Thousands brave the heat to watch summer solstice sunrise

Those who gathered for the spectacle on Saturday at the neolithic monument in Wiltshire braved a warm start to the morning as they marked the year's longest day.
Temperatures in Salisbury and Greater London reached 18C by 5am, according to the Met Office.
The weather bureau confirmed that Yeovilton in Somerset and Crosby in Merseyside recorded the highest overnight temperatures in England, both reaching 19.7C by 6am on Saturday.
Towns in Cumbria and Lancashire also recorded temperatures above 19C.
An amber heat-health alert for all regions in England remains in place for the weekend.
Solstice events at Stonehenge mark some of the rare occasions visitors are allowed close to the stones at the World Heritage site.
English Heritage said around 25,000 people were at Stonehenge, with more than 400,000 views from around the world on the charity's livestream of the sunrise, which was greeted by the traditional drumming, chanting and cheering.
Richard Dewdney, English Heritage's head of operations at Stonehenge, said: 'Coming together at Stonehenge for the summer solstice is a tradition that brings people from near and far, to see in the start of the longest day and celebrate the changing seasons.
'This morning was a joyous and peaceful occasion with the most beautiful sunrise. It is fantastic to see Stonehenge continuing to enchant and connect people. From sunset to sunrise, there was a fantastic atmosphere enjoyed by all, making for a truly memorable experience.
'Ensuring summer solstice at Stonehenge is a safe, enjoyable and sustainable occasion is a major operation that relies on our exceptional staff, volunteers, and the invaluable support of our partners, notably Wiltshire Council and emergency services. We look forward to welcoming people to the summer solstice again next year.'
In the lead up to the event, both Stonehenge and Wiltshire Police posted social media warnings about heavy traffic and pedestrians.
Stonehenge is a monument built on the alignment of the midsummer sunrise and the midwinter sunset.
On the summer solstice, the sun rises behind the Heel Stone -the ancient entrance to the Stone Circle – and rays of sunlight are channelled into the centre of the monument.
It is believed solstices have been celebrated at Stonehenge for thousands of years.
The summer solstice takes place as one of the Earth's poles has its maximum tilt toward the sun as it reaches its highest position in the sky, ensuring the longest period of daylight for the year.
English Heritage curator of history Jennifer Wexler said people had been marking the solstice at the stones going back thousands of years.
'The solstice at Stonehenge is one of our most special moments,' she told an English Heritage live stream.
'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.'
The amber heat-health alert, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the first time since September 2023, is in force until 9am on Monday.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Sky News

3 hours ago

• Sky News

UK weather: 'Fresher' conditions for much of country after hottest day of year so far

Much of the UK had cooler temperatures on Sunday with "fresher" conditions - apart from the South East - after thunderstorms swept through parts of the country overnight. A yellow thunderstorm warning issued by the Met Office lasted until 3am for areas including northern England and southeast Scotland. Some parts had up to 25mm of rainfall in one hour, the weather agency said. Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland saw 31.1mm overnight and was among the locations that saw the wettest conditions. It comes after the UK had the hottest day of the year so far, with 33.2C (91.7F) recorded in Charlwood, Surrey, on Saturday. 0:42 Some parts of the country have experienced a heatwave over the past few days but temperatures are now closer to average for the time of year. However, Met Office meteorologist Marco Petagna said temperatures could hit 27C or 28C in the South East on England on Sunday. He added: "Elsewhere, there's a fresher feel, quite breezy as well, so most places, high teens, low 20s for temperatures, and it stays quite showery tonight. "Even the South East could get a few showers coming in from the west, so a mixture really of clear spells and showers tonight. "It could turn a bit chilly in Scotland, down to 3 or 4 degrees in some rural spots, but for most places, temperatures, certainly towns and cities, generally holding up in double figures, but a fresher feel compared to what we've had recent nights." What's the forecast for Monday? The South East will see the most sunshine and highs of up to 25C on Monday, Mr Petagna said. In the other regions, temperatures will be around the high teens and low 20s, which is "near-average" for the time of year, he added. Conditions look "changeable" into next week, with "most areas" having rain at times, the forecaster said. "It does become very warm again in the South East around the middle of the week, so we could see high 20s again around Tuesday, Wednesday in the South East. "But at the same time as that heat builds again briefly in the south and South East, we could see further thundery downpours for a time as well," he said. What is a heatwave? An official heatwave is recorded when areas reach a certain temperature for three consecutive days, with thresholds varying from 25C to 28C in different parts of the UK.

