Thousands of people gathered at Stonehenge on Saturday morning to celebrate the summer solstice, as a heatwave brought sweltering temperatures to London and large parts of the UK.
In the capital, the mercury had already climbed to 18C by 5am, with the Met Office confirming that many areas across England — including Greater London — officially entered a heatwave on Friday. Yeovilton in Somerset and Crosby in Merseyside recorded the highest overnight temperatures in the country, both reaching 19.7C by 6am, while towns in Cumbria and Lancashire also reported overnight highs above 19C.
The summer solstice, which marks the end of spring and the longest day of the year, is one of the few times visitors are allowed close to the stones at the ancient monument in Wiltshire. Thousands watched as the sun rose behind the Heel Stone — the ancient entrance to the circle — sending rays of light into the heart of the monument.
Jennifer Wexler, curator of history at English Heritage, said the event had been marked at Stonehenge for millennia.
“The solstice at Stonehenge is one of our most special moments,” she said during a live stream of the event. “It’s the longest day of the year, but also the time when the sun is the highest in the sky. We think people were marking it here on site and gathering here for thousands of years.”
Both Stonehenge and Wiltshire Police warned of heavy traffic and large crowds ahead of the event.
An amber heat-health alert — the first issued by the UK Health Security Agency since September 2023 — remains in place for all regions of England until 9am on Monday.
In London, today will bring long spells of sunshine and very warm conditions, with some cloud expected to build later in the afternoon. Tonight will remain warm with clear skies and the chance of a few scattered showers. Sunday is expected to start sunny, turning cloudier later in the day while staying dry and warm.
The outlook for Monday to Wednesday in the capital is largely dry, with sunny spells and a cooling breeze. A few showers may develop by midweek.
