The UK has simply sizzled via its hottest summer time on file, a phenomenon made 70 occasions extra doubtless by local weather change, the Met Workplace stated at this time.
It beat the earlier excessive set in 2018, and kicks the notoriously sizzling summer time of 1976 into sixth place.
The persistent warmth drove hosepipe bans, “nationally vital” water shortfalls, and even a “false autumn” in locations.
The brand new provisional information discovered temperatures between 1 June and 31 August 2025 have been 16.10C on common throughout the UK – a lot larger than the earlier file of 15.76C in 2018.
The distinction would possibly sound small, however – as a mean over a three-month interval, together with day and nighttime temperatures – is actually substantial.
All the highest 5 warmest summers have occurred because the yr 2000, which the Met Workplace referred to as a “clear signal of the UK’s altering and warming local weather”.
This summer time was the most well liked by far, a lot hotter than all of the earlier information, and relegating 1976 to sixth place.
Did autumn come early this yr?
The warmth gave rise to early indicators of autumn, with blackberries ripening early and leaves turning brown and falling to the bottom in August.
This so-called “false autumn” will not be the early arrival of the following season, however a survival mechanism of bushes and vegetation when careworn by excessive summer time situations.
They shed leaves and fruit forward of schedule to preserve water and vitality, particularly the youthful bushes whose shallow roots cannot entry moisture additional underground.
Kevin Martin from Kew Gardens referred to as false autumns a “seen warning signal”.
“Bushes are remarkably resilient, however they’re additionally long-lived organisms going through fast environmental modifications.”
Was this summer time hotter than 1976?
This summer time was the most well liked on file going again to 1884, and much hotter even than the memorably sizzling summer time of 1976, which now trails in sixth place.
The Met Workplace’s Dr Mark McCarthy stated this exhibits how “what would have been seen as extremes up to now have gotten extra widespread in our altering local weather”.
The summer time of 1976 is remembered for its heatwave that lasted greater than two weeks, and 16 days in whole with temperatures over 32C.
Though 2025 has had simply 9 days of temperatures over 32C, what’s “hanging” about this summer time is how constantly heat it was, the Met Workplace stated.
Why was this summer time so heat?
There have been various components that made it so heat, so persistently.
Lingering excessive strain made for settled, sunny and heat climate, and fuelled 4 heatwaves.
It was additionally very dry, with a few quarter much less rain than common for summer time – although that diverse by area. Nevertheless it adopted the driest spring in England for greater than a century.
Dry floor holds much less moisture that may evaporate: a course of that normally cools issues down.
And a marine heatwave despatched sea temperatures on the floor nicely above common, with a knock-on affect on air temperatures.
In a single day temperatures have been additionally excessive, conserving the common up.
What about local weather change?
Local weather change made a summer time as sizzling or hotter than this yr 70 occasions extra doubtless, the Met Workplace stated.
It provides one other layer of warmth on high of the opposite climate patterns which will have occurred with out people altering the local weather.
The UK is warming by roughly 0.25C per decade, and is already a minimum of 1.24C hotter than the interval between 1961-1990.
With out local weather change, a summer time like in 2025 would have occurred about as soon as in each 340 years. Now it is anticipated as soon as in 5 years.
Anna Roguski from Mates of the Earth, stated the summer time “underlined how unprepared the UK is for excessive warmth”.
She stated we “urgently” have to adapt cities with issues like stricter constructing requirements, shaded streets and “much more nature woven via neighbourhoods – bushes, wetlands and inexperienced areas assist to maintain issues cool”.
“However adaptation alone will not be sufficient. To cease summers spiralling ever hotter, we should slash emissions.”
