A new report has revealed that the UK experienced its hottest summer ever in 2025 that shattered all the previous records.
According to the Met Office, this summer, endured four separate heatwaves in one season, surpassing the previous record of 15.76C set in 2018.
The average temperature for the UK’s meteorological summer June to August was 16.1C.
This summer was also the hottest in the UK since records began in 1884, surpassing even the famously hot summer of 1976 which is now only the sixth hottest on record.
The fact that the five hottest summers have all occurred since 2000 is clear evidence of the effects of global warming caused by the rising levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
June and July were unusually hot with temperatures above 30C. Rainfall was also scarce across much of the UK, leading to severe water shortages in England, where many areas are now have hosepipe bans due to low water levels in rivers, reservoirs and groundwater.
The summer of 1976 lasted over two weeks with 16 days above 32C.
In contrast, 2025 has had only nine days above 32C but the Met Office says what stands out is how steadily warm temperatures were throughout the season.
The heat began early in June with a heatwave that pushed temperatures above 33C during the summer solstice.
Later that month, it got even hotter, marking the hottest start to the Wimbledon tournament on record.
After a brief cooler period in early July, a third heatwave brought Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales their hottest weather of the year.
While, a fourth heatwave in August brought temperatures of 33.4C (92.1F) in parts of England, while 31.6C (88.9F) at Charterhall, Borders, was Scotland's highest August temperature since 2003.
Meteorologists explained that this year's consistently warm summer was caused by dry soil from spring, high-pressure systems and unusually warm seas around the UK with night-time temperatures also being much higher than normal.
