Birmingham record temperature: what is hottest weather ever recorded - how does it compare to UK record?

Brummies will surely be basking under the rays of the sweltering sunshine as hot-tempered temperatures have been hitting Birmingham and the surrounding West Midlands area.

So hot that highs of around 37℃ have been felt by the city.

This is due to the ongoing heatwave that has been pouring record-breaking heat on the United Kingdom since Thursday, 7 July.

It has led to the Met Office issuing a first ever red weather warning, as well as an amber alert - both of which covers Birmingham.

As people of the city and the West Midlands have been doing their utmost to cool themselves down and beat the heat, they must believe that this is the hottest Birmingham has ever been - but is that true?

BirminghamWorld has compiled all the information you need to know in regards to what is the highest temperature ever recorded in the city, as well as the hottest day in the UK.

What is a heatwave?

The word ‘heatwave’ is thrown around regularly when it concerns weather forecasts across the globe - but what is a heatwave?

According to the Met Office, a heatwave is an extended period of hot weather relative to the expected conditions of the area at that time of the year.

In the United Kingdom, this is the criteria the weather must meet to be considered a heatwave:

• When a location records three consecutive days with a maximum temperature that exceeds the threshold (this varies depending on the county)

For example, Birmingham and the surrounding West Midlands area has a threshold of 25℃.

What does an amber weather warning for extreme heat mean?

Weather organisations such as the Met Office had warned Brummies of the exceptionally high temperatures that are likely to be felt during the alert, with the possibility that it could lead to widespread impacts on people and infrastructure.

The Met Office has issued the following list of what to expect during the amber weather warning for extreme heat in Birmingham:

• Population-wide adverse health effects are likely to be experienced, not limited to those most vulnerable to extreme heat
• Substantial changes in working practices and daily routines to be required
• Significantly more people likely to visit coastal areas, lakes and rivers leading to increased risk of water safety incidents
• Delays on road and road closures are possible, along with delays and cancellations to rail and air travel, with potential for significant welfare issues for those who experience even moderate delays

What is the hottest temperature ever recorded in Birmingham?

According to experts at both the Met Office and Weather Underground, the hottest single temperature recorded in Birmingham was during the ongoing UK heatwave in July 2022.

A scorching 37℃ was felt by the city in the afternoon of Tuesday, 19 July 2022.

The previous record was recorded in August 1990 and July 2006, with temperatures in Birmingham reaching 35℃.

What is the hottest day on record in the UK?

The chief meteorologist at the Met Office, Paul Gunderson, made the following prediction on Friday, 15 July that record temperatures will be met in the ongoing July 2022 heatwave: “Exceptional, perhaps record-breaking temperatures are likely early next week”

A prediction that has been met, with the heatwave continuing to break long-standing weather records across cities and regions in the United Kingdom.

As per data from experts at the Met Office, the UK recorded its first ever temperature to exceed 40℃ on Tuesday 19 July 2022.

Thermometers at London Heathrow Airport read a record-breaking 40.2℃ at 12:50 pm.

It broke a record set by Charlwood in Surrey earlier that day as 39.1℃ was recorded.

The previous high in the country - which was 38.7℃ - was set in 2019.