Summer 2025 on track to be UK’s warmest on record – Met Office
Provisional Met Office figures show that summer 2025 is on course to be the warmest on record for the UK.
Between 1 June and 25 August, the UK’s mean temperature has been 16.13°C, which is 1.54°C above the long-term average. The current record holder is summer 2018, with 15.76°C. Records for UK summers date back to 1884.
Met Office scientist, Emily Carlisle, said: “Provisional Met Office statistics show that summer 2025 will almost certainly be the warmest summer on record. At present, mean temperature is tracking at 16.13°C. The current record is 15.76°C, set in 2018. So, unless temperatures are around four degrees below average for the rest of August – which the forecast does not suggest – it looks like the current record will be exceeded.
“This would move 1976 out of the top five warmest summers since 1884, leaving all five warmest summers having occurred since the year 2000.
“Of course, there are still a few days left of meteorological summer to go, but it’s very unlikely anything will stop summer 2025 from being the warmest on record.”
England recorded its warmest June since records began, while Wales and the UK overall saw their third and second warmest Junes respectively. July followed with the fifth warmest on record.
Four short-lived heatwaves have taken place so far this summer. The highest temperature recorded has been 35.8°C in Faversham, Kent, well below the UK’s all-time high of 40.3°C set in July 2022.
Although the summer of 1976 remains one of the most memorable in UK weather history, with 16 days over 32°C, this year’s significance lies in the consistency of the warmth. Both maximum and minimum temperatures have tracked well above average, with minimum temperatures especially high.
Rainfall has so far been below average, with central, southern and eastern areas of England and Wales particularly dry. Scotland has been the wettest of the UK nations. Sunshine levels are also above normal, especially in England.
The Met Office says a mix of factors have driven this summer’s persistent warmth, including high-pressure systems, dry ground and unusually warm seas. Climate change is also playing a role, with the UK warming at a rate of around 0.25°C per decade.
The full provisional August and summer 2025 statistics will be released on Monday 1 September.
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