Cambridge Botanic Garden Weather Station where a temperature of 38.7 °C (101.7 °F) was recorded in the 2019 European heat wave

The United Kingdom weather records show the most extreme weather ever recorded in the United Kingdom, such as temperature, wind speed, and rainfall records. Reliable temperature records for the whole of the United Kingdom go back to about 1880.[1]

Records

Daily records unless otherwise specified are from 0900-2100 UTC. As of 23 June 2026, the records, as recorded by the Met Office, are:[2]

Temperature and sunshine records

Highest temperature by constituent country

Constituent country Temperature Date Place(s)
England 40.3 °C (104.5 °F) 19 July 2022 Coningsby, Lincolnshire[3]
Wales 37.1 °C (98.8 °F) 18 July 2022 Hawarden, Flintshire[4]
Scotland 34.8 °C (94.6 °F) 19 July 2022 Charterhall, Scottish Borders[5]
Northern Ireland 31.3 °C (88.3 °F) 21 July 2021 Castlederg, County Tyrone

Earlier records for England/UK since 1911 are shown with a * in the "Top 10 hottest days" table below.

Top 10 hottest days by maximum temperatures recorded in the UK

Rank Temperature Date Place(s) Notes
1 * 40.3 °C (104.5 °F) 19 July 2022[a] Coningsby, Lincolnshire Part of the 2022 heatwave
2 * 38.7 °C (101.7 °F) 25 July 2019[a] Cambridge, Cambridgeshire Part of the 2019 heatwave
3 * 38.5 °C (101.3 °F) 10 August 2003[a] Faversham, Kent Part of the 2003 heatwave
4 38.2 °C (100.8 °F) 18 July 2022 Pitsford, Northamptonshire[6] Part of the aforementioned 2022 heatwave
5 37.8 °C (100.0 °F) 31 July 2020 London Heathrow Airport, Greater London
6 37.7 °C (99.9 °F) 26 June 2026 Lingwood, Norfolk[7] Part of the 2026 heatwave[b]
7 * 37.1 °C (98.8 °F) 3 August 1990[a] Cheltenham, Gloucestershire Part of the 1990 heatwave
8= * 36.7 °C (98.1 °F) 9 August 1911[a] Raunds, Northamptonshire Part of the 1911 heatwave
8= 1 July 2015 London Heathrow Airport, Greater London
8= 25 June 2026 Merryfield, Somerset Part of the aforementioned 2026 heatwave[b]
9 36.6 °C (97.9 °F) 2 August 1990 Worcester, Worcestershire
10 36.5 °C (97.7 °F) 19 July 2006 Wisley, Surrey Part of the 2006 heatwave

Hottest days by month of the year

Month Temperature Date Place(s)
January 19.9 °C (67.8 °F) 28 January 2024 Achfary, Sutherland
February 21.2 °C (70.2 °F) 26 February 2019 Kew Gardens, London
March 25.6 °C (78.1 °F) 29 March 1968 Mepal, Cambridgeshire
April 29.4 °C (84.9 °F) 16 April 1949 Camden Square, London
May 35.1 °C (95.2 °F) 26 May 2026 Kew Gardens, London
June[b] 37.7 °C (99.9 °F) 26 June 2026 Lingwood, Norfolk
July 40.3 °C (104.5 °F) 19 July 2022 Coningsby, Lincolnshire
August 38.5 °C (101.3 °F) 10 August 2003 Faversham, Kent
September 35.6 °C (96.1 °F) 2 September 1906 Bawtry, South Yorkshire
October 29.9 °C (85.8 °F) 1 October 2011 Gravesend, Kent
November 22.4 °C (72.3 °F) 1 November 2015 Trawsgoed, Ceredigion
December 18.7 °C (65.7 °F) 28 December 2019 Achfary, Sutherland

