The UK is on track to record its hottest summer since records began, according to provisional data from the Met Office.
Average temperatures across June, July and August 2025 have reached 16.13°C, which is 1.5°C above the long-term seasonal average. The new figures suggest this summer will surpass the record previously set in 2018, making it the warmest summer since records began in 1884.
Emily Carlisle, a scientist at the Met Office, confirmed on Tuesday:
“Provisional Met Office statistics show that summer 2025 will almost certainly be the warmest summer on record.”
Heatwaves and Drought Push UK Infrastructure to Its Limits
The UK has endured four separate heatwaves this summer, leading to hosepipe bans, reservoir shortages, and widespread drought warnings from farmers. Many growers have reported significant damage to crops, raising concerns about potential food price increases.
Mark Maslin, Professor of Earth System Science at University College London, warned that the UK is ill-equipped to deal with prolonged extreme heat:
“People swelter in their homes without air conditioning, railway tracks buckle in the heat, and our reservoirs dry out.”
Why Temperatures Are Soaring
Met Office scientists explained that the high seasonal averages are being driven by persistent warm conditions rather than short bursts of extreme heat.
Key factors behind this year’s record-breaking temperatures include:
- Exceptionally dry ground following England’s driest spring in more than 100 years
- Prolonged high-pressure weather systems trapping heat
- Unusually warm sea surface temperatures
Rainfall levels have remained below average, further exacerbating drought risks across England and Wales.
Global Warming and Urgent Calls for Action
The UK is currently warming at a rate of 0.25°C per decade, according to Met Office data, as global temperatures continue to rise. Last year was officially the hottest year ever recorded globally.
The United Nations recently urged employers worldwide to adopt heat stress plans, including introducing hydration checks to prevent workplace health risks as traditionally cooler countries face increasingly extreme conditions.
Environmental campaigners, including Greenpeace UK, have called for fossil fuel companies to be held accountable for the consequences of climate change.
Maja Darlington, a climate campaigner at Greenpeace UK, stated:
“The knock-on effects of extreme weather should be paid for by the fossil fuel companies driving this crisis not by farmers, households, or underfunded firefighters who are left to deal with the damage.”
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