The highest average temperature recorded in 2024 until November was in August, at 16.8 degrees Celsius. Since 2015, the highest average daily temperature in the UK was registered in July 2018, at 18.7 degrees Celsius. The summer of 2018 was the joint hottest since institutions began recording temperatures in 1910. One noticeable anomaly during this period was in December 2015, when the average daily temperature reached 9.5 degrees Celsius. This month also experienced the highest monthly rainfall in the UK since before 2014, with England, Wales, and Scotland suffering widespread flooding. Daily hours of sunshine Unsurprisingly, the heat wave that spread across the British Isles in 2018 was the result of particularly sunny weather. July 2018 saw an average of 8.7 daily sun hours in the United Kingdom. This was more hours of sun than was recorded in July 2024, which only saw 5.8 hours of sun. Temperatures are on the rise Since the 1960s, there has been an increase in regional temperatures across the UK. Between 1961 and 1990, temperatures in England averaged nine degrees Celsius, and from 2013 to 2022, average temperatures in the country had increased to 10.3 degrees Celsius. Due to its relatively southern location, England continues to rank as the warmest country in the UK.

England's highest monthly mean air temperatures are typically recorded in July and August of each year. Since 2015, the warmest mean temperature was measured in July 2018 at 18.8 degrees Celsius. On the other hand, February of that same year registered the coolest temperature, at 2.6 degrees Celsius. In April 2025, the mean air temperature was 10.3 degrees Celsius, slightly higher than the same month the previous year. The English weather England is the warmest region in the United Kingdom and the driest. In 2024, the average annual temperature in England amounted to 10.73 degrees Celsius – around 1.1 degrees above the national mean. That same year, precipitation in England stood at about 1,020 millimeters. By contrast, Scotland – the wettest region in the UK – recorded over 1,500 millimeters of rainfall in 2024. Temperatures on the rise Throughout the last decades, the average temperature in the United Kingdom has seen an upward trend, reaching a record high in 2022. Global temperatures have experienced a similar pattern over the same period. This gradual increase in the Earth's average temperature is primarily due to various human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, which lead to the emission of greenhouse gases. This phenomenon has severe consequences, including more frequent and intense weather events, rising sea levels, and adverse effects on human health and the environment.

The monthly mean temperature in the United Kingdom is typically highest in July and August. During this period, the monthly mean temperature peaked in July 2018, at *****degrees Celsius. In April 2025, the UK recorded a mean temperature of *** degrees Celsius, slightly higher than the temperature recorded the same month a year prior.

The annual mean temperature in the United Kingdom has fluctuated greatly since 1990. Temperatures during this period were at their highest in 2022, surpassing ** degrees Celsius. In 2010, the mean annual temperature stood at **** degrees, the lowest recorded during this time. Daily temperatures Average daily temperatures have remained stable since the turn of the century, rarely dropping below ** degrees Celsius. In 2010, they dropped to a low of **** degrees Celsius. The peak average daily temperature was recorded in 2022 when it reached **** degrees. This was an increase of *** degree Celsius compared to the long-term mean, and the most positive deviation during the period of consideration. Highs and lows The maximum average temperature recorded across the UK since 2015 was in July 2018. This month saw a maximum temperature of **** degrees Celsius. In comparison, the lowest monthly minimum temperature was in February of the same year, at just minus *** degrees. This was an especially cold February, as the previous year the minimum temperature for this month was *** degrees.

The average temperature across the United Kingdom presented a trend of continuous growth since 1961. During the first period, from 1961 to 1990, the country recorded an average temperature of *** degrees Celsius. In the next period, from 1991 to 2020, the UK's average temperature increased by *** degrees Celsius and increased further by *** degrees Celsius between 2014 and 2023. In the latter year, figures remained at ** degrees Celsius, *** degrees warmer than the average recorded between 1961 and 1990, illustrating the effects of climate change. Nevertheless, 2022 was the warmest year in the United Kingdom.

The wettest months in the United Kingdom tend to be at the start and end of the year. In the period of consideration, the greatest measurement of rainfall was nearly 217 millimeters, recorded in December 2015. The lowest level of rainfall was recorded in April 2021, at 20.6 millimeters. Rainy days The British Isles are known for their wet weather, and in 2024 there were approximately 164 rain days in the United Kingdom. A rainday is when more than one millimeter of rain falls within a day. Over the past 30 years, the greatest number of rain days was recorded in the year 2000. In that year, the average annual rainfall in the UK amounted to 1,242.1 millimeters. Climate change According to the Met Office, climate change in the United Kingdom has resulted in the weather getting warmer and wetter. In 2022, the annual average temperature in the country reached a new record high, surpassing 10 degrees Celsius for the first time. This represented an increase of nearly two degrees Celsius when compared to the annual average temperature recorded in 1910. In a recent survey conducted amongst UK residents, almost 80 percent of respondents had concerns about climate change.

