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 February 2025, the mean air temperature was five degrees Celsius, 50 percent lower 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.
Since January 2015, the highest maximum monthly temperature in England was measured in July 2018, at 24.8 degrees Celsius. July temperatures declined in the following years, and measured 20.6 degrees Celsius in 2024. Further information about the weather in the United Kingdom can be found here.
These statistics show quarterly and monthly weather trends for:
They provide contextual information for consumption patterns in energy, referenced in the Energy Trends chapters for each energy type.
Trends in wind speeds, sun hours and rainfall provide contextual information for trends in renewable electricity generation.
All these tables are published monthly, on the last Thursday of each month. The data is 1 month in arrears.
If you have questions about this content, please email: energy.stats@energysecurity.gov.uk.
The annual mean temperature in the United Kingdom has fluctuated greatly since 1990. Temperatures during this period were at their highest in 2022, surpassing 10 degrees Celsius. In 2010, the mean annual temperature stood at 7.94 degrees, the lowest recorded during this time. Daily temperatures Average daily temperatures have remained stable since the turn of the century, rarely dropping below 10 degrees Celsius. In 2010, they dropped to a low of nine degrees Celsius. The peak average daily temperature was recorded in 2022 when it reached 11.2 degrees. This was an increase of one 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 22.6 degrees Celsius. In comparison, the lowest monthly minimum temperature was in February of the same year, at just minus 0.6 degrees. This was an especially cold February, as the previous year the minimum temperature for this month was 2.6 degrees.
Open Government Licence 3.0http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/
License information was derived automatically
The UK daily temperature data contain maximum and minimum temperatures (air, grass and concrete slab) measured over a period of up to 24 hours. The measurements were recorded by observation stations operated by the Met Office across the UK and transmitted within NCM, DLY3208 or AWSDLY messages. The data span from 1853 to 2023. For details on measurement techniques, including calibration information and changes in measurements, see section 5.2 of the MIDAS User Guide linked to from this record. Soil temperature data may be found in the UK soil temperature datasets linked from this record.
This version supersedes the previous version of this dataset and a change log is available in the archive, and in the linked documentation for this record, detailing the differences between this version and the previous version. The change logs detail new, replaced and removed data. These include the addition of data for calendar year 2023.
This dataset is part of the Midas-open dataset collection made available by the Met Office under the UK Open Government Licence, containing only UK mainland land surface observations owned or operated by the Met Office. It is a subset of the fuller, restricted Met Office Integrated Data Archive System (MIDAS) Land and Marine Surface Stations dataset, also available through the Centre for Environmental Data Analysis - see the related dataset section on this record. Currently this represents approximately 95% of available daily temperature observations within the full MIDAS collection.
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 17.2 degrees Celsius. In January 2025, the UK recorded a mean temperature of three degrees Celsius, slightly lower than the temperature recorded the same month a year prior.
https://artefacts.ceda.ac.uk/licences/specific_licences/ukmo_agreement.pdfhttps://artefacts.ceda.ac.uk/licences/specific_licences/ukmo_agreement.pdf
The longest available instrumental record of temperature in the world is now available at the BADC. The daily data starts in 1772.
The mean, minimum and maximum datasets are updated monthly, with data for a month usually available by the 3rd of the next month. A provisional CET value for the current month is calculated on a daily basis. The mean daily data series begins in 1772. Mean maximum and minimum daily and monthly data are also available, beginning in 1878. Yearly files are provided from 1998 onwards.
These historical temperature series are representative of the Midlands region in England, UK (a roughly triangular area of the United Kingdom enclosed by Bristol, Lancashire and London).
The following stations are used by the Met Office to compile the CET data: Rothamsted, Malvern, Squires Gate and Ringway.
But in November 2004, the weather station Stonyhurst replaced Ringway and revised urban warming and bias adjustments have now been applied to the Stonyhurst data after a period of reduced reliability from the station in the summer months.
The data set is compiled by the Met Office Hadley Centre.
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.
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License information was derived automatically
Monthly Historical information for 37 UK Meteorological Stations. Most go back to the early 1900s, but some go back as far as 1853.
Data includes:
Station data files are updated on a rolling monthly basis, around 10 days after the end of the month. Data are indicated as provisional until the full network quality control has been carried out. After this, data are final.
No allowances have been made for small site changes and developments in instrumentation.
Data and statistics for other stations, and associated charges, can be obtained by contacting our Customer Centre.
The lowest average minimum temperature recorded in England since 2015 was in February 2018, when temperatures dropped to -0.4 degrees Celsius. In comparison, in February 2025 the temperature was 2.2 degrees Celsius.Further information about the weather in the United Kingdom can be found here.
Open Government Licence 3.0http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/
License information was derived automatically
The UK daily weather observation data contain meteorological values measured on a 24 hour time scale. The measurements of sunshine duration, concrete state, snow depth, fresh snow depth, and days of snow, hail, thunder and gail were attained by observation stations operated by the Met Office across the UK operated and transmitted within DLY3208, NCM, AWSDLY and SYNOP messages. The data span from 1887 to 2023. For details of observations see the relevant sections of the MIDAS User Guide linked from this record for the various message types.
This version supersedes the previous version of this dataset and a change log is available in the archive, and in the linked documentation for this record, detailing the differences between this version and the previous version. The change logs detail new, replaced and removed data. These include the addition of data for calendar year 2023.
This dataset is part of the Midas-open dataset collection made available by the Met Office under the UK Open Government Licence, containing only UK mainland land surface observations owned or operated by the Met Office. It is a subset of the fuller, restricted Met Office Integrated Data Archive System (MIDAS) Land and Marine Surface Stations dataset, also available through the Centre for Environmental Data Analysis - see the related dataset section on this record. Currently this represents approximately 95% of available daily weather observations within the full MIDAS collection.
