The Met Office says a lengthy spell of above-average temperatures is likely to make 2025 the warmest summer on record in the UK. The season’s mean temperature is 16.13C, calculated from data up to 25 August, higher than the existing record of 15.76C set in 2018. The forecast does not indicate a late slump in temperatures that would prevent the record from being broken.

“Unless temperatures are around four degrees below average for the rest of August – which the forecast does not suggest – it looks like the current record will be exceeded,” Met Office scientist Emily Carlisle said. “Of course, there are still a few days left of meteorological summer to go but it’s very unlikely anything will stop summer 2025 from being the warmest on record.”

Should the season be confirmed as the warmest on record, all of the UK’s five warmest summers will have occurred since 2000. The current top five are 2018 (15.76C), 2006 (15.75C), 2003 (15.74C), 2022 (15.71C) and 1976 (15.70C). Met Office temperature data for the UK begins in 1884.