Looks like the 35 days of 30C is official - reported on Sky yesterday: https://news.sky.com/story/uk-record-for-number-of-days-above-30c-broken-as-new-heatwave-approaches-13571390

That's certainly how I would describe it. Last Thursday was the first day for weeks when I didn't feel hot and sticky at some point during the day, and now we have the heat rebuilding again.

Heathrow had a mean of 20.0C in June and 22.7C in July. The 1991-2020 average mean for Lyon is 20.3C in June and 22.6C in July. So we've had a summer equivalent to two thirds of the way down France, and within touching distance of the French Riviera

The BBC forecast is similar as they are going for 25°C on Wednesday, 26°C on Thursday and 23°C on Friday.

CET DAYS OVER 20c

The number of times in a year the CET was 20c or over. Original TAW research . 

Heres the results.

1 – 1995, - 26 times

2 – 2026 , - 21 times (up to August 8th, this will rise this week)

3 – 1976, - 19

4 – 2006, - 18

5 – 2025, 2022, 2018, - 17

6 – 1997, - 14

7 – 2003, 1983, 1947, - 13

8 – 2023, 1911, 1826, - 12

9 – 2020, 1933, - 11

10 – 2001, - 10

11 – 2019, 1990, 1975, 1955, 1921, 1893, 1878, 1793, - 9

12 – 2021, 1911, 1808, - 8

2026 will claim this record too, and note how in the last 8 years, only 2024 didn’t make the cut.

I think the (late) red warning last time (end of June) was not only the 39°C possibility but the hideous humidity with wbts at some point forecast as high as 30°C.

Thursday's peak heat (currently modelled as 37 over a swathe of SE to Central England (GFS Op, 6z)) comes with mid twenties WBTs and the dewpoints of around just 4°C, equating to about 13% RH.

That said, they didn't upgrade the warning till close to the record day, and an amber had been in place for the previous period. 

July and August 1983 were virtually continually over 25 c in the south.No extreme maxes but a long run of hot.

Indeed, I think it was the dangerous high humidity that was the main reason for the warning. Not being able to sweat and cool off that way can be a killer if you are unaware of the risk.

Might be the extreme dry ground factor that giving off more 4-5C higher than the 850's temps, today only 7.5c 850s that usually give 23 23-24C maxes but this time 29C and it was warm when walking to the lake and the grass so dead i can feel the heat feedback from the dead grass, not cool feeling when it very green.  Back in 2018 when 850's was often 11-13C the surface temps was 28-30C.  Going to be interesting on Thursday if this 19c uppers will give really 37-38C here which GFS been going for this.  Still 29.2C for long while now and wall to wall sunshine so far for the first time in ages not to see clouds.

A lovely cool 21c for Cornwall and Scilly.

Not here. There were long spells but lots of circuit breakers. Massive downpours over the New Forest start of August. Also second half of July a cooler spell.

Nor here either. The official Sheerness station (wish it was still running!) recorded 25 or higher on just 5 days in Jul/Aug 83. The mean max was 21.9 in July and just 20.9 in August - truly a different world. By comparison my mean max for July this year was 26.4, August is currently on 26.8 (not including today as per Cumulus). Right now it's 20.9 outside, and the yacht club by the seafront in Sheerness (not far from where the official station was) is 22.0. 

The difference is back then when it got hot we'd inevitably get a sea breeze. Still days under high pressure in summer were typical, and into the afternoon the breeze would kick in. This time around the heat dome is such that we've often had a southerly or SW'ly steering flow, and that's killed off any sea breeze. And then as the sea itself is now 21 or 22C (it's been flitting between the two for the last month and a half), winds from the sea aren't as cool as they used to be! 

From Trevor Harley so although not as dry it was predominantly hot. although not as hot as now.

July. The hottest July of the century (19.5C), and indeed the hottest month since records began (until July 2006). Also mostly dry and sunny, but with some severe thunderstorms. A ridge of high pressure extended from the Azores as the month started. The temperature reached the magic 32C somewhere in the country every day from the 12-16th, and the average daily maximum at Heathrow in the month was 27.6C. There were 17 consecutive days above 27C (80F) somewhere in the country between the 3rd and 19th, and 22 days above 27C in total; the temperature exceeded 21C somewhere in the country every day but one. There were 7 consecutive days over 30C from 11-17th July.  The highest temperature of the month was 33.7C at Liphook (Hants.) on the 16th (although this might be a high reading, with 33.0 at Hampton on the 15th and East Bergholt in Suffolk on the 16th being more reliable). A possible record high of 31.2C for Northern Ireland was set at Downpatrick (Co. Down) on the 14th; a more definite 30.8C was recorded at Shaw's Bridge, Co. Down (near Belfast; Belfast Airport saw 28.6C) on the 12th (the equal confirmed highest for the region, with 30 June 1976). The highest temperature recorded in the Isle of Man was set this month with 28.9C on the 12th. Cardiff recorded its highest ever temperature, of 33.1C, on the 13th. Even Coatbridge in Scotland reached 31.5C on the 12rh. It was also very humid. Some cool mist on North Sea coasts with NE winds; but the east coast improved later in the month as winds became more westerly. Thunderstorms on the 6th and 16-17th. Lightning deaths on the 6th; 95 mm of rain at Sevenoaks and 8 1mm at Croydon. More lightning deaths in the storms of the 16-17th. There was 68 mm of rain in 45 minutes at Cromer. Severe hailstorms. Flooding in the Pennines. A cold front moved south on the 18th, bringing more normal temperatures to the south for a few days before pressure built again. Penzance was flooded in the 22nd. 70mm of rain in one hour in Dumfries and Galloway led to flooding there. It was very warm again at the end, with 32C at Skegness and Liphook on the 29th. More widespread thunder on the 31st. The heatwave almost exactly coincided with the calendar month. This was my summer of love, and I remember being able to sit out in the sun in the parks of Dundee. Hence I make this the most interesting July for weather of the century.

August. Hot (17.3) and dry. There was a cool, showery start before it turned warm and sunny. 32C was reached Yeovilton on the 19th

Got to say Coningsby or maybe a little north of that looks likely to be the hotspot again, will we, just maybe???

1983, Hottest July of the century, Mainly hot August as well. Not saying it was up to modern temps but it was a notable 2 months of summer .

Had the exact samr thought, it's like the 2022 map again, just a degree cooler. For a moment I thought it might be the furthest north 39c ever achieved but apparently not.

What’s interesting is that the July 1983 CET is still very much up there with the top months. It’s alongside this year, 2006, August 1995, August 1997 and July 2018 in the top tier. 

The August value on the other hand is in the zone that’s almost (not quite) normal in modern summers. If this month ends up at 17.3 we’ll all be rather disappointed. 

Another thing that 1983 shows, and Aug 1997 even more so: the secret to a really high CET is warm nights.

Yes thankfully we've been spared tropical nights in most of the heatwaves. In fact barely any here. e.g Today 29.2C max and down to 18C by 9.30pm.