Summer 2026 was the UK's hottest summer on record, according to provisional data released by the Met Office.

Meteorologists have reported that the overall mean average temperature across the season reached 16.5C. That figure represents a new high point in the national weather record.

The Met Office has stated that this season’s mean temperature was made 130 times more likely to occur because of the ongoing climate crisis.

The peak of the heat in England arrived on 13 August, when temperatures hit 38.1C (100.1F) at Kew Gardens in London.

That high followed an extraordinarily warm start to the summer period. June had already been confirmed as the country’s hottest June since national records first began in 1884.

The severe conditions extended well beyond British shores. Record-breaking and back-to-back heatwaves scorched large areas of mainland Europe throughout the season.

Scientists analyzing the weather patterns have said that heatwaves of this scale and intensity are only possible because of the climate crisis driven by the burning of fossil fuels.

While the overarching picture is clear, the current figures remain based on provisional meteorological data. The Met Office will continue its standard process of validating and finalizing the complete seasonal dataset.

I will be following this story as final figures are confirmed and further assessments are published — check back for updates.