England SE & Central South Climate
City Coverage: London, Oxford, Reading, Southampton, Portsmouth, and Brighton
This month in numbers
May 2026 was exceptionally warm for England SE & Central South, ranking as the 1st warmest May on record with an average temperature of 14.5°C, a significant 3.2°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. This contributed to the period of March–May 2026 also being the warmest on record for the region, at 11.2°C, 2.9°C above average. Sunshine hours were also notably high, with March–May 2026 ranking as the 4th sunniest on record, with 644 hours, 176 hours above average.
What changed
The past three months have seen a pronounced warming trend in England SE & Central South, with both May and the March–May period setting new temperature records. This region experienced a significant heatwave towards the end of May, with temperatures in some areas reaching 35.1°C, breaking previous May records. This warmth was part of a broader pattern across England and Wales, both of which experienced their warmest spring on record. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest on record for land temperature, indicating a widespread warming trend.
What’s driving change?
The record-breaking warmth in England SE & Central South during May and the spring season was significantly influenced by a heat dome effect, which trapped hot air over the region, leading to exceptionally high daytime and overnight temperatures. The developing El Niño in the Pacific, while far away, is also expected to contribute to warmer global temperatures and could influence UK weather patterns, potentially leading to warmer and drier summers in southern and central regions. The current ENSO state is Neutral, but forecasts indicate an 82% chance of El Niño developing by May–July. ENSO tracker
Looking ahead
The evolving El Niño phase suggests a tendency for warmer and drier conditions across the UK, particularly in southern and central regions, during the coming summer months.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for England SE & Central South
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 SE & Central South changing?
England SE & Central South 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 SE & Central South come from?
Climate data for England SE & Central South 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 SE & Central South climate data cover?
The England SE & Central South climate profile covers London, Oxford, Reading, Southampton and surrounding areas. London, the South East and Central Southern England climate data
How often is the England SE & Central South climate update refreshed?
The England SE & Central South 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.