{"id":615545,"date":"2026-06-01T17:00:20","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T17:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/615545\/"},"modified":"2026-06-01T17:00:20","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T17:00:20","slug":"warmest-spring-on-record-for-england-and-wales-third-warmest-for-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/615545\/","title":{"rendered":"Warmest spring on record for England and Wales \u2013 third warmest for UK"},"content":{"rendered":"

An exceptionally early and\u00a0record-breaking spell of heat<\/a>\u00a0at the end of May helped to secure the warmest spring on record for England\u00a0and Wales,\u00a0and the third warmest for the UK,\u00a0for mean temperature.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The late-May heatwave saw six consecutive days above 30\u00b0C\u00a0in some areas, with both the spring and May maximum temperature\u00a0station\u00a0records exceeded by more than 2\u00b0C, highlighting an exceptional\u00a0end to the season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Provisional Met Office statistics show\u00a0the season saw:\u00a0<\/p>\n

UK\u2019s third warmest on record\u00a0for mean temperature\u00a0\u00a0
\nEngland\u2019s warmest on record\u00a0for mean temperature\u00a0
\nWales\u2019s warmest\u00a0on record\u00a0for mean temperature\u00a0
\nNorthern Ireland\u2019s\u00a0joint sixth\u00a0warmest on record for mean temperature\u00a0
\nScotland\u2019s\u00a0eighth\u00a0warmest on record\u00a0for mean temperature\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Map<\/p>\n

All\u00a0three months of meteorological spring\u00a0–\u00a0March, April and May\u00a0–\u00a0ranked\u00a0within the UK\u2019s top ten warmest since the series began in 1884.\u00a0The season unfolded month by month, beginning with a\u00a0joint tenth warmest March<\/a>\u00a0on record for the UK, followed by the\u00a0seventh warmest April<\/a>\u00a0and then a May that finished\u00a0up\u00a0as\u00a0the\u00a0joint\u00a0third\u00a0warmest on record.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

England\u2019s mean\u00a0temperature of\u00a010.41\u00b0C\u00a0surpassed\u00a0last year\u2019s record of 10.23\u00b0C,\u00a0meaning\u00a0the three warmest springs on record\u00a0now stand as\u00a02026, 2025 and 2024. Nine of the ten warmest springs since 1884 have\u00a0now\u00a0occurred since 2007.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The graph below shows spring’s mean temperature\u00a0in\u00a0England since 1884.\u202f\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Graph<\/p>\n

Forty\u00a0counties\u00a0experienced their warmest spring\u00a0for mean temperature\u00a0since\u00a01884.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Map<\/p>\n

Mean\u00a0maximum\u00a0temperatures were especially high, with the UK recording\u00a0its third highest\u00a0spring\u00a0mean\u00a0maximum temperature, while\u00a0mean\u00a0minimum\u00a0overnight temperatures were also well-above average, making it the\u00a0UK\u2019s\u00a0fifth\u00a0highest spring\u00a0mean\u00a0minimum temperature on record.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Met Office Scientist\u00a0Dr\u00a0Emily Carlisle said:\u00a0\u201cThis spring highlights both the natural variability of the UK\u2019s weather and the longer-term warming we are observing.\u00a0While conditions varied through the season, all three months of meteorological spring recorded mean temperatures within the UK\u2019s top ten warmest on record.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile we expect fluctuations from year to year,\u00a0this spring shows some of the changes we’re seeing in our weather patterns, with more extreme conditions becoming more frequent.\u00a0The fact that\u00a0nine\u00a0of the ten warmest springs in\u00a0England\u00a0have occurred since 2007\u00a0illustrates this ongoing shift in the UK\u2019s climate.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Below-average rainfall, with marked regional contrasts\u00a0<\/p>\n

Spring rainfall was\u00a014% below the\u00a0long-term\u00a0meteorological average\u00a0for the UK, but the statistics mask strong regional differences.\u00a0<\/p>\n

England\u00a0recorded 65% of its\u00a0average spring rainfall, with a pronounced north-south split:\u00a0Northern England\u00a0saw\u00a090% of average rainfall, compared to just 50% in Southern England.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Several counties in the southeast and east of England\u00a0saw\u00a0just over a\u00a0third of their\u00a0average\u00a0seasonal\u00a0rainfall, including Suffolk (33%), Kent (33%), Essex (34%) and Cambridgeshire (35%), City of London (36%).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Commenting on the very dry spring in some areas,\u00a0Helen Wakeham, Environment Agency Director of Water and Chair of the National Drought Group, said:\u00a0\u201cNo parts of England are currently in drought, but the risk increases the longer it remains hot and dry. The recent heatwave has seen significant peaks in demand for water, while river flows have fallen due to the very dry spring, and reservoir levels are reducing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe continue to closely track the situation and have convened a National Drought Group meeting in the coming weeks, so we are prepared if the dry conditions remain. We must continue to adapt to our changing climate and all be wise with our water use.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0
\n
\u00a0
\n
Helen Plant from The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) said:\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThe notably warm spring and stark variation in rainfall are increasingly being reflected in crops potential. As highlighted in AHDB\u2019s latest crop development\u202freport<\/a>, the drier conditions in April and into May have already led to a decline in winter cereal condition scores, with the proportion of crops rated good or excellent falling. In the driest parts of England, such as the East and\u00a0South East, limited rainfall has reduced soil moisture reserves and many spring crops have struggled to get going.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n

