UK temperatures have reached their highest point of the year so far, the Met Office has confirmed, with 31.9C recorded at St James’s Park in central London. The high temperatures, which were recorded largely along the eastern half of the country, came as the majority of schools in England and Wales closed for the summer. The previous highest UK temperature of 2024 so far was 30.5C (86.5F), recorded at Wisley in Surrey on 26 June. Temperatures across the UK were widely expected to reach 25C to 31C on Friday as the hot spell peaked. However, many places have not reached 25C since the short burst of warm weather at the end of June. Cooler weather was forecast spread eastward over the weekend with temperatures more typical for July expected by Sunday. Temperatures in July have been about 2C below average, after a cooler start to the month. The Met Office issued a reminder to people to protect themselves against sunburn by applying SPF [sun protection factor sunscreen] and finding shade, where possible, at the hottest times of the day. “Remember, protect yourself from the strong sunshine, especially between 11am and 3pm, as UV levels will be very high in the south,” it said on X. Heat health alerts were in force across the Midlands, eastern and southern England from Friday until 11am on Saturday. These alerts are primarily for the health and social care services, warning that heat could affect elderly people and those with underlying health conditions.