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July was a hot and dry month for many, with high pressure conditions dominating for most of the month. The month opened with some rain across Scotland and western areas, whilst the south of the UK saw more settled conditions. Temperatures soon began to rise in the south, and heatwave conditions were met across England and Wales as high pressure settled over the UK. This resulted in nearly two weeks of temperatures above 25°C, and often above 30°C, in many areas. Although temperatures then decreased to average or below average for some areas around the 18th/19th, especially eastern areas, this cooler weather did not last and temperatures soon increased to above average again across most of the UK, although not quite as hot as in the beginning of the month. July ended with a north/south divide as temperatures remained above average in the south, especially the southeast, but dropped to below average in the north, which also saw some more rainfall. Rain was in short supply in the south of the UK, with some areas seeing little to no rain across the entire month. In combination with the heat and abundant sunshine, this led to drought conditions affecting the whole of Wales and around half of England.

Read the full UK Weather and Climate Summary for July 2026


In July 2026, the global surface temperature was 1.18°C (2.12°F) above the 20th-century average—tying with 2024 as the warmest July since global record-keeping began in 1850. The ten warmest Julys on record have all occurred since 2016, with the past four years (2023–2026) taking the top four spots. Only three Julys—2023, 2024, and 2026—have experienced temperature departures exceeding the 1.0°C (1.8°F) threshold. This month also marked the 55th consecutive July with above-average temperatures; the last below-average July temperature occurred in 1971 (-0.04°C / -0.07°F). Global ocean temperatures reached a record high in July, averaging 1.02°C (1.84°F) above normal. This edged out the previous July record, set in 2023, by 0.03°C (0.05°F). The past four Julys (2023–2026) are the four warmest Julys on record, with 2026 marking the first July to surpass +1.0°C (+1.8°F). The global surface temperature for January–July was the third-highest in the 177-year record at 1.14°C (2.05°F) above the 20th-century average, behind only the same periods in 2024 and 2025.


The United Kingdom recorded a monthly temperature that was 2.1°C (°F) above average, making it the second-warmest July on record. July 2026 also marked the sixth consecutive month with a national temperature departure exceeding +1.0°C (+ 1.8°F). Regionally, England had its second-warmest July, while Wales tied for its warmest on record. The UK had a warm and dry month. With a national precipitation total of 35% of average, July 2026 was the UK's third-driest July on record.



Read the full July  2026 Global Climate Report



 








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Ocean temperatures are off the charts right now and scientists are alarmed

One major driver of the heat is believed to be an approaching – and potentially strong – El Niño, a natural climate fluctuation associated with warming in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, which has a global heating effect.

State of the Global Climate 2024 published by WMO in Geneva in 2025  

The goal of climate analysis is to better understand the Earth’s past and present climate, and to predict future climate response to changes in natural and human-induced factors, such as the Sun, greenhouse gases (e.g., water vapour, carbon dioxide and methane), and aerosols (e.g., from dust storms, pollution, fires, sea spray or volcanic eruptions). Climate analysis studies are routinely carried out using a mix of data from diverse sources including historical climate data, current and past satellite instruments, field campaigns, and outputs from regional and global numerical models. A climatic data element is a measured parameter which helps to specify the climate of a specific location or region, such as precipitation, temperature, wind speed and humidity.




Climate Change Committee Progress in adapting to climate change: 2025 report to Parliament

Exceptional rainfall and flooding in parts of Europe and north Africa in February

Published on the 13 March 2026

February 2026 saw exceptionally wet conditions in western and southern Europe and northern Africa, as reported in the latest Climate Bulletin by the Copernicus Climate Change Service Prolonged heavy rainfall triggered severe flooding and landslides in France,1 Spain, Portugal and Morocco,2 leading to loss of life and livelihoods alongside widespread damage.The extreme events of February 2026 highlight the growing impacts of climate change and the pressing need for global action. With global temperatures reaching 1.49°C above pre-industrial levels – the fifth-warmest February on record – Europe experienced stark temperature contrasts. Exceptional atmospheric rivers - narrow bands of very moist air – brought record rainfall and widespread flooding to western and southern Europe, while Arctic sea ice extent ranked as the third-lowest for the month. February 2026 was the fifth-warmest February on record. With a global average surface air temperature of 13.26°C, it was 1.49°C warmer than the estimated 1850-1900 pre-industrial baseline. It was also the third-warmest February on record for the southern hemisphere.



Climate Analytics    NCAR Climate Analysis    Climate Models  

Copernicus Global Climate Highlights 2025

UK Met Office: Climate Newsletter Issue 119

 published 12 August 2026