Summer 2026 expected to be declared UK's hottest on record
Met Office figures due on Tuesday are likely to show that the previous record, set in 2025, has been broken after an unprecedented summer of persistent heat.
According to provisional data from the Met Office, Summer 2026 has been declared the hottest on record in the UK. The average mean temperature for June, July, and August was 16.5C, surpassing the previous record set in 1995 with five widespread heatwaves and 40 days of temperatures exceeding 30C. Human-induced climate change made this summer's heat 130 times more likely.
The UK saw numerous records broken, with temperatures reaching 38.2C in Hartpury College, Gloucestershire, and five calendar months recorded 35C or higher. The rapid rise in temperature records over recent summers highlights the accelerating impact of climate change on the UK's weather patterns.
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