England and Wales Climate
City Coverage: London, Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester, Bristol, and Leeds
This month in numbers
England and Wales experienced its warmest spring on record, with the mean temperature for March–May 2026 reaching 10.3°C, an anomaly of +2.6°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. This ranks as the 1st warmest spring in 127 years of records. May 2026 itself was the 2nd warmest May on record, with a mean temperature of 13.2°C, an anomaly of +2.7°C. The region also saw its 4th sunniest spring on record, with 596 hours of sunshine, 163 hours above average.
What changed
This exceptionally warm spring for England and Wales contrasts with a global picture that also saw significant warmth, with global land temperatures for February–April 2026 ranking as the 2nd warmest on record. The UK as a whole experienced its 3rd warmest spring on record. The warmth was particularly pronounced in late May, with a record-breaking heatwave that saw temperatures in some areas exceed 30°C for six consecutive days, and the UK's May temperature record broken twice at Kew Gardens, reaching 35.1°C. This heatwave also led to at least 15 water-related deaths across the country. Following the heatwave, parts of England and Wales experienced thunderstorms with heavy rain, hail, and lightning, leading to warnings of flooding and travel disruption.
What’s driving change?
The unprecedented warmth observed in England and Wales this spring is consistent with the long-term trend of increasing temperatures, with the region's long-term trend showing an increase of +1.47°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The Met Office has indicated that the likelihood of breaking such temperature records is now three times higher due to climate change. While the current ENSO state is Neutral, with an 82% chance of transitioning to El Niño by May-Jul, the immediate warmth is more directly attributable to and potentially that allowed for the prolonged high-pressure system leading to the late-May heatwave.
Looking ahead
The Met Office suggests that the UK could experience a warmer-than-average summer with the potential for more heatwaves in the coming months.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for England and Wales
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 England and Wales changing?
England and Wales 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 trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for England and Wales come from?
Climate data for England and Wales 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 England and Wales climate data cover?
The England and Wales climate profile covers London, Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester and surrounding areas. Combined England and Wales climate data across major cities
How often is the England and Wales climate update refreshed?
The England and Wales 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.