- Summer 2026 has been confirmed as the UK's hottest on record, with a mean temperature of 16.5C, made 130 times more likely by the climate crisis.
- On 13 August, England's temperature peaked at 38.1C (100.1F) at Kew Gardens in London.
- England, Wales, and Northern Ireland all broke their respective summer mean temperature records, while Scotland recorded its joint sixth hottest summer.
- A study by Met Office scientists indicated that the record-breaking heat was made about 130 times more likely due to human-induced climate change.
- June 2026 was confirmed as England's hottest June on record.
- The Met Office stated that this summer's average mean temperature of 16.5C is the warmest since records began in 1884.
- This summer will be remembered for its extreme dryness, particularly in July, which was England's driest on record with only 6.5mm of rainfall.
- Dr. James Pope noted that the summer's conditions align with climate projections for 3C of global warming, indicating hotter and drier summers in the future.
- Dr. Amy Doherty emphasized that the conditions this summer have broken UK climate records with increasing frequency due to human-induced climate change.
The Met Office has confirmed that summer 2026 was the hottest on record in the UK, with a mean temperature of 16.5C. This unprecedented heat was made 130 times more likely due to human-induced climate change, according to provisional data.146
In England, temperatures peaked at 38.1C (100.1F) at Kew Gardens in London on 13 August, while the country also experienced its driest July on record, with only 6.5mm of rainfall, significantly below the long-term average.27
Dr. Mark McCarthy, head of climate attribution at the Met Office, stated, “The summer of 2026 has been remarkable and is an example of the extremes we can expect to see more frequently as a consequence of human-induced climate change.”
Dr. James Pope, a climate scientist, noted that this summer aligns with projections for 3C of global warming, indicating that summers will become both hotter and drier in the future.8
Dr. Amy Doherty, leading the National Climate Information Centre, emphasized that the conditions this summer have broken UK climate records with increasing frequency, reflecting the ongoing impact of climate change. Notably, the previous summer mean temperature record of 16.1C set last year has been surpassed, pushing the infamous summer of 1976 down to seventh place for average summer mean temperature, with the top five warmest summers all occurring since 2003.9
“The UK's average summer mean temperature hit 16.5C, surpassing the previous record of 16.1C set last year and knocking 1976's infamous summer down to seventh. England also saw its driest July on record with just 6.5mm of rain, 10% of its long-term average.”
The Guardian
