Summer of 2026 was UK’s hottest on record, Met Office says — SkimNews
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- Met Office recorded an average mean UK temperature of 16.5C, provisionally making 2026 the warmest summer in a record series dating to 1884.
- Climate change made this summer’s record-breaking heat about 130 times more likely, according to a study by Met Office scientists.
- England, Wales and Northern Ireland broke their respective summer mean-temperature records, while Scotland recorded its joint-sixth hottest summer.
- UK Health Security Agency estimated that 2,877 people died in the May and June heatwaves, as England headed for its highest-ever number of heat-related deaths; at least 35,000 excess deaths were linked to extreme heat across Europe.
- England experienced its driest July on record, with 6.5mm of rainfall, while wildfires caused total devastation near Sizewell and destroyed 19 homes in Stourbridge.
- Climate Change Act 2008 faces a Conservative party motion to repeal the law that enshrined the UK’s legally binding net-zero target.
Why it matters: The immediate burden falls on England’s health system, farmers and emergency services: the UKHSA estimated 2,877 heat deaths in May and June, July delivered 6.5mm of rain, and fires destroyed 19 homes. The record brings direct pressure to care, food production and communities.
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