Met Office says 2026 summer set to become UK's hottest on record

According to the Met Office, the UK's meteorological summer is poised to become the hottest since records began, with the average temperature from 1 June to 10 August reaching 16.48 °C, which is 1.88 °C above the 1991-2020 baseline. The season has featured three distinct heatwaves, a May temperature record, and a June peak of 38 °C recorded at Lingwood, Norfolk. This year marks the first time temperatures of 35 °C or higher have been recorded in three separate months, and a fourth month could join the list if forecasts hold.

Drought has been declared across more than two-thirds of England and all of Wales, affecting 45 million people and imposing water restrictions on over 27 million. While rain is expected to arrive later in the week, it is likely to be light after nearly two months of dryness. Scientists attribute the extreme heat to persistent high-pressure systems intensified by climate change, warning that future summers will become increasingly hot as carbon emissions rise.