The return of wetter weather\u00a0at the\u00a0third week of May helped those crops that got it. However, soil moisture remained low in many fields and last week\u2019s heatwave also increased the stress for crops, with visible leaf rolling in wheat crops.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There is a risk to yield potential if rainfall does not improve in the weeks ahead. Farm profitability is already under pressure after the past couple of years of extreme weather and low prices,\u00a0alongside rising costs.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Scotland was the only UK nation to finish spring wetter than average, with the Western Isles recording their\u00a0seventh\u00a0wettest spring on record\u00a0and Ross and Cromarty its tenth.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Map<\/p>\n

The seasonal pattern marks a notable contrast with winter, with rainfall anomalies showing a near reversal of the pattern seen during Winter 2025\/26.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Map
\nWidespread\u00a0sunshine\u00a0across the UK\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sunshine totals were also above average for the UK and all four nations, adding to the\u00a0predominantly\u00a0warm and\u00a0settled nature of the season.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The UK\u00a0recorded\u00a0its\u00a0fourth\u00a0sunniest\u00a0spring\u00a0since records began in 1910, while\u00a0England\u00a0saw its third,\u00a0Wales\u00a0its\u00a0joint\u00a0eighth\u00a0and Scotland their\u00a0ninth.\u00a0\u00a0
\n
\u00a0
\n
Although this spring was notable for its warmth and sunshine,\u00a0spring 2025 remains the warmest and sunniest\u00a0spring on record<\/a>\u00a0for the UK.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"UK
\nProvisional\u00a0Spring\u00a02026 statistics\u00a0<\/p>\n

Provisional Spring 26\u00a0stats<\/p>\n

Mean temp (\u00b0C)<\/p>\n

Rainfall (mm\/%)<\/p>\n

Sunshine (hours\/ %)<\/p>\n

Actual<\/p>\n

91\/20 anomaly<\/p>\n

Actual<\/p>\n

91\/20 anomaly<\/p>\n

Actual<\/p>\n

91\/20 anomaly<\/p>\n

UK<\/p>\n

9.33<\/p>\n

1.25<\/p>\n

196.6<\/p>\n

86<\/p>\n

548.4<\/p>\n

120<\/p>\n

England<\/p>\n

10.41<\/p>\n

1.54<\/p>\n

112.0<\/p>\n

65<\/p>\n

605.2<\/p>\n

126<\/p>\n

Wales<\/p>\n

9.73<\/p>\n

1.43<\/p>\n

220.5<\/p>\n

79<\/p>\n

539.6<\/p>\n

118<\/p>\n

Scotland<\/p>\n

7.46<\/p>\n

0.80<\/p>\n

327.0<\/p>\n

107<\/p>\n

469.8<\/p>\n

112<\/p>\n

Northern Ireland<\/p>\n

9.06<\/p>\n

0.92<\/p>\n

221.4<\/p>\n

94<\/p>\n

468.2<\/p>\n

108<\/p>\n

May\u00a0\u2013\u00a0a month of contrasting conditions\u00a0<\/p>\n

May began unsettled, cloudy and cool, with temperatures running around 1.4\u00b0C below average by mid-month. Frequent outbreaks of rain, some hail and even frost were recorded in places.\u00a0Conditions then changed rapidly, as high pressure became dominant and temperatures rose quickly into a\u00a0significant late-May heatwave.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This period of heat culminated in\u00a0exceptional and record-breaking temperatures<\/a>. On 25 May, the UK\u2019s spring and May temperature record was provisionally broken when 34.8\u00b0C was recorded at Kew Gardens, exceeding the previous record of 32.8\u00b0C. That record was broken again on 26 May, when 35.1\u00b0C was recorded at Kew Gardens, with Heathrow also reaching 35.0\u00b0C.\u00a0\u00a0
\n
\u00a0
\n
The\u00a0graph\u00a0below shows\u00a0the fluctuation in mean temperature during the month.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Graph<\/p>\n

Provisional figures show May 2026 finished as\u00a0the\u00a0joint third\u00a0warmest May\u00a0in\u00a0the UK\u00a0for mean temperature, with England recording\u00a0its second\u00a0warmest May,\u00a0Wales its\u00a0joint\u00a0third\u00a0and Northern Ireland its\u00a0joint\u00a0tenth\u00a0warmest.\u00a0Scotland did not see mean temperatures within the top ten on record.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"UK<\/p>\n

Southern England\u00a0recorded\u00a0its\u00a0warmest\u00a0May\u00a0on\u00a0record\u00a0for mean\u00a0temperature, and\u00a027\u00a0counties\u00a0saw their warmest\u00a0May\u00a0season\u00a0since 1884.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"UK<\/p>\n