This dataset contains hourly water temperature data and hourly air temperature data of an experimental mesocosm facility from 21st April to 7th November 2023. The sixteen mesocosms (1 m deep, 2 m diameter) were filled with water from Windermere. The water temperature was measured every five minutes and an hourly average was calculated. Air temperature was measured by a weather station within the mesocosm compound. The experiment aimed to investigate different N:P nutrient ratios and water temperature was measured as this is an important factor needed to understand the results. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/406aee8f-3b85-4be6-ae7d-c92c8168a06f

The daily average temperature in the United Kingdom (UK) has remained relatively stable since 2001, with temperatures rarely straying below 10 degrees Celsius. In 2024, the UK had an average daily temperature of 11.9 degrees Celsius. This was the highest average daily temperature recorded since the turn of the century. British summertime Britain is not known for its blisteringly hot summer months, with the average temperatures in this season varying greatly since 1990. In 1993, the average summer temperature was as low as 13.39 degrees Celsius, whilst 2018 saw a peak of 15.8 degrees Celsius. In that same year, the highest mean temperature occurred in July at 17.2 degrees Celsius. Variable weather Due to its location and the fact that it is an island, the United Kingdom experiences a diverse range of weather, sometimes in the same day. It is in an area where five air masses meet, creating a weather front. Each brings different weather conditions, such as hot, dry air from North Africa and wet and cold air from the Arctic. Temperatures across the UK tend to be warmest in England.

UKCP09 Regional values Annual averages - Winter (Nov-Apr) heat wave duration Long-term averages for the 1961-1990 climate baseline are also available for 14 administrative regions and 23 river basins. They have been produced for all the monthly and annual variables, apart from mean wind speed, days of sleet/snow falling, and days of snow lying, for which data start after 1961. Each regional value is an average of the 5 x 5 km grid cell values that fall within it. The datasets are provided as space-delimited text files.

The datasets have been created with financial support from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and they are being promoted by the UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) as part of the UK Climate Projections (UKCP09). http://ukclimateprojections.defra.gov.uk/content/view/12/689/.

The data files are obtained by clicking on the links in the table below. Each text file contains values of the 1961-1990 baseline average for each administrative region and for each river basin. Monthly variables have 12 values for each region (one for each month) whereas annual variables have just one value (the annual average).

To view this data you will have to register on the Met Office website, here: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climatechange/science/monitoring/ukcp09/gds_form.html.

Historical average temperature, rainfall, and average package holiday price per person for Lanzarote. Weather data sourced from WeatherAPI.com, pricing from internal booking data.

This repository provides a continuous hydrometeorological record of the Met Office Observation-based research Boundary Layer Facility at the semi-rural field site (18 Ha) of Cardington (52° 06′ N, 00° 25′ W, 29 m ± 1 m amsl) in central-southern England between 2004 and 2024. The dataset contains recorded surface meteorology, radiation and subsoil from sensor measurements at 10-minute averaging period and measured by instruments mounted on 2 m, 10 m, 25 m and 50 m masts.

Instruments mounted on 2 m, 10 m, 25 m and 50 m masts include: • Vector Instruments T302 PRT temperature sensors were located at all heights. • Screened and aspirated HMP155s were located at all heights. • Gill HS50 3-D horizontally symmetric ultrasonic anemometers were located at all heights. • Licor Li-7500 open-path hygrometer was located at 10m. • Setra Model 270 transducer measured barometric pressure at 1.5 m. • Michell chilled mirror hygrometer measured dew and frost point temperature at 1.2 m • Covariances over 10 minute intervals were used to calculate the turbulent heat fluxes. The sonic data have cross-wind speed correction, coordinate rotation, detrending and despiking applied. • For latent heat flux calculations over 10 minute intervals, the 10-m covariance using the Licor hygrometer should be used as standard. Surface instrumentation includes: • Rainfall is measured with a Met Office Mk5 tipping-bucket gauge with a 0.2 mm accuracy. • Screened and aspirated Rotronics Hydroclip2 measured grass canopy air temperature and RH located at 0.4 m, 0.15 m and 0.08 m.

