England East & North East Climate
City Coverage: Leeds, Sheffield, York, Hull, Lincoln, and Norwich
This month in numbers
England East & North East experienced its 8th warmest April on record, with an average temperature of 9°C, a significant 2.4°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. The region also saw its 3rd sunniest April on record, basking in 229 hours of sunshine, which is 96 hours more than average. Rainfall was notably low, with just 21.1 mm, ranking as the 112th driest April out of 127 years.
What changed
The period from February to April 2026 was exceptionally warm, ranking as the 4th warmest such period on record, with an average temperature of 7.27°C, 2.6°C above the baseline. This was just shy of the all-time record set in 2024. The region also experienced its 2nd fewest frost days for February-April, with only 9 days of frost, a remarkable 20 fewer than the average. This mild, sunny, and largely frost-free start to spring contrasts with the national picture for February, which saw the UK record its fourth dullest February on record, though England was warmer than average. Globally, the February-April 2026 period was the 2nd warmest on record for global land temperatures.
What’s driving change?
The exceptionally mild and sunny conditions, coupled with a significant reduction in frost days, can be attributed to several factors. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with a strong forecast for El Niño to develop by May-July 2026, which typically brings cooler conditions to Northern Europe in late winters, though strong El Niños can reverse this trend. systems have played a role in keeping rain-bearing systems away from southern and eastern England, leading to notably low rainfall totals in areas like East Anglia. This pattern of can be influenced by jet stream shifts.
Looking ahead
Seasonal forecasts suggest a developing El Niño phase through the summer and into the end of the year, which could influence global weather patterns, though its direct impact on UK seasons is often indirect and complex.
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.