England East & North East Climate
City Coverage: Leeds, Sheffield, York, Hull, Lincoln, and Norwich
This month in numbers
England East & North East experienced a significantly warm May 2026, ranking as the 2nd warmest May on record with an average temperature of 12.3°C, a notable 2.6°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. This contributed to the March–May 2026 period being the 3rd warmest on record for mean temperature, at 9.53°C, which is 2.5°C above average. The region also enjoyed its 3rd sunniest March–May period on record, with 595 hours of sunshine, an impressive 182 hours more than the baseline.
What changed
The past three months (March–May 2026) have been exceptionally warm and sunny for England East & North East, contrasting with below-average rainfall. This regional warmth aligns with a broader national trend, as the UK recorded its joint third warmest May on record for mean temperature, and England experienced its second warmest May. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest on record for global land temperature, indicating widespread warming. The region's 3-month temperature anomaly of +2.5°C places it 64th out of 234 regions globally, while the 3-month sunshine anomaly of +182 hours is a significant deviation.
What’s driving change?
The notable warmth in England East & North East during May and the preceding months can be attributed to several factors. A significant heatwave impacted much of England and Wales in late May 2026, with temperatures reaching exceptional levels for the time of year and breaking previous May records. This heatwave was primarily caused by a build-up of warm air under a stalled area of high pressure, leading to clear skies and strong sunshine, which allowed temperatures to rise rapidly. The broader long-term warming trend, with the region's annual average temperature increasing by +1.50°C since the 1961–1990 baseline, also contributes to these increasingly frequent warm anomalies. The current ENSO state is Neutral, but the NOAA CPC forecast indicates a strong likelihood of El Niño developing in the coming months, with an 82% chance for May-Jul and increasing to 98% for Aug-Oct. Historically, El Niño events have shown a tendency for cooler late winters in Northern Europe, though very strong events have sometimes led to warmer winters. More information on ENSO can be found at ENSO tracker.
Looking ahead
The strong forecast for an evolving El Niño phase suggests a potential for cooler late winters in Northern Europe in the months ahead.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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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.
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 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 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.