England NW & North Wales Climate
City Coverage: Manchester, Liverpool, Preston, Blackpool, Chester, Bangor, and Wrexham
This month in numbers
England NW & North Wales experienced its 7th warmest May on record, with an average temperature of 12°C, a significant 2.1°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. The period of March to May 2026 ranked as the 3rd warmest on record for mean temperature, at 9.43°C, which is 2.3°C above the baseline. This spring also saw the 5th sunniest March–May period on record, with 545 hours of sunshine, 128 hours more than average. Furthermore, there were only 5 frost days between March and May, making it the 3rd fewest frost days on record for the region.
What changed
The past three months have been notably warmer and sunnier than average for England NW & North Wales. This region's mean temperature anomaly of +2.3°C for March-May places it 76th warmest out of 234 regions globally, indicating a widespread warming trend. Nationally, the UK also experienced its third warmest spring on record for mean temperature, with England and Wales both recording their warmest spring on record. May itself was the joint third warmest May in the UK for mean temperature.
What’s driving change?
The significant warmth observed in England NW & North Wales, particularly during May, was influenced by a late-month heatwave driven by high pressure. This allowed exceptional heat to build, leading to record-breaking temperatures across parts of the UK. The broader warming trend is consistent with the long-term effects of human-induced climate change. While the current ENSO state is Neutral, there is a strong forecast for an El Niño event to develop and persist through the coming months, with a 98% probability for August-October. The Met Office indicates that while El Niño's influence on UK weather is indirect, it can contribute to a general rise in global average temperatures.
Looking ahead
With a strong El Niño forecast to develop and persist through the summer and into autumn, there is a likelihood of above-average global temperatures, which could contribute to a warmer-than-average summer for the UK with the potential for more heatwaves.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for England NW & North 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 NW & North Wales changing?
England NW & North 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 NW & North Wales come from?
Climate data for England NW & North 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 NW & North Wales climate data cover?
The England NW & North Wales climate profile covers Manchester, Liverpool, Preston, Blackpool and surrounding areas. North-west England and north Wales climate data
How often is the England NW & North Wales climate update refreshed?
The England NW & North 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.