{
  "id": 4869366,
  "title": "The UK just had its hottest summer ever",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/the-uk-just-had-its-hottest-summer-ever",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-01T13:39:25.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Scientist",
    "slug": "new-scientist",
    "url": "https://www.newscientist.com/article/2587200-the-uk-just-had-its-hottest-summer-ever/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The UK experienced its hottest summer ever in 2026, according to provisional records from the Met Office. The average temperature for June, July, and August was 16.5°C (61.7°F), surpassing the previous record of 16.1°C (61°F) set in 2025. The intense heat persisted throughout the summer, with temperatures reaching 38°C (100.4°F) in Norfolk in June and 38.1°C (100.6°F) at Kew Gardens in London on August 13th. England is currently grappling with a severe drought, as rainfall became scarce during July, causing damage to crops, straining healthcare systems, and igniting devastating wildfires. Climate change, fueled by fossil fuel emissions, made this summer 130 times more likely to occur compared to a climate unaffected by human activities. Mark McCarthy from the Met Office stated that under a climate free from human-induced warming, such a summer would be extremely improbable, occurring only once in over a thousand years. The top five warmest summers in the UK's history have all taken place since 2003, and this trend is expected to worsen as global temperatures continue to rise. Under 4°C of warming, the summer of 2026 would be considered cool or below average for the UK. Ruth Fuller from the World Wildlife Fund emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that these figures prove the increasing heat and that the climate will continue to warm until emissions are reduced to net zero.",
  "summary": "The average temperature in the UK in June, July and August 2026 has eclipsed the record set in summer 2025, and the record-breaking heat was made 130 times more likely by human-caused climate change",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}