Radiation instrumentation includes: • Clear-domed Kipp and Zonen CM21 pyranometers located at 2 m measured global downwelling, diffuse downwelling, and upwelling components (of wavelength between 0.3-3 μm). • Kipp and Zonen CG4 pyrgeometers located at 2 m measured the downwelling and upwelling longwave radiation (4.5–40 μm). • Grass canopy, or skin temperature was measured radiometrically with the Heitronics KT15 pyrometer.

Aerosol and visibility instrumentation includes: • A Belfort 6230A instrument located at 2 m measured visual range through air (visibility) (2004-April 2011). • A Biral HSS VPF-730 instrument located at 2 m measured visual range through air (visibility), and for the determination of present weather (April 2011-2024). • Visible total scattering coefficients were measured with MRI integrating nephelometer (2004-2011) and Optec integrating nephelometer (2011-2024) located at 3 m.

Subsoil instrumentation includes: • Delta-T ML2/ML3 theta probes measured volumetric soil moisture at depths of 10, 22, 57 and 160 cm. • Delta-T PRT measured soil temperature at 1, 4, 7, 10, 17, 35, 65 and 100 cm (2004-March 2012). • Delta-T ST2-396 thermistor probes measured soil temperature at 1, 4, 7, 10, 17, 35, 65 and 100 cm (March 2012-2024). • Hukseflux HFP01SC flux plate measured ground heat flux. • Druck 1830 pressure transducer measured water table depth.

A full list of NetCDF variables can be found in “A continuous hydrometeorological record (2004–2024) at the Met Office surface site of Cardington, UK.” Osborne et al. (2025). This paper should be referenced in any research/publications pertaining to this dataset.

To ensure optimal traceability and transparency of data, comprehensive metadata is included.

A dataset of tropical and temperate butterflies.

Methods of data collection: Neotropical data were collected in Panama from February to June 2020 and from October 2021 to March 2022 during both wet (May to December) and dry (January to April) seasons (Supplementary Fig. 1, Supplementary Table 1) (Leigh, 1999). Temperate data were collected in the Czech Republic and Austria between April and August 2021 and in the UK between April and September 2009 and May and September 2018 (Supplementary Fig. 1, Supplementary Table 1) (Bladon et al., 2020). Data collection took place between 7:30 and 17:30. Neotropical field sites included lowland scrub and managed urban green spaces, secondary semi-deciduous lowland tropical forest, mountain rainforest and management agroforestry (Supplementary Table 1). Temperate field sites included calcareous meadows, grassland meadows, alpine/montane grassland, encroaching scrub, secondary forest, and exposed ground (Supplementary Table 1).

Butterfly body temperature and morphological measurements

Butterflies were captured with butterfly nets when encountered (without chasing) and data were collected following the protocol used by Bladon et al. (2020), as follows. Once in the net, and within 10 seconds, a temperature reading of the butterfly’s thorax (body temperature, Tb) was taken using a thermocouple (0.5 mm diameter) and handheld indicator (Tecpel Thermometer 305B, TC Direct, Uxbridge, UK). Air temperature (Ta) was taken at waist height where the butterfly was caught, with the thermocouple shaded from the sun. If the butterfly was resting on a substrate before capture, the temperature of the air 1 cm above where it was sat was recorded with the thermocouple (microclimate temperature, Tm). The butterfly was identified to species or subspecies. In the case of butterflies from the tropical Calephelis genus it was not possible to identify individuals to species, so data from these butterflies were aggregated to genus level. Forewing length (in mm) from the tip of the wing to the point where it meets the thorax was measured using callipers (at the Panama and UK sites only).

Description of each column: Species: species name Site: location of capture of the butterfly Date: date of capture of the butterfly Family: family the butterfly belongs to Activity: what the butterfly was doing when it was first encountered (nectaring, flying, resting, basking, interacting with other/same species). Tair.perch: if the butterfly was first encountered while on a perch, this is the temperature 1cm above the perch. All temperatures are in Celcius. Tbody: temperature of the thorax of the butterfly within 10 seconds of capture Tair: air temperature recorded at waist height in shade in the location the butterfly was first encountered Tperch: if the butterfly was first encountered while on a perch, this is the temperature of the surface of the perch Region: tropical (from Panama) or temperate (from Europe) Mean.winglength.mm: mean wing length of the species (one value per species) in mm Colour: the dominant wing colour of the butterfly Colour.value: the wing colour converted to a scale from 1 (white) to 6 (black) Sexual.dimorphism.in.colour: A Y (yes) or N (no) for whether that species has males and females having different dominant wing colours (so that their colour would be different between sexes) Migratory: A Y (yes) or N (no) for whether in the area of capture that butterfly species is known to be migratory Average.forewing.aspect.ratio: the average aspect ratio for the forewing of the butterfly (wing length divided by wing width) Subfamily: the subfamily the species belongs to Tribe: the tribe the species belongs to

The monthly mean air temperature in Scotland measured *** degrees Celsius in April 2025. During the period in consideration, monthly mean air temperatures peaked in July 2021 at **** degrees Celsius.