Average\u00a0maximum daily\u00a0temperatures were\u00a0also\u00a0especially high\u00a0due to the late-May heat,\u00a0with\u00a0England\u00a0recording its\u00a0highest\u00a0May\u00a0mean\u00a0maximum temperature\u00a0on record, and\u00a029\u00a0counties recording their highest\u00a0mean\u00a0maximum\u00a0temperature. Overnight temperatures were also well-above average, making it the UK\u2019s\u00a0joint sixth\u00a0highest\u00a0May\u00a0average\u00a0minimum temperature on record.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Met Office Scientist\u00a0Dr\u00a0Emily Carlisle said: \u201cMay was a month of two distinct phases. After a relatively cool and unsettled start, conditions changed quickly, with high pressure allowing temperatures to rise sharply into an exceptional late-month heatwave.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis led to temperatures reaching levels not previously recorded during\u00a0May, with long-standing May records broken in several locations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile individual weather events are influenced by natural variability, our climate attribution studies show that the likelihood of exceeding UK May temperature records has increased significantly as the climate warms, meaning such extremes are now becoming more likely.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

May heat and climate change\u00a0<\/p>\n

A climate attribution study published last summer by Met Office scientists found that the chances of surpassing the May temperature record have been increasing as our climate changes as a consequence of human greenhouse gas emissions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The study found that breaking the 32.8\u00b0C May record is around three times more likely now in our current climate than it would have been in a natural climate not impacted by greenhouse gas emissions. What was around a 1-in-100 year event is now around a 1-in-33 year event. \u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n

You can read the full research in the\u202fRoyal Meteorological Society\u2019s Journal \u2018Weather\u2019<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In addition to daily station temperatures, the influence of climate change can also be observed in mean temperatures for the UK as a whole over the month of May. According to the HadUK-Grid dataset, with data back to 1884, the mean UK temperature for May has been tending to increase over recent decades, albeit with year-to-year variability.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"UK<\/p>\n

UK Mean temperature for May from 1884 to 2026. The brown line shows the 2026\u00a0value and the red dashed line shows 2024, which is currently the highest on record.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Below-average rainfall\u00a0across all UK nations\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rainfall was below average in all four nations\u00a0in\u00a0May, although no top ten records have been\u00a0surpassed. A clear regional contrast can be seen\u00a0when looking at England, with the south seeing\u00a0just 59% of average, compared to 99%\u00a0in\u00a0the north.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"UK
\nNear-average\u00a0sunshine\u00a0overall\u00a0<\/p>\n

The UK\u00a0recorded just above average sunshine\u00a0during the month, with England the sunniest\u00a0of\u00a0the nations and both Scotland and Northern Ireland seeing below\u00a0average sunshine compared to the long-term meteorological average.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"UK
\nProvisional\u00a0May\u00a02026 statistics<\/p>\n

Provisional May 26\u00a0stats<\/p>\n

Mean temp (\u00b0C)<\/p>\n

Rainfall (mm\/%)<\/p>\n

Sunshine (hours\/ %)<\/p>\n

Actual<\/p>\n

91\/20 anomaly<\/p>\n

Actual<\/p>\n

91\/20 anomaly<\/p>\n

Actual<\/p>\n

91\/20 anomaly<\/p>\n

UK<\/p>\n

12.0<\/p>\n

1.3<\/p>\n

55.1<\/p>\n

78<\/p>\n

200.9<\/p>\n

105<\/p>\n

England<\/p>\n

13.4<\/p>\n

1.8<\/p>\n

42.3<\/p>\n

74<\/p>\n

229.3<\/p>\n

115<\/p>\n

Wales<\/p>\n

12.4<\/p>\n

1.5<\/p>\n

69.9<\/p>\n

80<\/p>\n

201.0<\/p>\n

105<\/p>\n

Scotland<\/p>\n

9.6<\/p>\n

0.5<\/p>\n

69.6<\/p>\n

78<\/p>\n

157.7<\/p>\n

87<\/p>\n

Northern Ireland<\/p>\n

11.7<\/p>\n

1.2<\/p>\n

71.5<\/p>\n

97<\/p>\n

174.9<\/p>\n

95<\/p>\n

Where does the monthly data come from?<\/p>\n

The Met Office\u2019s monthly climate statistics use HadUK\u2011Grid data to work out county, regional and UK\u2011wide averages. The dataset takes weather observations from across the country and interpolates them across the UK onto a 1km x 1km grid, covering every part of the UK.\u00a0Some of these records stretch all the way back to 1836, meaning almost 200 years of weather data.\n<\/p>\n

READ MORE:\u00a0How do we know when weather records are broken?<\/a><\/p>\n

READ MORE:\u00a0What is HadUK-Grid?<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"An exceptionally early and\u00a0record-breaking spell of heat\u00a0at the end of May helped to secure the warmest spring on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":615546,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[59,57,58,50,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-615545","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-united-kingdom","tag-gb","tag-great-britain","tag-greatbritain","tag-news","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/615545","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=615545"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/615545\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/615546"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=615545"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=615545"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=615545"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}