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UK Records Hottest Summer for Second Consecutive Year
The UK had its hottest summer ever measured in 2026.
It was the second year in a row that the summer temperature record was broken.
The average temperature was 16.5°C, higher than the 16.1°C record set in 2025.
The Met Office said human-caused climate change made this kind of summer 130 times more likely.
England had its hottest June, and the UK also had its second-hottest July.
The hot, dry weather caused drought across much of England and all of Wales.
Heatwaves in May and June were linked to an estimated 2,877 extra deaths in England.
Experts said the UK needs to prepare homes and public infrastructure for hotter and drier summers.
The UK recorded its warmest summer on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 16.5°C.
The new record surpassed the previous summer record of 16.1°C, set in 2025.
The Met Office said human-induced climate change made the record summer 130 times more likely.
Drought affected almost three-quarters of England and all of Wales after rainfall sharply declined.
May and June heatwaves were associated with an estimated 2,877 excess deaths in England.
- Who
- The UK's Met Office, climate scientists, and health officials reported on the record summer.
- What
- The United Kingdom provisionally recorded its hottest summer on record for the second consecutive year.
- Where
- Across the United Kingdom, with drought reported in almost three-quarters of England and all of Wales.
- When
- Summer 2026, covering June through August; the announcement was made on Tuesday, with no exact date given.
- Why
- The Met Office attributed the increased likelihood of record temperatures to human-induced climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.
Key facts
- Average summer temperature
- 16.5°C across the UK between June and August 2026
- Previous record
- 16.1°C, set in 2025
- Climate-change influence
- Human-induced climate change made the record summer around 130 times more likely
- Drought coverage
- Almost three-quarters of England and all of Wales
- Excess deaths
- An estimated 2,877 in England following May and June heatwaves
- July temperature
- The UK's second-hottest July on record
- Global context
- Thirty-three countries recorded their hottest July since records began, according to an AFP analysis of Copernicus data
Quotes
Mark McCarthy
A Met Office meteorologist.
“Summer 2026 is provisionally the UK's warmest summer on record with the season's mean temperature made around 130 times more likely due to human-induced climate change.”
deccanchronicle.com
“In a climate unaffected by human emissions of greenhouse gases, a summer like this would be exceptionally unlikely.”
deccanchronicle.com
Amy Doherty
A Met Office representative.
“These records are now breaking with increasing frequency, reflecting the influence of human-induced climate change on the temperatures we're experiencing in the UK.”
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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