Summer 2025 saw four heatwaves, although they were relatively short and not record-breaking, the Met Office, external has said.
The highest temperature reached 35.8C in Faversham, Kent on 1 July, below both the 35.9C recorded in 1976 and the UK’s all-time high of 40.3C in July 2022.
However, the season’s average temperature of 16.1C made it the warmest summer on record, surpassing the previous high of 15.76C set in 2018.
The summer of 1976 remains “iconic”, according to the Met Office, with 16 days exceeding 32C compared to nine days in 2025.
The persistent warmth was been driven by a combination of factors, including the domination of high-pressure systems, unusually warm seas around the UK and the dry spring soils, the forecaster said.
