Britain has officially sweated through its hottest summer since 1884.
The Met Office said today that average temperatures for June, July and August – which includes daytime and overnight values – are provisionally 16.5C, higher than the record set last year.
Official data confirmed temperatures surpassed the 2025 average temperature of 16.1C, beating the previous high of 15.7C in 2018.
New figures released on Tuesday show it reached 30C in the UK on 40 separate days this summer, beating the previous record of 34 days.
A temperature of 35C or higher was recorded on 10 separate days, beating the previous record of five days, which was set in 1976 and matched in 2020.
The intense heat has also made 2026 the first year on record to see three separate days where temperatures reached the 37C threshold.
Temperatures over 37C have only been recorded in the UK nine times, with three of those occasions occurring this summer.
The same scorching temperature was recorded in four calendar months – May, June, July and August – beating the previous record of only two months.
Britain has officially sweated through its hottest summer since 1884
Fire fighters bring a wildfire under control in Bonhill, Scotland
A man is seen using a fan to cool down on the London Underground amid 36C temperatures
A mobile phone shows a Government Severe Alert Warning about the ‘very high risk of wild fires nationally’ on August 14
King Charles III wipes beads of sweat from his face as he attends a London Climate Week reception in June
Five widespread heatwaves saw the hottest day of the year recorded at Kew Gardens in London on August 13, when temperatures reached 38.1C.
The lack of rainfall produced the driest July in 190 years and saw the Environment Agency declare a drought in up to 70 per cent of England and all of Wales.
Up to 2.8million people were placed under temporary hosepipe bans at the peak of the dry spell amid dwindling water reserves and low river flows.
Residents are prohibited from using a hosepipe, sprinkler, pressure washer or automatic irrigation system for things such as watering gardens or lawns, washing cars, patios or boats, or filling swimming or paddling pools.
Soaring temperatures and unrelenting heat also saw severe pressure on the water system, wildlife, farmers, emergency services and infrastructure.
England is on track to record the highest number of heat-related deaths since records began with an estimated 2,877 fatalities caused by the May and June heatwaves.
This figure, almost double the figure for the entirety of 2025, is expected to surpass the current record of 2,985 deaths in the summer of 2022.
Conclusive figures are expected at the start of 2027.
Firefighters is seen hosing water outside a blackened house south of Stourbridge
Five widespread heatwaves saw the hottest day of the year recorded at Kew Gardens in London on August 13, when temperatures reached 38.1C
Thousands of Brits flocked to the coast amid scorching temperatures this summer. Pictured is revellers at Brighton Beach in June
A train derailed at high summer temperatures reaching up to 33°C to 38°C, which increases the risk of track distortion and buckling
The hot weather also sparked a spate of tragic drownings, with fifteen youngsters and five adults losing their lives during the record-breaking heatwave.
Tragedy struck at reservoirs, lakes and rivers across the country, leading to widespread warnings about the dangers faced in water.
In just one harrowing week at the end of May, 20 people died at beaches, rivers and beauty spots around the country.
From this month, water safety education will be compulsory in Relationships and Sex and Health Education (RSHE) lessons under the school curriculum.
Meanwhile as the first day of meteorological autumn arrived, five flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible, were issued for England.
Wet and windy conditions are forecast across the North West and in Scotland, while elsewhere, conditions are drier with only scattered showers expected.
Further into September, forecasters say an period of unsettled weather is likely, but more rain is expected in northern and western areas, while the South and East are more likely to see longer, drier spells.
Most of England and the whole of Wales remain in drought and experts say drought conditions will continue to worsen until there is sustained rainfall across the country.
It comes as the Met unveiled the official list of storm names for the 2026-27 season – including tributes to loved ones, favourite pets and even an animated sheep.
Austen, Boelo and Chloe will be the first named storms of this winter, meteorologists revealed, after more than 40,000 suggestions were submitted by the public.
Weather watchers also submitted names in honour of a five-year-old weather enthusiast, a much-loved Labrador puppy, meteorological pioneers and Shaun the Sheep from the popular animation Wallace and Gromit.
Despite their amusing origins, the Met Office said the purpose of naming storms is also serious as it helps people take notice, prepare and stay safe in severe weather.
