England South Climate
City Coverage: London, Southampton, Portsmouth, Brighton, Oxford, and Reading
This month in numbers
May 2026 was exceptionally warm for England South, ranking as the 1st warmest May on record in 127 years, with an average temperature of 14°C, a significant 3°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. This contributed to the period of March–May 2026 also being the 1st warmest on record, averaging 10.87°C, which is 2.8°C above the baseline. Sunshine was also notable, with March–May 2026 ranking as the 5th sunniest on record, providing 620 hours of sunshine, 172 hours more than average.
What changed
The past three months (March–May 2026) have been remarkably warm and sunny for England South. This region experienced its warmest May and warmest March-May period on record, significantly surpassing the national average for warmth. England as a whole recorded its second warmest May on record, and the UK saw its joint third warmest May. The warmth was particularly pronounced across southern and eastern England. Rainfall was considerably below average for the three-month period, with 80.5 mm, a deficit of 90.2 mm compared to the baseline, ranking as the 121st driest in 127 years. England South's 1-month temperature anomaly of +3.03°C placed it 39th out of 234 regions globally, while its 3-month anomaly of +2.75°C ranked it 50th.
What’s driving change?
The exceptional warmth in May, and over the last three months, was largely driven by a significant late-May heatwave across England and Wales. This event saw temperatures reach record-breaking levels for May, with Kew Gardens in south-west London recording a provisional 35.1°C on May 26th, breaking the UK record for the hottest May day for the second consecutive day. This heatwave was caused by a powerful heat dome, a stalled high-pressure system over Western and Central Europe, trapping warm air and leading to rapid temperature increases under clear skies and strong sunshine. The effect likely exacerbated temperatures in built-up areas, such as London, where minimum temperatures did not fall below 20°C on May 26th. The current ENSO state is Neutral, but the NOAA CPC forecast indicates a high probability of El Niño developing in the coming months, with an 82% chance for May-Jul and a 98% chance 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 can be found at ENSO tracker.
Looking ahead
The Met Office long-range forecast suggests that the start of June is likely to be relatively settled with high pressure bringing drier conditions and above-normal temperatures, though towards the end of June, low pressure may bring more heavy showers and thunderstorms, particularly across the south, and it may become hot in parts of the south.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for England 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 South changing?
England 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 South come from?
Climate data for England 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 South climate data cover?
The England South climate profile covers London, Southampton, Portsmouth, Brighton and surrounding areas. Southern England climate data across the south coast and inland south
How often is the England South climate update refreshed?
The England 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.