The United Kingdom has experienced its hottest summer on record, according to provisional figures from the Met Office, with the record breaking heat now giving way to a more unsettled start to September.
The national average mean temperature for summer 2026 reached 16.5°C, making it the warmest summer in records dating back to 1884. The figure surpassed the previous record of 16.1°C set just one year earlier in 2025.
The latest figures underline the continuing rise in UK summer temperatures with the Met Office noting that the exceptional warmth was not simply the result of one short-lived heatwave. Instead, temperatures remained unusually high across much of the three-month summer period.
2026 Becomes UK’s Warmest Summer
The Met Office placed the summer 2026 average temperature approximately 1.9°C above the 1991–2020 long-term average.
June was the second-warmest June ever recorded in the UK, while July also ranked as the second-warmest July in the historical record. Although cooler and wetter conditions affected parts of August, they were not sufficient to offset the warmth recorded earlier in the season.
The result is a new national summer temperature record, with 2026 moving ahead of 2025 at the top of the rankings.
The concentration of recent years at the top of the list is particularly notable. The five warmest UK summers are now recorded as 2026, 2025, 2018, 2006 and 2003, according to the Met Office’s figures.
That ranking also puts the famous summer of 1976 into perspective. Once widely remembered as the defining example of extreme British summer heat, 1976 now ranks seventh when summers are compared using average mean temperature.
England and Wales Experienced Exceptional Heat
The record warmth was especially pronounced in England and Wales. England recorded a provisional average summer temperature of 18.2°C, while Wales recorded an average of 16.9°C. Northern Ireland experienced its warmest summer on record, while Scotland recorded its joint-sixth warmest.
The figures demonstrate that the exceptional conditions were widespread rather than confined to a single region.
Several individual weather stations also experienced extraordinary temperatures during the season. The UK’s highest temperature of summer 2026 was 38.1°C at Kew Gardens on August 13.
In June, Lingwood in Norfolk reached 38.0°C, establishing a new UK record for the highest temperature recorded during that month. The scale of the heat was further demonstrated by the number of individual station records broken. The Met Office reported that 54 of its weather stations recorded new all-time daily maximum temperature records during the summer.
Climate Change Increased the Likelihood of Extreme Heat
The Met Office has also examined how human-induced climate change affected the likelihood of such an exceptionally warm summer. Its rapid climate attribution analysis found that a summer with the characteristics of 2026 was made approximately 130 times more likely by human induced climate change.
Scientists estimated that conditions of this severity would have been extremely unlikely in a climate without the influence of greenhouse gas emissions. Under today’s warmer climate, however, the Met Office estimates that a summer of this type could occur roughly once every nine years.
The finding does not mean that climate change directly causes every individual hot day. Rather, it indicates that human-driven warming has significantly increased the probability of experiencing unusually high temperatures over an entire season.
The latest record therefore provides another indication of how Britain’s baseline climate is changing as global temperatures rise.
Summer 2026 Was Also Exceptionally Sunny
The unusually high temperatures were accompanied by significant amounts of sunshine. The UK recorded 621.9 hours of sunshine during summer 2026, making it the sixth-sunniest summer since records began in 1910.
England and Wales both recorded their second-sunniest summers on record.
July produced one of the most remarkable sunshine records of the season. Preston Cove House recorded 409.2 hours of sunshine during the month, marking the first time a UK weather station had recorded more than 400 hours of sunshine during a calendar month, according to the Met Office.
The combination of intense sunshine and sustained warmth contributed to the distinctive character of the summer across much of the country.
Dry Conditions Added to Pressure
Although rainfall increased in parts of the country toward the end of August, the summer as a whole was relatively dry.
The Met Office said late-August rainfall prevented the season from setting a national rainfall record. July was particularly notable, ranking as the third-driest July on record for the UK, while England experienced its driest July ever recorded.
Extended periods of hot, sunny and relatively dry weather can create challenges for agriculture, water resources and communities, particularly when high temperatures coincide with reduced rainfall.
The late-summer rain therefore represented a significant change from the predominantly dry conditions experienced during much of the season.
September Brings a Dramatic Change
As September begins, the UK’s weather pattern has shifted noticeably.
Rain has been affecting northern parts of the country, while England and Wales have also experienced periods of fine and dry weather. Further rain and showers are expected to move across parts of the UK during the early part of the month.
The transition highlights the highly variable nature of British weather. A record-breaking summer does not necessarily mean that the following autumn will remain hot or dry.
Changes in atmospheric pressure, the jet stream and the movement of air masses across the Atlantic and Europe can quickly alter conditions across the country.
Periods dominated by high pressure can bring prolonged sunshine and warmth, while the arrival of Atlantic weather systems can produce cloud, wind and substantial rainfall.
Flood Alerts Issued in Parts of England
The return of wetter conditions has also brought renewed flooding concerns, with Environment Agency flood alerts in force in parts of England and some locations also reporting flood warnings.
People living in areas vulnerable to flooding are being advised to monitor local weather and flood information, particularly when periods of heavy rainfall are forecast.
Flooding can occur rapidly when intense or prolonged rainfall overwhelms drainage systems, rivers and other waterways. Conditions can also vary considerably between neighbouring areas, making local warnings particularly important.
The emergence of flood alerts at the beginning of September provides a sharp contrast with the heat and dry weather that characterised much of the summer.
A Record That Reflects a Longer Term Trend
The latest summer record is significant not only because it follows the previous record so closely, but also because it forms part of a broader warming trend.
The Met Office has previously highlighted the increasing frequency with which UK temperature records are being broken and has linked the long-term warming trend to human-induced climate change.
The fact that the previous national summer record was set in 2025, only to be surpassed in 2026, further illustrates the pace at which exceptional seasonal temperatures are appearing in the UK’s climate record.
Climate projections indicate that UK summers are expected to become increasingly hot as global temperatures continue to rise.
What Could Happen During the Rest of September?
The immediate outlook points to a more changeable period rather than a continuation of the prolonged summer heat.
The Met Office expects a mixture of showers and longer periods of rain in various parts of the country, alongside intervals of drier and brighter weather.
Conditions can change quickly during the UK’s transition from summer to autumn, meaning residents should continue checking local forecasts rather than relying on the conditions experienced during August.
For people living in flood-prone areas, monitoring official flood information is particularly important when periods of heavy rain are forecast.
UK Weather Enters a New Phase
Summer 2026 has now secured its place in the UK’s climate history, with a provisional average mean temperature of 16.5°C making it the hottest summer since records began in 1884.
The record was supported by widespread warmth, exceptional sunshine and several extreme individual temperatures. England, Wales and Northern Ireland experienced particularly notable conditions, while dozens of weather stations recorded new daily maximum temperature records.
The beginning of September has brought a very different picture, rain and showers are returning to parts of the country and flood alerts have been issued in areas of England.
The rapid shift from record-breaking heat to wetter autumn conditions demonstrates the variability of the UK’s weather while also placing the latest temperature record within the wider context of a warming climate.
For residents, the priority in the coming weeks will be to remain informed through reliable weather forecasts and official flood warnings as the country moves from an exceptionally hot summer into a more unsettled autumn.
