The 2026 meteorological summer in the UK was the warmest on record, surpassing the record set last year. Unlike 2025 whose record was due to steady warmth, 2026 came from a series of heatwaves. Despite that none of the 3 months individually set new records but as a collective, they added up to a new temperature record.
It was also the 6th sunniest summer on record but whilst it was drier than usual, the dryness was not unusual. That might surprise those experiencing hosepipe bans in certain places but this was due to significant regional variations in rainfall. Consequently, whilst 2026 can be regarded as the 3rd “best summer” of all time through the lens of the 1st principal component, it still had some way to go reach the folklore of 1976 and 1995. More than that, since we have now had two “nice” summers in a row, history tells us these have never been followed by a 3rd “nice” summer so plan accordingly for 2027!
