Key Summary
- The UK has broken its maximum June temperature record for the third day in a row, peaking provisionally at 36.9°C in Suffolk.
- Both the UK and Switzerland recorded unprecedented June temperatures on Thursday and Friday amid a wider European heat dome.
- The MHRA has reminded the public that extreme heat can compromise the stability and effectiveness of common medicines.
The UK's record-breaking June heatwave has intensified, prompting pharmacies and regulators to issue urgent safety advice on how patients should store their medications.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) reminded the public that hot conditions can degrade medicine quality and impact treatment outcome.
The warning coincides with unprecedented weather data. Another provisional temperature record for June was set on Friday afternoon, with the mercury hitting 36.9°C (98.4°F) in Wattisham, Suffolk.
This surpassed Thursday's short-lived high of 36.7°C recorded in Merryfield, Somerset, which had already beaten Wednesday's peak of 36.1°C in Gosport, Hampshire.
The heatwave, driven by a stalled "heat dome" over western Europe, has put severe pressure on infrastructure and public services.
According to The Sun, three hospitals have declared critical incidents as they are forced to shut down due to the extreme heat wave.
Doctors complain that radiotherapy machines and MRI scanners are failing, and cooling units are breaking down as mercury soars to record levels.
Additionally, hundreds have had their doctor appointments cancelled and patients are being resuscitated in hallways as the NHS tries to cope in the hot weather.
Local disruptions have spread widely across England. Freezers at a major supermarket broke down and more than a dozen schools were forced to close their doors as Suffolk contended with the sweltering conditions.
Large swathes of the East of England, London, and the South East remain under a rare red extreme heat warning issued by the Met Office and the UK Health Security Agency, signaling a widespread danger to life and serious illness.
Meanwhile, an amber warning covers much of the rest of the country.
Pharmacy bodies are urging patients to check the storage instructions on their prescriptions. Many common medications need to be kept below 25°C to remain stable, meaning that leaving them in direct sunlight, hot cars, or windowsill areas during this exceptional spell could inadvertently compromise patient health.