The United Kingdom's average minimum temperature in July 2021 measured 12.1 degrees Celsius. This month, recorded the highest minimum temperature during the reported period. Since 2015, the lowest monthly minimum temperature in the UK was recorded in February 2018, at -0.7 degrees Celsius. This was the first time during this period that the average monthly minimum temperature dropped below zero degrees Celsius, while in January 2021 the second time took place, at -0.5 degrees Celsius. Further information about the weather in the United Kingdom can be found here.
This dataset is a model output, from the Grid-to-Grid hydrological model driven by weather@home2 climate model data. It provides a 100-member ensemble of monthly mean flow (m3/s) and soil moisture (mm water/m soil) on a 1 km grid for the following time periods: historical baseline (HISTBS: 1900-2006), near-future (NF: 2020-2049) and far-future (FF: 2070-2099). It also includes a baseline period (BS: 1975-2004). To aid interpretation, two additional spatial datasets are provided: - Digitally-derived catchment areas on a 1km x 1km grid - Estimated locations of flow gauging stations on a 1km x 1km grid and as a csv file. The data were produced as part of MaRIUS (Managing the Risks, Impacts and Uncertainties of drought and water Scarcity), which was a UK NERC-funded research project (2014-2017) that developed a risk-based approach to drought and water scarcity.
https://artefacts.ceda.ac.uk/licences/specific_licences/ukmo_agreement.pdfhttps://artefacts.ceda.ac.uk/licences/specific_licences/ukmo_agreement.pdf
The longest available instrumental record of temperature in the world is now available at the BADC. The seasonal data starts in 1659.
The mean, minimum and maximum datasets are updated monthly, with data for a month usually available by the 3rd of the next month. A provisional CET value for the current month is calculated on a daily basis. The mean monthly data series begins in 1659. Mean maximum and minimum daily and monthly data are also available, beginning in 1878.
These historical temperature series are representative of the Midlands region in England, UK (a roughly triangular area of the United Kingdom enclosed by Bristol, Lancashire and London).
The following stations are used by the Met Office to compile the CET data: Rothamsted, Malvern, Squires Gate and Ringway.
But in November 2004, the weather station Stonyhurst replaced Ringway and revised urban warming and bias adjustments have now been applied to the Stonyhurst data after a period of reduced reliability from the station in the summer months.
The data set is compiled by the Met Office Hadley Centre.
HadUK-Grid is a collection of gridded climate variables derived from the network of UK land surface observations. The data have been interpolated from meteorological station data onto a uniform grid to provide complete and consistent coverage across the UK. The dataset at 12 km resolution is derived from the associated 1 km x 1 km resolution to allow for comparison to data from climate projections. The dataset spans the period from 1862 to 2019, but the start time is dependent on climate variable and temporal resolution. The gridded data are produced for daily, monthly, seasonal and annual timescales, as well as long term averages for a set of climatological reference periods. Variables include air temperature (maximum, minimum and mean), precipitation, sunshine, mean sea level pressure, wind speed, relative humidity, vapour pressure, days of snow lying, and days of ground frost. This data set supersedes the previous versions of this dataset which also superseded UKCP09 gridded observations. Subsequent versions may be released in due course and will follow the version numbering as outlined by Hollis et al. (2018, see linked documentation). For this version of note is that historical data recovery has improved monthly rainfall 1862-1910, daily rainfall 1883-1910, monthly temperature 1900-1909, and additional sunshine grids for 1919-1928 have been added. Additionally, this version has corrected the grid definition used for the 12 km grid product to match UKCP18 climate model products. The primary purpose of these data are to facilitate monitoring of UK climate and research into climate change, impacts and adaptation. The datasets have been created by the Met Office with financial support from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in order to support the Public Weather Service Customer Group (PWSCG), the Hadley Centre Climate Programme, and the UK Climate Projections (UKCP18) project. The data recovery activity to supplement 19th and early 20th Century data availability has also been funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC grant ref: NE/L01016X/1) project "Analysis of historic drought and water scarcity in the UK". The dataset is provided under Open Government Licence.
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 8.3 degrees Celsius. In the next period, from 1991 to 2020, the UK's average temperature increased by 0.8 degrees Celsius and increased further by 0.5 degrees Celsius between 2014 and 2023. In the latter year, figures remained at 10 degrees Celsius, 1.7 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.
https://spdx.org/licenses/CC0-1.0.htmlhttps://spdx.org/licenses/CC0-1.0.html
Monthly temperature deviations from the long-term mean in the United Kingdom have varied greatly in recent years. In January 2025, average temperatures were 1.2 degrees Celsius cooler than the long-term mean. In comparison, temperatures in January 2024 were 0.1 degrees Celsius warmer than the long-term mean. The most notable deviation during this period was in December 2015, when temperatures were 4.3 degrees warmer than normal.
This dataset contains UK Met Office Daily Weather Reports (DWR) from ten sites from the UK Met Office Monthly Weather Records (1884-1993), using the recently-scanned UK Met Office Monthly Weather Reports (MWR). The data are presented as is, with no attempt to provide any corrections or calibration. Approximately half the stations exhibit sharp drops in thunderdays at various points between 1960 and 1990. Comparison with nearby Met Office Integrated Data Archive System (MIDAS) stations suggests the low thunderdays are the result of changes in observing practice, rather than genuine changes in thunderstorm occurrence. These potential data issues limit interpretation of the long-term trends. DWR contain extensive logs of UK thunderstorm activity, in the form of thunderday observations. To date, only a very small fraction of these data have been digitised as part of the MIDAS dataset, and exclusively after 1950.
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.