Midlands Climate
City Coverage: Birmingham, Coventry, Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Stoke-on-Trent, and Wolverhampton
Here's your climate update for the Midlands:
This month in numbers
May 2026 was exceptionally warm in the Midlands, ranking as the 2nd warmest May on record with an average temperature of 13.4°C, a significant 2.9°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. The spring season (March–May 2026) was even more remarkable, registering as the warmest on record with an average temperature of 10.4°C, a full 2.8°C above average. This period also saw the 3rd sunniest spring on record, with 593 hours of sunshine, and the fewest frost days on record, with only 3 days of frost, which is 12 fewer than a typical spring.
What changed
The Midlands experienced a significantly warmer and sunnier spring compared to the long-term average, with substantially fewer frost days. This regional pattern of warmth is consistent with broader trends, as global land temperatures for February–April 2026 also ranked as the 2nd warmest on record. The Midlands' 3-month temperature anomaly of +2.8°C places it 49th globally among the regions we track, indicating a widespread warming trend.
What’s driving change?
The pronounced warmth and lack of frost days in the Midlands this spring are likely influenced by , with winters warming faster than summers at high latitudes. While the current ENSO state is Neutral, the NOAA CPC forecast indicates a strong likelihood of El Niño developing and persisting through the summer and autumn. El Niño typically brings cooler late winters to Northern Europe, including the UK, though very strong events have historically led to warmer winters. The broader global warming trend also plays a significant role in these observed anomalies.
Looking ahead
The developing El Niño phase is forecast to continue strengthening in the coming months, with a 98% chance of El Niño persisting through August-September-October, which could influence global weather patterns.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Midlands
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 Midlands changing?
Midlands 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 Midlands come from?
Climate data for Midlands 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 Midlands climate data cover?
The Midlands climate profile covers Birmingham, Coventry, Nottingham, Derby and surrounding areas. Midlands climate data from the West Midlands to the East Midlands
How often is the Midlands climate update refreshed?
The Midlands 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.