The UK has officially sealed a new record, as the Met Office confirms that summer 2025 will almost certainly be the warmest on record. This isn't just about a few scorching days; it's a story of consistent, pervasive warmth that has redefined what a British summer feels like.
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| Source: Met Office |
The most striking aspect of this summer is its consistent warmth, not a single, extreme heatwave. While many of us remember the iconic summer of 1976 for its intense and prolonged heat, with temperatures peaking above 32°C for 16 days, summer 2025's story is different. This year saw four distinct but short-lived heatwaves, interspersed with near-average conditions. The highest temperature recorded was 35.8°C in Faversham, Kent, which is well below the all-time UK high of 40.3°C set in 2022.
The sustained warmth has been attributed to a combination of factors, including dry ground from a very dry spring, persistent high-pressure systems, and an unusually warm marine heatwave around the UK. This consistent warmth has also led to other notable conditions, with below-average rainfall across much of the country, particularly in England, and above-average sunshine. These conditions led to hosepipe bans in several areas, including parts of the south and Yorkshire.
This new record is a stark reminder of the long-term trends shaping our climate. With this summer's record, all five of the UK's warmest summers have occurred since the year 2000. This pattern underscores the influence of climate change, which is steadily raising the baseline temperatures and making what would have been a remarkable year decades ago a new record.
Final, official statistics for the season are due to be published on September 1st, but the verdict is already in: Summer 2025 has set a new benchmark for UK heat.
