Summer 2026 is UK’s warmest since records began: MeT

The summer of 2026 in the United Kingdom marked the warmest period since records began in 1884, according to provisional data from the Met Office. The average temperature during June, July, and August was 16.5C, surpassing the previous record of 16.1C set in 2025. This makes the top six warmest summers on record all occur in this century, with three of them happening this decade.

The Met Office stated that a summer similar to 2026 is now around 130 times more likely due to climate change and has become a "one in nine year event." The summer was characterized by an "remarkable" combination of extreme heat and minimal rainfall, leading to devastating wildfires, water restrictions for millions, and numerous areas being declared in drought.

Temperatures reached as high as 38.1C during the mid-August heatwave, and around 2,877 deaths in England were linked to the heatwaves in May and June. This summer saw three separate days with temperatures exceeding 37C, making it the first year to experience such a phenomenon. Dr. Mark McCarthy, head of climate attribution at the Met Office, emphasized that the summer of 2026 was remarkable and serves as an example of the increasing frequency of extreme weather events caused by human-induced climate change.

England, Wales, and Northern Ireland all broke their respective summer mean temperature records, while Scotland recorded its sixth-warmest summer. Despite recent rainfall, the persistent dry weather and extreme heat continue to impact the UK.