Wales Climate
City Coverage: Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, Wrexham, Aberystwyth, and Bangor
This month in numbers
Wales experienced its 4th warmest May on record, with a mean temperature of 12.4°C, a significant 2.5°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. This contributed to the period of March–May 2026 being the warmest spring on record for Wales, with a mean temperature of 9.73°C, also 2.5°C above average. The region also saw the 2nd fewest frost days on record for March–May, with only 4 days of frost, which is 11 fewer than the average.
What changed
The exceptionally warm May capped off a record-breaking spring for Wales, which was the warmest on record for the region. This trend aligns with the broader picture for the UK, which experienced its third warmest spring on record. England also had its warmest spring on record, highlighting a widespread warmth across much of the UK. In contrast, Scotland saw more moderate temperatures, not ranking within its top ten warmest Mays. Wales's mean temperature anomaly of +2.49°C for May placed it 68th out of 234 regions globally, while the three-month anomaly of +2.47°C also put it at 68th.
What’s driving change?
The notable warmth in Wales this spring, culminating in a record-breaking May, was significantly influenced by a heat dome that settled over the UK in late May. This stalled high-pressure system trapped hot air, leading to a period of extreme heat, with temperatures in Wales reaching as high as 32.9°C in Cardiff. This late-May heatwave contributed to Wales experiencing its warmest spring on record. The global context also shows a warming trend, with April 2026 being the 2nd warmest April on record globally for land temperatures, and February–April 2026 also ranking as the 2nd warmest three-month period globally for land temperatures. The World Meteorological Organization has also warned of an 80% chance of an El Niño event forming before September, which typically brings cooler temperatures to Northern Europe in late winters, though very strong El Niños have historically resulted in warmer winters.
Looking ahead
The Met Office long-range forecast suggests that while changeable weather with showers and rain is expected in early June, higher pressure and more settled conditions may become prevalent later in the month, especially in the south, with temperatures likely to be above normal, and a higher than normal chance of a hot summer.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for 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 Wales changing?
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 Wales come from?
Climate data for 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 Wales climate data cover?
The Wales climate profile covers Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, Wrexham and surrounding areas. Welsh climate data spanning the south coast, valleys and west coast
How often is the Wales climate update refreshed?
The 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.