Summer 2026 is on course to become the UK’s hottest on record, according to the Met Office, with the existing benchmark at risk of being surpassed before the end of August.
The forecaster has indicated that the season is already close enough to the record that the remainder of August would not need to be unusually warm for a new high to be set. If conditions over the rest of the month are merely average, the UK would still be expected to move beyond the previous summer temperature record.
That record was established last year, meaning the UK could see consecutive summers setting new national heat benchmarks. The latest assessment points to the strength of this year’s seasonal warmth so far, although the final outcome will depend on the remaining August weather data.
The Met Office’s position suggests the UK is approaching a notable climate and weather milestone. A hottest-on-record summer would place 2026 above the mark set in 2025, underlining how close the current season already is to exceeding the previous national figure.
No final record has yet been confirmed. The latest known position is that average conditions for the rest of August would be sufficient for summer 2026 to overtake last year’s record, with confirmation dependent on the completed seasonal figures.
