08/09/2026
The Met Office has released the monthly stats for August!
August was warm across most of the UK, with temperature anomalies generally increasing further south. Northern and northwestern Scotland were the main areas close to average. Elsewhere, southern Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England and northern Wales were around 0.5°C to 1.5°C above average. Anomalies were higher across the East of England, the Southwest, the Midlands and southern Wales, where temperatures were typically 1.5°C to 2.5°C above average. Central southern England recorded the largest anomaly, at 2.5°C to 3.5°C above average. These conditions contributed to the UK’s warmest summer on record, exceeding 2025 by 0.4°C. 🌡️
Rainfall was more spatially varied, influenced by localised thunderstorms, showers and the reach of wider weather systems. Across Wales and southern England, rainfall was generally 50-75% of the average, with London and nearby areas the driest at below 33%. Northern Ireland, the Midlands, western Norfolk and Yorkshire were closer to average, although some places, including Hull and Lichfield, received up to 200% of average rainfall. Northern England and southern Scotland were mostly between 50% and 125% of average, while northern Scotland was generally near or above average. Orkney received 125-150%, whereas Shetland was below 75% of its August average. ⛈️
Sunshine hours followed a similar north–south pattern to temperature, with totals generally decreasing northwards. The South and Southwest recorded more than 150% of average sunshine, falling to 130-150% across much of the Midlands and southern Wales. Further north, East Anglia, northern Wales, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire recorded 110-130% of average sunshine. Northern England and southern Scotland were close to average, while most of Scotland had below 90% of its usual sunshine duration. ☀️
