UK summer on course to be warmest on record, Met Office says

The UK is on course to record its warmest summer for mean temperature for the second year in a row, the Met Office said, as the country prepared for its fifth heatwave of the season.

The weather agency said the average UK temperature from June 1 to August 10 was 16.48C. It said only average conditions for the rest of August would be needed to pass the record set last year, when the mean summer temperature was 16.10C.

Britain's 2025 summer surpassed the previous record of 15.76C, set in 2018, the Met Office said.

Met Office senior scientist Mike Kendon said another record-breaking summer now looked increasingly likely after the UK recorded its second-warmest June and second-warmest July.

High temperatures and low rainfall have also left almost three-quarters of England and all of Wales in drought. England and Wales recorded their driest July on record this year.