England East & North East Climate – July 2026 Update
City Coverage: Leeds, Sheffield, York, Hull, Lincoln, and Norwich
Summary
England East & North East experienced an extraordinary period of climate extremes, culminating in its warmest late-spring to mid-summer stretch on record and the driest July in 127 years of observations. brought unrelenting heat and near-total drought, reducing river flows and pushing regional water resources into prolonged dry weather status. A moderate El Niño is currently active in the tropical Pacific and forecast to peak at Very Strong in Oct-Dec, while hot, settled conditions are expected to persist into late summer.
This month in numbers
July 2026 registered a mean temperature of 17.8°C, which sits 3.2°C above the 1961-1990 baseline to rank as the 3rd warmest on record. Average maximum temperatures reached 22.9°C during the month. Precipitation fell to a staggering low of 9.9 mm, an anomaly of -47.8 mm that makes this the 1st driest July in 127 years of record-keeping. Measurable rain fell on just 2 days, marking 7 fewer rain days than normal and the lowest count in history. Sunshine totalled 254 hrs, an anomaly of +86 hrs that stands as the 4th sunniest on record.
What changed
For the May-July 2026 season, the region recorded a mean temperature of 15.43°C, an anomaly of +3°C that represents the 1st warmest such three-month period in 127 years of records. Sunshine reached 681 hrs over the same window, ranking as the 4th sunniest May-July stretch on record, while total rainfall remained severely suppressed at 109.1 mm. Globally, England East & North East ranked 14th out of 232 tracked regions for 3-month temperature anomaly, placing it among the most abnormally warm places on the planet. The local monthly anomaly of +3.2°C also ran well ahead of the UK national average anomaly of +2.9°C.
What’s driving change?
The prolonged heatwave and drought conditions were driven by persistent jet stream shifts that locked strong high-pressure systems over northern Europe, suppressing cloud cover and storm development. This lack of rain triggered , where parched ground can no longer cool the air through evaporation, further elevating daily temperatures. On a global level, a moderate El Niño is currently active in the tropical Pacific and forecast to peak at Very Strong in Oct-Dec, as tracked at ENSO, though ENSO historically exerts a modest and inconsistent influence on UK summer weather. While the region escaped major catastrophic disasters like the widespread wildfires tracked in the Russian Federation at Extreme Weather tracker, these atmospheric feedback loops pushed local warming far beyond baseline trends.
Looking ahead
Seasonal outlooks indicate that high pressure is likely to maintain above-average temperatures and below-average precipitation across eastern England through late summer and into early autumn.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – UKUnited Kingdom
Source: Met Office UK Regional & National series (Tmean, Precipitation, Sunshine, Air Frost) © Crown copyright, plus GPCC (Snow, water-equivalent). Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Typical Climate – England East & North East
Köppen Cfb · TemperateEngland East & North East has a temperate climate (Köppen Cfb: Oceanic / temperate), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 16.3°C, while January is the coldest at 3.8°C. Annual precipitation averages around 805mm, spread fairly evenly across the year.
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly rain, with snow (water-equivalent) shown separately.
Data: Met Office UK Regional Series © Crown copyright.
Long-Term Trends
Combined Timeline – England East & North East
Right axis: everything else standardized to standard deviations (σ) from its own average, since mm/hours/days aren't directly comparable to °C or to each other.
Data: Met Office UK Regional Series © Crown copyright.
Heatwave Days – England East & North East
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI heatwave measure: days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.
Data: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5-derived). Refreshed roughly 1-2x/year, ~7-8 months behind present.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – England East & North East
Data: Met Office UK Regional Series © Crown copyright.
Monthly Temperature – England East & North East
Background lines show the last 40 years (plus the record year and its opposite, wherever they fall).
Data: Met Office UK Regional Series © Crown copyright.
Records – England East & North East
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 England East & North East. Spring is defined as the date monthly temperatures first rise above the long-term annual mean (8.1°C, from 1900–1929); autumn is the date they fall back below it. Temperature swings 11.6°C peak-to-peak across the year - a classic four-seasons rhythm.
Baseline vs recent monthly temperature climatology. Biggest warming: Jun (+2.0°C).
Data: Met Office UK Regional Series © Crown copyright.
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for England East & North East
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.
UK Tmean / Tmax / Tmin, rainfall, rain-days, sunshine and air-frost series. © Crown copyright.
Warm Spell Duration Index: days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature, ERA5-derived. World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
Monthly snow water-equivalent, Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD).
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in England East & North East changing?
England East & North East 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.
What is the climate like in England East & North East?
England East & North East has a temperate climate (Köppen Cfb: Oceanic / temperate), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 16.3°C, while January is the coldest at 3.8°C. Annual precipitation averages around 805mm, spread fairly evenly across the year.
Where does the climate data for England East & North East come from?
Climate data for England East & North East 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 East & North East climate data cover?
The England East & North East climate profile covers Leeds, Sheffield, York, Hull and surrounding areas. Climate data for Yorkshire, Humber and the east of England
How often is the England East & North East climate update refreshed?
The England East & North East 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.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the England East & North East climate page?
Heatwave Days use the Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI-standard heatwave measure: days that are part of a run of 6 or more consecutive days above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that calendar day. The 90th-percentile threshold varies by time of year (a hot day in January is judged differently to one in July) but is fixed to the 1961-1990 baseline for every year shown - it does not shift as the climate warms, which is why Heatwave Days trend upward over time.
Does the England East & North East climate page include frost and snow data?
Yes. Frost Days (days with a minimum temperature below 0°C, World Bank CCKP) and snow water-equivalent (GPCC) are shown alongside temperature and precipitation, each measured against the 1961-1990 baseline where a like-for-like historical comparison is available.