UK ‘on course’ to record warmest summer for second year in a row

Britain is poised to record its warmest summer on record for the second consecutive year, according to the UK's Met Office. As of August 10, the average temperature for the summer season, spanning from June 1 to August 10, stood at 16.48°C.

The Met Office predicts that only average temperatures remaining in the final days of August would be necessary for the country to surpass last year's record-breaking summer, which saw a mean temperature of 16.1°C – exceeding the previous record of 15.76°C set in 2018.

Met senior scientist Mike Kendon noted that another record-breaking summer now appears increasingly probable, following the second-warmest June and second-warmest July on record, with a heatwave imminent. The statistics serve as a stark reminder of the significant shifts in the UK's climate, characterized by high temperatures and low rainfall in regions accustomed to milder weather.

The dry conditions have plunged nearly three-quarters of England and all of Wales into drought. Additionally, England and Wales experienced their driest July on record this year. Climate scientists attribute the intensification of extreme weather events like heatwaves and droughts to climate change, leading to more frequent record-breaking temperatures.

The intense heatwaves and record temperatures in May and June disrupted schools, transport, and hospitals, resulting in an estimated 2,877 excess deaths in England, nearly double the total recorded in the entire summer of 2025.