25 June 2026
UK Climbing Heatwave: Which Crags Are Forecast To Get Hottest?
The June 2026 heatwave is pushing forecast temperatures unusually high across many UK climbing areas.
Climbing Forecasts uses crag-level forecast data rather than broad regional weather summaries, so this is a good moment to look at the heatwave from a climbing perspective: which crags are forecast to get hottest, which venues stay coolest, and how widespread the 30 C mark looks across the current forecast.
This snapshot was taken on 25 June 2026 using Met Office ASDI spot percentile temperature files from the forecast run available at 06:45 UTC. It covers UK ASDI-covered crags for the remaining part of the week, from Thursday 25 June to Sunday 28 June 2026.
Temperatures are based on the p50 screen temperature forecast, matched to crags using the nearest suitable ASDI spot and adjusted for crag elevation where the source elevation differs materially.
The Hottest Forecast Crag
The hottest crag in the current forecast is Cheddar Gorge North in Somerset.
It is forecast to reach about 37.3 C on Thursday 25 June at 16:00 BST.
Several nearby southwest and west-facing areas are close behind. Avon Gorge, Uphill Quarry, Goblin Combe, Portishead Quarry, Brean Down and Cheddar Gorge South all appear near the top of the latest heatwave snapshot.
That regional clustering is useful. The heat is not just affecting one isolated forecast point. The current data shows a broad hot zone across Somerset, Avon, Gloucestershire, Monmouthshire and parts of South Wales.
How Many Crags Hit 30 C?
In this latest run, 121 out of 400 UK ASDI-covered crags are forecast to reach at least 30 C before the end of the week.
The higher thresholds are also notable:
- 121 crags are forecast to hit 30 C or higher
- 70 crags are forecast to hit 32 C or higher
- 25 crags are forecast to hit 35 C or higher
Thursday 25 June is the peak heat day in the current forecast. On that day alone, 111 crags are forecast to reach 30 C or higher.
Friday 26 June still looks hot in places, with 18 crags forecast to reach 30 C or higher. By Saturday and Sunday, this particular forecast snapshot has no UK ASDI-covered crags reaching 30 C.
The Coolest Crag In The Forecast
At the other end of the scale, Beinn Eighe in the Highland forecast area has the coolest weekly peak in this snapshot.
Its highest forecast temperature before the end of the week is only about 13.8 C.
That creates a striking contrast: the hottest crag in this run is forecast around 37.3 C, while the coolest weekly peak is around 13.8 C. That is a spread of more than 23 C between UK climbing venues in the same forecast window.
Some Hebridean and northern Scottish crags also remain comparatively cool, including Berneray, Pabbay, Fogla Taing and Eshaness Lighthouse.
Where The Heat Is Concentrated
The hottest areas in the current crag-level data are mostly in southwest England, the Bristol Channel area, South Wales and parts of southern England.
The highest area peaks in this snapshot include:
- Somerset: 37.3 C
- Avon: 37.0 C
- Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire: 36.3 C
- Vale of Glamorgan and Gwent: 35.9 C
- Rhondda Cynon Taff and Swansea: above 35 C
Somerset stands out because all six ASDI-covered crags in the area are forecast to reach 30 C or higher, and all six are also forecast to reach 32 C or higher.
Time To Cool Off: Try DWS
If the inland limestone and grit are cooking, this is exactly the sort of spell where deep water soloing starts to look more appealing.
Climbing Forecasts now has 29 DWS crags on the site, including options well away from the far north of Scotland. The current list includes coastal venues in Devon, Dorset, Pembroke and Pembrokeshire, plus DWS entries in Conwy and Cumbria.
Examples to check in a heatwave include Berry Head, Daddyhole, London Bridge, Dancing Ledge, Lulworth, Lydstep Cavern Bay, Mother Carey's Kitchen, Stennis Head, Pigeon's Cave and Hodge Close Quarry.
The forecast still matters for DWS, just with different priorities. Alongside temperature, the useful checks are wind, rain risk, tide where relevant, sea state, and whether the venue is actually in condition for getting out as well as falling in.
A Forecast Snapshot, Not A Permanent Ranking
These numbers are a forecast snapshot from the morning of 25 June 2026. They will change as new forecast data arrives.
The ranking also reflects the crags currently covered by the UK ASDI temperature source used for this analysis. It should not be read as an all-time UK climbing heat record, or as a statement about which crags are normally hottest.
It is still a useful way to see the scale of the current heatwave at crag level. In this run, more than a quarter of UK ASDI-covered crags are forecast to hit 30 C, and the hottest venues are pushing well into the high 30s.
If you are planning to climb during the heatwave, check the latest crag forecast, think carefully about shade and timing, and be prepared to change plan if the conditions look too hot for the venue.
Data Source
Contains Met Office data from ASDI spot percentile temperature files available in the 25 June 2026 06:45 UTC forecast run. Climbing Forecasts processes the source data to match forecast points to crags and apply the site's crag elevation adjustment.