Tuesday 23 June starts with a much hotter setup for many UK drivers. The Met Office says London and the South East will have another dry, hazy day with plenty of sunshine and widely hot temperatures, with a maximum of 36C. The national forecast says England and Wales will turn very hot and humid with strong sunshine, while the wider warning picture has tightened further, with an amber warning in force today and a red extreme heat warning already issued for Wednesday and Thursday. That makes this a good morning for simple car prep rather than last-minute scrambling once the cabin is already baking.
Heat changes the feel of an ordinary weekday drive
Dry roads can make the morning look easy, but hot and humid weather creates its own pressure points. Windscreens show up smears more quickly in hazy sunshine, parked cars heat up fast, and stop-start traffic feels more tiring when the air is already close by breakfast time. A short check before leaving home is usually enough to remove the most annoying problems before they grow into delays or distractions.
Start with the basic safety checks GOV.UK expects every driver to make
GOV.UK says drivers should check that the windscreen, windows and mirrors are clean, the lights work and the brakes work every time they drive. It also reminds drivers to keep an eye on washer fluid and tyres. On a very warm morning, those basics are exactly the things that help the journey feel calmer and more controlled.
- Clean the windscreen, mirrors and side windows so hazy sunshine does not exaggerate smears.
- Top up screenwash if the bottle is low, because bright light makes dried marks harder to ignore.
- Check tyres if the car is carrying extra bags, child seats or summer gear.
- Make sure water, sunglasses, a phone cable, a power bank and any essential medication are easy to reach.
- Move loose bottles, charging leads and bags away from the driver footwell and front seats.
- Check fuel or battery range before setting off, especially if heat, congestion or diversions could stretch the trip.
Do not skip the route check just because the weather looks good
National Highways says planned full closures on England's motorways and major A roads generally run from 8pm to 6am, and early-morning journeys can still be affected by closures that started the evening before. That matters on a Tuesday like this because a warm, bright start can make drivers trust routine too quickly. If you are heading to work, school, an airport drop-off or a timed appointment, spend one minute checking the route before you commit to the usual road.
Keep the useful kit inside the cabin, not under everything in the boot
The items you may want first should stay where they can actually be reached. Water, a phone cable, a power bank and any medication are far more useful when they are inside the passenger area rather than buried beneath summer bags or shopping. The same logic applies to an escape tool. A compact window breaker and seatbelt cutter should stay inside the cabin, not packed away where it becomes difficult to reach in a hurry.
If one vehicle handles most weekday driving, a single tool close to hand is a tidy option. If you want one near the driver and another in a second car or nearer rear passengers, a two-pack is the more practical setup.
Recommended JUFO tools for hot-weather weekday journeys
Keep the tool inside the cabin so it stays reachable if heat, traffic or a diversion changes the journey.
JUFO 2 Pack Car Window Breaker and Seatbelt Cutter
Best for keeping one tool near the driver and another in a second car or closer to family passengers.
From GBP 16.99
JUFO 2-in-1 Car Window Breaker and Seatbelt Cutter
A compact single-car option to keep close to hand for commuting, school runs and everyday local driving.
From GBP 8.95
Use today's manageable start to prepare for a hotter midweek
The Met Office says tonight will stay dry and mostly clear but humid in the South East, with a minimum around 18C, while the national outlook points to another uncomfortably warm night in the south. Its latest heat warning update says temperatures are expected to climb further on Wednesday and Thursday, with tropical nights possible in some urban areas and heat stress a danger to all. The best response this morning is still the simple one: clear the glass, place useful kit within reach, charge the phone and leave the car ready before a hotter and more tiring journey arrives.
Sources: Met Office London and South East forecast updated 04:00 BST on 23 June 2026; Met Office UK forecast updated 03:00 BST on 23 June 2026; Met Office red extreme heat warning update published 22 June 2026; National Highways daily closures page last updated 22 June 2026; GOV.UK vehicle safety checks.