The Independent

3 hours ago

• The Independent

Heatwave begins to lift across UK while thunderstorms and rain move in

Temperatures are set to cool off across the UK as the country is braced for more rain and thunderstorms into next week, according to the Met Office. The forecaster said temperatures would be around the high teens and low 20s from Monday, with thundery downpours expected in the South East. It comes after the country was hit by a heatwave over the weekend with a provisional high of 33.2C recorded, making it the warmest day of 2025 so far. 'There's a fresher feel, quite breezy as well so most places, high teens, low 20s for temperatures, and it stays quite showery tonight,' Met Office meteorologist Marco Petagna said. 'It does become very warm again in the South East around the middle of the week, so we could see high 20s again around Tuesday, Wednesday in the South East. 'But at the same time as that heat builds again briefly in the south and South East, we could see further thundery downpours for a time as well.' The cooler temperatures come after thunderstorms swept across parts of the country overnight, including north England and south-east Scotland. Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland saw 31.1mm of rainfall overnight and was among the locations that saw the wettest weather. On Monday, the South East will see the most sunshine and highs of up to 25C, Mr Petagna added. For the other regions, temperatures will be around the high teens and low 20s which is 'near-average' for the time of year, he said. Over the weekend, an amber heat-health warning from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) was issued, covering all regions of England. The mercury hit a record-high of 33.2C in Charlwood, Surrey. On Friday, a temperature of 30.8C was reached, triggering an official heatwave across England and Wales after three consecutive days of hot weather. An official heatwave is recorded when areas reach a certain temperature for three consecutive days, with thresholds varying from 25C to 28C in different parts of the UK. Five-day weather forecast Sunday Fresher for most, with breezy westerly winds bringing sunshine and scattered showers, with a few thunderstorms in the North West. Drier and brighter in the southeast but staying warm and humid here. Heavy showers continuing through the night, with generally cloudier skies in the south. Cooler overnight in the North and West, but remaining mild in the far South East. Breezy for all. Monday Breezy westerly winds continue to bring a mix of sunshine and showers, most frequent in the North and West. Drier in the South East and feeling warm in the sunshine. Tuesday to Thursday Changeable through the rest of the week. Cloudier on Tuesday with patchy drizzle at times and a humid feel. Heavy showers or longer spells of rain on Wednesday and Thursday.

Wales Online

4 hours ago

• Wales Online

BBC weather forecaster Derek Brockway spots 13C temperature plunge at Welsh resort as heatwave ends

BBC weather forecaster Derek Brockway spots 13C temperature plunge at Welsh resort as heatwave ends It was 30C just a couple of days ago at the seaside town Borth-y-Gest near Porthmadog basked in sunshine just days ago (Image: David Powell ) Temperatures have taken a sharp dip across Wales this week as the recent mini-heatwave came to an abrupt end, making way for cooler, wetter weather. After days of sunshine and highs of 30°C in parts of the country, forecasters are now warning of heavy rain and unsettled conditions in the days ahead. The Met Office says a shift to 'westerly mobility' is to blame, bringing in fresher air, more cloud and outbreaks of rain. ‌ While there will still be the odd brighter spell, the general outlook for this week is much more mixed with Tuesday, June 24 shaping up to be particularly wet across much of Wales. ‌ BBC Wales meteorologist Derek Brockway said: 'What a difference a cold front makes! 30°C in Porthmadog a couple of days ago but back to normal today. Now 17°C!' From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What's On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here Content cannot be displayed without consent Weather maps from the Met Office shows heavy rain centred over parts of central and north-west Wales, especially between Caernarfon and Newtown, where forecasters expect moderate to heavy downpours through Tuesday. Article continues below Consistent rain is also likely in areas such as Cardiff and Pembroke, making for a potentially windy and soggy day across the country. The wettest period looks set to hit between 4am and 9.30am on Tuesday, with continued showers affecting Swansea, Cardiff, the Brecon Beacons and parts of north Wales through to around 1pm. As the day goes on, conditions are expected to ease in the south, while rain pushes back into mid and north Wales and particularly around Newtown, Machynlleth, Llanwddyn, and later Caernarfon. ‌ According to the Met Office, the weather remains 'changeable Wednesday and Thursday with spells of rain or heavy showers' for much of Wales and the UK. The wetter weather follows a spell of warmth and sunshine for over a week for most of the country. Discussing the recent warmer weather forecasts, the Met Office also said: 'Interestingly the cause of the high temperatures in recent days was not as a result of hot air moving north from Iberia or northwest Africa like we often see. ‌ 'Instead, it is air that has originated over the North Atlantic south of Greenland but in a layer between 2-4 km above the ground. 'As the air approaches the UK, it descends within the area of high pressure. Descending air rapidly warms - at around 10°C per kilometre. 'As we head into the weekend, high pressure begins to move away from the UK towards the east, drawing up air that has been heated over several days over the near continent. Article continues below 'This allows temperatures to rise into the low 30s Celsius.'