Coldest days by month of the year

Month Temperature Date Place(s)
January −27.2 °C (−17.0 °F) 10 January 1982 Braemar, Aberdeenshire
February −27.2 °C (−17.0 °F) 11 February 1895 Braemar, Aberdeenshire
March −22.8 °C (−9.0 °F) 14 March 1958 Logie Coldstone, Aberdeenshire
April −15.6 °C (3.9 °F) 2 April 1917 Eskdalemuir, Dumfries and Galloway
May −9.4 °C (15.1 °F) 4 May 1941 Lynford, Norfolk
11 May 1941 Lynford, Norfolk
15 May 1941 Fort Augustus, Highland
June −5.6 °C (21.9 °F) 9 June 1955 Dalwhinnie, Highland
1 June 1962 Santon Downham, Norfolk
3 June 1962 Santon Downham, Norfolk
July −2.5 °C (27.5 °F) 15 July 1977 Lagganlia, Highland
9 July 1986 St Harmon, Radnorshire
August −4.5 °C (23.9 °F) 21 August 1973 Lagganlia, Highland
September −6.7 °C (19.9 °F) 26 September 1942 Dalwhinnie, Highland
October −11.7 °C (10.9 °F) 28 October 1948 Dalwhinnie, Highland
November −23.3 °C (−9.9 °F) 14 November 1919 Braemar, Aberdeenshire
December −27.2 °C (−17.0 °F) 30 December 1995 Altnaharra, Highland

[9]

Lowest temperature by constituent country

Constituent Nation Temperature Date Place(s)
Scotland −27.2 °C (−17.0 °F) 11 February 1895 and 10 January 1982 Braemar, Aberdeenshire
30 December 1995Altnaharra, Sutherland
England−26.1 °C (−15.0 °F)10 January 1982Newport, Shropshire
Wales−23.3 °C (−9.9 °F)21 January 1940Rhayader, Radnorshire
Northern Ireland−18.7 °C (−1.7 °F)24 December 2010Castlederg, County Tyrone

Most hours of sunshine

Record Duration Location Date
Highest monthly total (UK national average)[10] 266 hours UK (national average) May 2020
Highest monthly total (England)[2] 383.9 hours Eastbourne, Sussex July 1911
Highest monthly total (Northern Ireland)[2] 301.3 hours Magilligan, County Londonderry May 2025
Highest monthly total (Scotland)[2] 329.1 hours Tiree, Argyll & Bute May 1975
Highest monthly total (Wales)[2] 354.3 hours Dale Fort, Pembrokeshire July 1955

Rainfall records

Most rainfall in periods of time

Duration Amount Place(s) Date
Short Durations
Highest 5-min total 32 mm (1.3 in) Preston, Lancashire 10 August 1893
Highest 30-min total 80 mm (3.1 in) Eskdalemuir, Dumfries and Galloway[11] 26 June 1953
Highest 60-min total 92 mm (3.6 in) Maidenhead, Berkshire 12 July 1901
Highest 90-min total 117 mm (4.6 in) Dunsop Valley, Lancashire 8 August 1967
Highest 120-min total 193 mm (7.6 in)[c] Walshaw Dean Lodge, West Yorkshire 19 May 1989
Highest 155-min total 169 mm (6.7 in) Hampstead, Greater London 14 August 1975
Highest 180-min total 178 mm (7.0 in) Horncastle, Lincolnshire 7 October 1960
Highest total in any 24-hour period 341.4 mm (13.44 in) Honister Pass, Cumbria 4 December 2015 1800 UTC - 5 December 2015 1800 UTC
Consecutive Rainfall Days (0900 UTC - 0900 UTC)
Highest 1-day total 279 mm (11.0 in) Martinstown, Dorset 18 July 1955
Highest 1-day total (UK national average) 31.7 mm (1.25 in) UK (national average)[12] 3 October 2020
Highest 2-day total 405 mm (15.9 in) Thirlmere, Cumbria 4 to 5 December 2015
Highest 3-day total 456.4 mm (17.97 in) Seathwaite, Cumbria 17 to 19 November 2009
Highest 4-day total 495 mm (19.5 in) 16 to 19 November 2009
Highest monthly total 1,396.4 mm (54.98 in) Crib Goch, Snowdon 1 to 31 December 2015
Highest annual total 6,527 mm (257.0 in) Sprinkling Tarn, Cumbria 1 January to 31 December 1954[13]

