Thanks for these additional points. 

The readings from 22 July 1868 are interesting. I found a book on the Met Office Archives on London weather dated from 1968. This has interesting facts on the past. There were several stations that recorded 95F+ in July 1868. Greenwich being the main one but that site has long since been discounted due to non-standard exposure. Isleworth also comes up but I have never seen this quoted in lists of extremes so again I assume it has been discounted. 

The most reliable station quoted in the book is Epsom. This station has the recognised maximum for 22 July 1911. The book states that Epsom recorded 97F on both 22 July 1868 and 22 July 1911. No Celsius figures or decimals in those days. 

So I am going to add to my list Epsom at 36.0C for 22 July 1868, consistent with the 1911 reading.

Originally Posted by: Global Warming 

Now that is a book I would dearly love to get my hands on. 

Thanks GW.

Originally Posted by: Bertwhistle 

I'm a little suspicious of the figures coming out of Heathrow. I'm just a few miles down the road and my back garden thermometer is just below 30c. Perhaps their barometer needs recalibrating or moving to a slightly more shady site.

Originally Posted by: briggsy6 

 I wrote an article on 22nd July 1868, a couple of years ago 

https://www.theweatheroutlook.com/twocommunity/default.aspx?g=posts&t=19043

Originally Posted by: KevBrads1 

Thanks for these additional points. 

The readings from 22 July 1868 are interesting. I found a book on the Met Office Archives on London weather dated from 1968. This has interesting facts on the past. There were several stations that recorded 95F+ in July 1868. Greenwich being the main one but that site has long since been discounted due to non-standard exposure. Isleworth also comes up but I have never seen this quoted in lists of extremes so again I assume it has been discounted. 

The most reliable station quoted in the book is Epsom. This station has the recognised maximum for 22 July 1911. The book states that Epsom recorded 97F on both 22 July 1868 and 22 July 1911. No Celsius figures or decimals in those days. 

So I am going to add to my list Epsom at 36.0C for 22 July 1868, consistent with the 1911 reading.

Originally Posted by: Global Warming 

Temp still climbing here despite high cloud, up from 29.1 at 3pm to 30.9 at 4pm!

Originally Posted by: Rob K 

Gosport Fleetlands is slightly ahead with 31.8 at 2pm. Will need a big surge to get anywhere near the 35. Quite a bit more cloud bubbled up here in the last half hour, temp 28.7.

Originally Posted by: Rob K 

That makes you nearly as old as Gavin (HT) 

Originally Posted by: Sevendust 

Now that is a book I would dearly love to get my hands on. 

Thanks GW.

Originally Posted by: Bertwhistle 

I assume Gosport Fleetlands (former Aerospace plant) is on the second tier of official ground stations. Has anyone any details on it’s history or what it’s official status is? 
I’m currently a mile away from that location and a reliable sensor is at 33.3C in the shade.

Originally Posted by: nsrobins 

It’s a proper WMO and Met Office auto station. 
33.5C there now, levelling off. 35 looks unattainable but somewhere might scrape 34. 

Once again the Met have gone too high by the looks of it. 

Originally Posted by: Rob K 

They've been poor so far . Will their three 37s in a row come off?

Originally Posted by: Ally Pally Snowman 

You can read it here

https://digital.nmla.metoffice.gov.uk/IO_2bc852ad-d7c2-4921-83d8-6d589e0f12e1/

There is a slightly earlier publication here called A Century of London Weather dated 1952

https://digital.nmla.metoffice.gov.uk/IO_1222f365-1041-4be8-889e-f53850885bdc/

This has one other potential candidate for our list although difficult to know how reliable the readings were back then:

16 June 1858 - 95F No location given. Can't confirm if this was 35.0C though as all readings were rounded to nearest Fahrenheit degree back then.

The March 1984 issue of the Journal of Meteorology gives a figure of 35.6C at Gunby on 5 July 1959 (part of a list of the hottest days of the year for every year since 1875 which is very interesting. The Torro site only gives 34.4C as the maximum on 5 July 1959. Not sure why there is a difference.

I am inclined to include the Gunby reading on the basis that the IJMet was a respected, but sadly now defunct journal.

http://www.ijmet.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/87.pdf

Finally this link to the original 2000 article in Weather Magazine with the list of highest and lowest daily readings (what is now updated on the Torro site). It has some helpful notes. It mentions Barbourne and also Isleworth amongst others. The Epsom station was apparently in a private garden in a built up area and somewhat sheltered. So not the most reliable site.

https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/j.1477-8696.2000.tb04084.x

Originally Posted by: Global Warming 

I have had a go at listing all the days where 35C has been reached in the UK. I am sure there may be one or two missing but hopefully it is fairly comprehensive. So far I have identified 35 days. If anyone has any thoughts on additional days to add to the list please let me know.

Table

Originally Posted by: Global Warming 

It’s a proper WMO and Met Office auto station. 
33.5C there now, levelling off. 35 looks unattainable but somewhere might scrape 34. 

Once again the Met have gone too high by the looks of it. 

Originally Posted by: Rob K 

I think Barbourne has been expunged from the official records; the Met don’t seem to mention it nowadays. I dimly remember reading something on uk.sci.weather about the person who ran the station having been found to be “cooking the books”, but I might be mixing that up with somewhere else.

Originally Posted by: Rob K 

See the link I posted above to the Weather article. Barbourne frequently recorded temperatures 2-3C above neighbouring stations. The Met Office did originally accept the record in 1990 but have since removed it from their summaries.

See this link here which I posted earlier in the thread - no reference to Barbourne

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/metofficegovuk/pdf/weather/learn-about/uk-past-events/interesting/1990/hot-spell-august-1990---met-office.pdf

Originally Posted by: Global Warming