The United Kingdom has recorded its hottest summer since national records began in 1884, with the Met Office reporting a provisional average temperature of 16.5°C for June to August. The figure surpassed the previous record, set only last year, by 0.4°C.
The summer was marked by repeated heatwaves, exceptionally high daytime temperatures and widespread dry conditions. Kew Gardens in London recorded the season’s highest temperature of 38.1°C on August 13, while 54 Met Office weather stations recorded new daily maximum-temperature records.
Despite the extreme heat, the summer was not the UK’s driest overall. However, England experienced its driest July on record, contributing to drought declarations across roughly half the country. The prolonged dry spell also raised concerns over agriculture, water supplies and wildfire risks.
The Met Office said human-induced climate change made a summer as extreme as 2026 approximately 130 times more likely. Scientists estimate that such conditions would occur naturally only once in more than 1,000 years.
Climate experts warn that UK summers are expected to become increasingly hotter and, in many areas, drier as global temperatures continue to rise.
