East Anglia Climate – June 2026 Update
City Coverage: Norwich, Cambridge, Ipswich, Peterborough, Colchester, and Chelmsford
This month in numbers
East Anglia experienced its warmest June on record, with a mean temperature of 18.3°C, an astonishing 4.1°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. This makes June 2026 the 1st warmest June in 127 years of records. The spring season (April–June 2026) was also exceptionally warm, ranking as the 1st warmest on record with a mean temperature of 14.37°C, 3.3°C above average. Sunshine for the same three-month period was the 3rd highest on record, with 727 hours, 194 hours above the baseline. In stark contrast, June saw zero frost days, ranking among the bottom 5 for frost days in 96 years of records.
What changed
The exceptionally warm June contributed to East Anglia's warmest spring on record. This regional warmth significantly outpaced the national picture, where the UK as a whole recorded a June mean temperature of 15.33°C, 2.4°C above average. East Anglia's June temperature anomaly of +4.07°C placed it 12th out of 234 regions globally for the latest month's anomaly, highlighting the severity of the heat experienced here. The region also ranked 13th globally for its 3-month anomaly, at +3.30°C.
What’s driving change?
The record-breaking heat in East Anglia during June was part of a wider pattern of extreme temperatures across Europe, with 10 of the top 10 warmest one-month anomalies globally being European countries. This heatwave was severe enough to prompt the Met Office to issue its first Red extreme heat warning for parts of England, including areas of East Anglia, with temperatures reaching 37.3°C in Santon Downham, Suffolk, breaking the UK's June temperature record. This extreme heat was driven by a powerful high-pressure system, creating a heat dome effect. The ongoing weak El Niño, with a Niño 3.4 SST anomaly of +0.98°C, is also a contributing factor to global temperature rises, although its direct influence on European summer weather is less clear.
Looking ahead
The forecast indicates that El Niño is 100% likely to continue through the autumn and into early winter, which typically brings a tendency for cooler late winters to Northern Europe.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – UK
Source: Met Office UK Regional & National series (Tmean, Rainfall, Sunshine, Air Frost) © Crown copyright. Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) or 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost). See methodology.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – East Anglia
Data: Met Office UK Regional Series © Crown copyright. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
East Anglia – Monthly Temperature – All Years
Data: Met Office UK Regional Series © Crown copyright. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Records – East Anglia
Met Office UK Regional Series © Crown copyright - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm / cold seasonsKöppen Cfb · TemperateHow spring and autumn have shifted in East Anglia. Spring is defined as the date monthly temperatures first rise above the long-term annual mean (9.3°C, from 1900–1929); autumn is the date they fall back below it. Temperature swings 12.5°C peak-to-peak across the year - a classic four-seasons rhythm.
Baseline vs recent monthly temperature climatology. Biggest warming: Jun (+2.3°C).
Data: Met Office UK Regional Series © Crown copyright. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Sunshine & Frost
Sunshine – Total Hours
Frost Days – Total
Rainfall & Precipitation
Rainfall & Rain Days – Totals
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for East Anglia
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) - see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in East Anglia changing?
East Anglia is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for East Anglia come from?
Climate data for East Anglia comes from the UK Met Office HadUK-Grid (temperature, rainfall, sunshine, air frost), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the East Anglia climate data cover?
The East Anglia climate profile covers Norwich, Cambridge, Ipswich, Peterborough and surrounding areas. East Anglia climate data across East Anglia and nearby eastern cities
How often is the East Anglia climate update refreshed?
The East Anglia climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.