Preliminary data from the UK’s national weather service, the Met Office, indicates that the summer of 2026 could go down as the hottest in the United Kingdom’s history.
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From June 1 to August 10, the country’s average temperature rose to 16.48°C, surpassing the 16.10°C average recorded over the entire summer of 2025. According to the Met Office, last year’s record could ultimately be broken even if temperatures remain merely average for the rest of August.
This year has seen several successive heatwaves. After exceptionally high temperatures in late spring, which also broke the record for May, the heat returned in June and July.
The highest temperature measured so far was 38°C, recorded in Lingwood, Norfolk, on June 26. The Met Office has issued warnings of another extreme episode this week, which could equal or surpass that record.
England has so far recorded an average summer temperature of 18.19°C, which is 2.46°C above the 1991–2020 average. In Wales, the average temperature has reached 16.8°C, or 2.17°C above normal.
Another record has been set after temperatures reached or exceeded 35°C in three different months—May, June and July—for the first time since records began. If this week’s forecasts are confirmed, August will become the fourth month of the year to exceed that threshold.
Meanwhile, July was the driest month ever recorded in England and Wales since record-keeping began in 1836. Southern England also recorded its driest calendar month documented to date.
The unusual temperatures were also evident when compared with 1976, a year known for its prolonged and exceptional heatwave. By July 15, the United Kingdom had recorded more days with temperatures above 30°C than during that entire year.
The lack of rainfall, combined with high temperatures, has put further pressure on water reserves. Drought declarations have affected more than two-thirds of England, as well as the whole of Wales.
About 45 million people in England currently live in drought-affected areas, while more than 27 million people are subject to water-use restrictions.
Weather forecasts do not indicate significant rainfall across most of England and Wales this week. However, models for the weekend leave open the possibility of rain systems moving in from the Atlantic.
Mike Kendon, a senior scientist at the Met Office, said this year’s data provides clear evidence of the changes affecting the United Kingdom’s climate.