Rainfall in England amounted to *** millimeters in February 2020. This was the most rainfall recorded in a single month during the period of consideration. Meanwhile, the driest month during this period was in May 2020, in which less than ** millimeters of rain fell. In April 2025, England's precipitation amounted to **** millimeters, a decrease of ** percent in comparison to the same month the previous year.

The United Kingdom experienced an average of ******* millimeters of rainfall in 2024, a decrease of *** percent in comparison to the previous year. While 2024 saw substantial rainfall, it did not surpass the thus-far peak of the century, with ***** millimeters of rain recorded in 2000. Regional variations and seasonal patterns Rainfall distribution across the UK is far from uniform, with Scotland and Wales consistently receiving the highest annual precipitation. In 2024, they recorded an average of ******* millimeters and ******* millimeters, respectively, significantly above the UK’s average. This disparity is largely due to both countries’ mountainous terrain, which is more susceptible to Atlantic weather systems. Seasonally, the wettest months in the UK typically occur in the winter, with the highest precipitation levels seen between November and February. Climate change impact on UK weather Climate change is influencing UK weather patterns, leading to warmer and wetter conditions overall. While annual rainfall fluctuates, there is a trend towards more extreme weather events. For example, 2020 and 2022 saw rain deviations from the long-term mean in the UK of more than 100 millimeters in February. As weather patterns continue to evolve, monitoring rainfall trends remains crucial for understanding and adapting to a changing climate.

Wind speed averages in the United Kingdom are generally highest in the first and fourth quarters of each calendar year – the winter months. Since 2010, the UK’s highest wind speed average was recorded in the first quarter of 2020, at 11.5 knots. During this period, 2010 was the only year that had the greatest wind speeds outside the winter months, with an average of 8.4 knots in the third quarter. In 2024, wind speeds ranged between a low of 7.9 knots in the third quarter and 9.4 knots in the first quarter. With few exceptions, UK wind speeds generally average at least eight knots annually. 2015 marked the year with the highest average wind speed in the UK (since the beginning of the reporting period in 2001), reaching an average of 9.4 knots. Wind power The UK has some of the best wind conditions in Europe for wind power. By 2023, there were 39 offshore wind farms operating across the UK, by far the most in Europe. Meanwhile, offshore wind power additions in the UK reached 1.14 gigawatts that same year. Quarterly rainfall Another weather phenomenon, UK rainfall also tends to be heaviest in the winter months. The average rainfall in the second quarter of 2024 was 254.5 millimeters, with figures in 2011 spiking to 738.6 millimeters. That year, precipitation levels in some parts of Scotland were the highest in one hundred years, while southern parts of England kept remarkably dry.

In March 2023, there were***** rain days in England. This was the greatest number of rain days recorded in a month during the period in consideration. For comparison, in March 2025, there were just *** rain days. February 2020 was also an especially wet month in the United Kingdom, with an average rainfall of ***** millimeters. The month with the fewest number of rain days during this period was May 2020, with just *** rain days.

There were around 15 rainy days in the United Kingdom in July 2024. A rainday is when one millimeter or more of rain occurs in a day. The highest number of rain days was recorded in December 2015, at 22.2 The fourth quarter was the wettestThe wettest periods of the year tend to be the start and the end. In 2023, the fourth quarter was the wettest, with an average of 419 mm of rainfall. October and December of that year recorded the highest monthly rainfall levels at 177 and 189 mm, respectively. Regional weatherDue to the United Kingdom’s geographical location and landscape, weather conditions can vary greatly. Scotland is, on average, the wettest country. Most rainfall is concentrated in the Scottish Highlands, as precipitation often occurs in mountainous regions. As rainfall comes in from the Atlantic, the northern and western parts of the UK are most susceptible to precipitation. This explains why England is the driest of all the regions, as rain deposits reduce as they move east.