UK confirms 2026 as hottest summer on record
The Met Office will declare summer 2026 the UK's hottest since 1884, with a new mean temperature record and 40 days above 30C.
The Met Office will confirm on Tuesday that the UK has experienced its hottest summer since records started in 1884. Provisional figures for June, July, and August are expected to show the mean temperature, which includes day and night values, has broken the record set just last year.
This follows a season of persistent heat featuring five widespread heatwaves. According to the Met Office, temperatures reached or exceeded 30C (86F) on 40 separate days, surpassing the previous record of 34 days set in 1995.
A summer defined by persistent heat
High pressure systems dominated for much of the season, bringing dry conditions and winds from continental Europe that repeatedly pushed temperatures upward. The Met Office indicated in mid-August that a record was increasingly likely, noting the UK's mean summer temperature at that point was 16.48C (61.66F).
While the latter part of August turned cooler and wetter for many, overall temperatures remained at or above the seasonal average. The highest temperature recorded was 38.1C (100.6F) at Kew Gardens in London on 13 August, provisionally the UK's fifth-hottest day on record.
It was the persistence of high temperatures, however, that proved remarkable. The source report details several broken records for frequency of extreme heat.
| Temperature Threshold | Days Recorded in 2026 | Previous Record (Year) |
|---|---|---|
| 30C or higher | 40 days | 34 days (1995) |
| 35C or higher | 10 days | 5 days (1976 & 2020) |
| 37C or higher | 3 days | New record set |
The heat reached 35C or higher across four calendar months-May, June, July, and August-doubling the previous record. A temperature of 37C or higher has only been recorded nine times in UK history; three of those instances occurred this summer.
Heatwaves, drought, and a late change
Five widespread heatwaves occurred. One at the end of meteorological spring broke the UK's May temperature record by more than 2C. Another in June broke that month's record, with Lingwood, Norfolk reaching 38.0C on 26 June.
July and August brought further prolonged heat. One heatwave lasted three weeks in some locations. The intense heat was partly driven by exceptionally dry conditions, with some areas seeing no measurable rain for over two months.
Drought was declared across all of Wales and more than two-thirds of England. Wildfires caused devastation in parts of the country. Rain did return, however. The second half of August brought wetter weather and some flash flooding. Sheffield recorded over a month's worth of rain in the week of 24-30 August-more than it had seen in the rest of the season combined.
Records in a warming climate
All five of the UK's hottest summers on record have occurred since 2000. Until last year, the margins between the top four were minuscule, separated by just five hundredths of a degree. The 2025 record then jumped by 0.34C. Now, a year later, it appears that record has been broken again.
Climate scientists use the term "record-shattering" for records broken by unusually large margins. Research suggests these big jumps become more likely in a rapidly warming climate. The UK sits on the western edge of Europe, the fastest-warming continent on Earth, which is warming at roughly twice the global average rate.
Land heats faster than oceans. Parts of Europe stretch into the rapidly warming Arctic. Changes in weather patterns have also favoured more frequent and intense summer heatwaves. Scientists are still determining the exact contribution of each factor. The result is clear: the background climate for British weather is getting warmer.
This does not guarantee a new record every year. Cooler summers will still occur. But the pattern is unmistakable. Records that once marked the extreme edge of the UK's climate are being overtaken with remarkable speed. For more detailed data on long-term climate patterns, you can explore our stats page. The frequency of such extreme events is also reshaping expectations for future fixtures and planning.
Regional variations and impacts
Some variations are expected in the final figures for the four UK nations. England and Wales are both expected to set new records, Northern Ireland is likely to come close, but Scotland will fall short. The persistent heat and drought conditions had significant impacts, which are tracked alongside other seasonal data on our injuries page, which monitors health and environmental impacts.
