Suffolk, during the hottest part of the spell.

The amber warning matters because it signals significant potential impacts on health and social care services. Older people and other vulnerable residents in the warned region remain the main concern as the weather begins to ease.

That means the story is not simply about a cooler day arriving. It is also about the tail end of an extreme weather episode, when heat-related pressure can continue even after temperatures start to fall.

Storm disruption to travel

Thunderstorms followed the heatwave and caused major disruption across southern England, especially at Heathrow and Gatwick. Flights were delayed or cancelled as the severe weather moved through the region.

NATS said the disruption was expected to continue through the rest of Saturday because of severe weather in south-east England. The air traffic impact added to the strain already created by days of intense heat.

The scale of the disruption varied between reports. The Guardian said more than 600 flights were delayed or cancelled, while The Times reported nearly 120 cancellations and about 900 delays across Heathrow, Gatwick and other UK airports.

What happens next

The immediate question is whether the Met Office lets the amber warning expire after 9am on Sunday, June 28, 2026, and whether cooler Atlantic air fully settles across the country. Forecasters are also watching for any further thunderstorm warnings.

For travellers, the next 12 to 24 hours will be shaped by how quickly airports and airlines recover from Saturday's disruption. For people in the warned areas, the key point is that the health risk does not end the moment the temperature drops.

This is a transition from record heat to cooler conditions, but the effects of the heatwave are still working through transport, services and public health.