England SW & South Wales Climate
City Coverage: Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth, Bath, Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, and Bournemouth
This month in numbers
England SW & South Wales experienced its warmest February-April on record, with a mean temperature of 8.57°C, an anomaly of +2.9°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This period also saw the fewest frost days on record, with just 4 days, a significant 17 days fewer than average. April 2026 itself ranked as the 5th warmest April on record, with a mean temperature of 10.1°C, an anomaly of +2.6°C.
What changed
The exceptionally warm February-April period for England SW & South Wales stands out, especially when considering the national picture. The UK as a whole also experienced above-average temperatures during these months, but our region's anomaly was particularly pronounced. The lack of frost days is a striking indicator of this shift. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, and the February-April period was also the 2nd warmest on record for global land temperatures, indicating a widespread warming trend.
What’s driving change?
The warming trend in England SW & South Wales is influenced by several factors. The () was in a positive phase during March and April 2026, which typically brings milder, wetter conditions to northern Europe. While the current ENSO state is Neutral, with a +0.11°C anomaly, a moderate or strong El Niño is predicted to develop and persist through summer and autumn 2026, which historically tends to bring cooler late winters to Northern Europe, though very strong El Niños have been associated with warm winters. The region also saw a period of persistent rain in early February, with a yellow weather warning issued for parts of the South West and South Wales due to heavy and persistent rain, leading to surface water flooding. This was followed by a rapid shift to unseasonably warm temperatures in early April, with London reaching 26.6°C on April 8, the hottest early April day since 1946, before a quick return to cooler, unsettled conditions.
Looking ahead
An evolving El Niño phase suggests a tendency for cooler late winters in Northern Europe, though strong El Niños can sometimes lead to warmer winters.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
Loading climate data...
Data Sources
Data Sources for England SW & South 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 SW & South Wales changing?
England SW & South 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 SW & South Wales come from?
Climate data for England SW & South 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 SW & South Wales climate data cover?
The England SW & South Wales climate profile covers Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth, Bath and surrounding areas. South-west England and south Wales climate data
How often is the England SW & South Wales climate update refreshed?
The England SW & South 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.