Wind records

Highest wind speed

Ground Level Wind speed Location Date
mph km/h knots
Low level (up to 500 m) 142 228 123 Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire 13 February 1989
High level (above 500 m) 173 278 150 Cairn Gorm, Scottish Highlands 20 March 1986

Shetland holds the unofficial British record for wind speed. A gust of 197 mph (317 km/h) was reported on 1 January 1992. An earlier gust in 1962 was recorded at 177 mph (285 km/h), both at RAF Saxa Vord.[14] However, it is expected that higher gusts than those reported would have been achieved as during both storms the measuring equipment was destroyed by the extreme weather.[15]

A wind gust of 194 mph (312 km/h) was recorded at Cairn Gorm on 19 December 2008 but was discovered too late to be verified by the Met Office.[16]

The highest wind speed in England was a wind gust of 125.4 mph (201.8 km/h) recorded at The Needles, Isle of Wight, on 18 February 2022 during Storm Eunice.[17]

Snowfall records

Most snowfall in a day

Amount Location Date
Greatest depth in an inhabited area[18] 83 in (210 cm) Forest-in-Teesdale, County Durham 14 March 1947

Other notable records

Atmospheric pressure

Record Level Location Date
Highest 1,053.6 mbar (31.11 inHg) Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire 31 January 1902
Lowest 925.6 mbar (27.33 inHg) Ochtertyre, Perthshire 26 January 1884

Notelist

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Signifies the then-highest temperature recorded up to that date, until surpassed by the next starred date above.
  2. 1 2 3 Denotes provisional weather records, to be verified by the Met Office. [8]
  3. ↑ The UK Met Office expresses "reservations" about 193 mm on 19 May 1989 at Walshaw Dean Lodge (West Yorkshire). The next highest acceptable value is 155 mm on 11 June 1956 at Hewenden Reservoir (West Yorkshire).

References

  1. ↑ "Met Office temperature records – what do we monitor and how far do they go back?". Met Office. 7 June 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "UK climate extremes". Met Office. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  3. ↑ "Record high temperatures verified". Met Office. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  4. ↑ "Heatwave: Wales' second hottest day brings health warning". BBC News. 19 July 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  5. ↑ "Scotland's record temperature of 34.8C at Charterhall confirmed". BBC News. 28 July 2022.
  6. ↑ McCarthy, Mark (28 September 2022). "Guest post: A Met Office review of the UK's record-breaking summer in 2022". Carbon Brief. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  7. ↑ Beament, Emily (29 June 2026). "June temperature record updated to provisional 37.7C". Standard. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
  8. ↑ "Third consecutive day of a new June temperature record with end of heatwave in sight". Met Office. 26 June 2026. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  9. ↑ "TORRO | Extremes ~ Minimum Temperatures". www.torro.org.uk.
  10. ↑ Harrabin, Roger (1 June 2020). "Climate change: May was sunniest calendar month on record in UK". BBC News. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  11. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. ↑ McGrath, Matt (16 October 2020). "Extreme weather: October downpour sees UK's wettest day on record". BBC News. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  13. ↑ Simons, Paul (25 November 2009). "Weather eye: The wettest habitable place in Britain". The Times.
  14. ↑ "Unst". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 12 January 2010.
  15. ↑ "A History of RAF Saxa Vord". 10 July 2010. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  16. ↑ Britten, Nick (6 January 2009). "Highlands mountain claims strongest UK wind". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  17. ↑ Toogood, Darren (18 February 2022). "RECORD-BREAKING 125MPH WINDS AT THE NEEDLES – THE STRONGEST GUST EVER SEEN IN ENGLAND". Island Echo. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  18. ↑ Eden, Philip (2 February 2009). "Snow Britain: Wrong kind of snow strikes again". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_weather_records