This summer is currently on course to be the UK's hottest since records began, according to the Met Office. Only average conditions are required for the remainder of August to surpass the record set in 2025.
Provisional Met Office statistics indicate that the UK's mean temperature for meteorological summer, from 1 June to 10 August, stands at 16.48C. This figure is 1.88C above the 1991-2020 average. In summer 2025, the mean temperature across the country was 16.10C.
The summer of 2026 has already experienced multiple heatwaves, including a late-spring heatwave in May, another in June, and a two-week period in July. The highest temperature recorded so far this summer was 38C at Lingwood in Norfolk on 26 June. The Met Office has issued an amber extreme heat warning for some parts of England on Thursday, with temperatures potentially equalling or exceeding this figure.
This year marks the first time on record that 35C or above has been reached in three separate calendar months: May, June, and July. If 38C is predicted later this week, August would be added to this total. July was the driest on record for both England and Wales since 1836, with Southern England experiencing its driest calendar month ever.
The warm and sunny conditions have led to drought declarations in over two-thirds of England and all of Wales. Approximately 45 million people in England are now living in a drought area, with more than 27 million facing water use restrictions. While no rain is forecast for most of this week across England and Wales, some signs of rain from the Atlantic are suggested for Sunday, potentially bringing the first significant rainfall for many in nearly two months.