Warmest spring on record declared for England and Wales

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Much of the UK was gripped by a spell of unusually hot weather in late May By BBC Weather Published 1 June 2026, 16:08 BST Updated 19 minutes ago England and Wales have experienced their warmest spring on record, according to the Met Office. March, April and May - the three months which make up meteorological spring - also ranked within the UK's top 10 warmest since records began in 1884. It comes after a spell of early and unusual heat in late May, which shattered temperature records around the UK. Some areas recorded six consecutive days above 30C. The three warmest springs on record now stand as 2026, 2025 and 2024. "This spring highlights both the natural variability of the UK's weather and the longer-term warming we are observing," Met Office Scientist Dr Emily Carlisle said. She added: "The fact that nine of the 10 warmest springs in England have occurred since 2007 illustrates this ongoing shift in the UK's climate." Sunshine totals above average for all four nations Alongside the unusual warmth came widespread sunshine, with all four UK nations recording totals above average. The UK overall recorded its fourth sunniest spring since records began in 1910. Meanwhile, England saw its third, Wales its joint eighth and Scotland its ninth sunniest. The UK's hottest and sunniest spring still stands as 2025 with spring 2026 ranked as third warmest and fourth sunniest. Are 'heat spikes' becoming more common? Published 3 days ago Warning of record global temperatures as chance of very strong El Niño grows Published 14 May Below-average rainfall stokes drought concerns As well as the exceptional spell of heat, spring 2026 was extremely dry in parts of southern and eastern England where counties such as Kent and Cambridgeshire received around a third of their expected rainfall. The driest place in the country was Shoeburyness in Essex where just 26% of "normal" spring rainfall fell between March and May. Image source, BBC Weather Image caption, Spring rainfall has shown marked contrasts across the UK, with exceptionally dry conditions in the south and east of England "No parts of England are currently in drought, but the risk increases the longer it remains hot and dry," Helen Wakeham, Environment Agency Director of Water and Chair of the National Drought Group, said. "The recent heatwave has seen significant peaks in demand for water, while river flows have fallen due to the very dry spring, and reservoir levels are reducing." There were marked regional contrasts though as parts of Scotland and northern England saw wetter than average conditions throughout spring. Influence of climate change Our warming climate has pushed average temperatures in the UK up by around 1.2C compared to pre-industrial times, and this has meant a large increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events. According to the Met Office's latest State of the UK Climate report , the number of days in the UK with temperatures