I think tonight will be the coolest night for August before warming up, hope to see high 20's here by next week and to bid farewell to 40C in the conservatory this coming week as today was 38.6c and today 37.5C.  Never reached 40C yet in September due to poor temperatures last 2 years. Maybe it did in 2023 but it was not built that time.  

28.9 Charlwood - it's another very warm day! 29.0 Wiggonholt was yesterday's official UK high.

Then, to add insult to injury, the gap fills back in as it travels north, so by 0900 the band is heavy and continuous from East Anglia to N Wales, and thence on to Scotland.

 * A further twist of the knife - the blob now forecast for Kent was only a couple of hours ago shown heading for central southern England, i.e. Hants, Dorset and West Sussex

agree with this. I fully appreciate the need for broad, precautionary weather warnings ahead of an event, as pinpointing exact locations is extremely difficult at that stage.

However, once it becomes clear that certain areas will not be affected, that update should be communicated. Continuing with the original blanket narrative when the risk has clearly diminished in specific regions can lead to unnecessary confusion and reduce public confidence in the warning system.

I thought last year was incredible when we got to 72 days but this year could smash that if the models are to be believed.

Anyone know what the record is in the UK? Given my connections to Australia I know Melbourne's record is 99 days so unlikely we'll get to that but who knows.

Meanwhile the conservatory was the coolest day since June 16th to drop to 29C maximum since 28.4C so that 71 days of 30C plus temperatures while outside today was 21.2C so still not yet below 20C since June 16th as well.  For the first time we not used the fans with indoor temps of comfortable 25-27C as all the windows and vents are shut completely to retain warmth. The fans had been use a lot this summer now taking a break. 

I think 2018 did reach over 100 days as it started from late April to mid August?  I used to take the bus and started wearing shorts from mid April that time and never had cool days since early April before the 29C heatwave came.

Summary for period 01/06/2026 to 31/08/2026

Temperature (°C):

Mean (1 minute)  19.8

Mean (min+max)  20.1

Mean Minimum    15.1

Mean Maximum    25.0

Minimum          7.3 on 10/06/2026

Maximum          35.8 on 26/06/2026

Highest Minimum  19.7 on 26/06/2026

Lowest Maximum  15.9 on 11/06/2026

Air frosts      0

Rainfall (mm):

Total for period 101.6

Wettest day      20.4 on 10/06/2026

High rain rate  103.8 day 23/06/2026

Rain days        25

Dry days        67

Wind (mph):

Highest Gust    16.0 on 29/08/2026

Average Speed    0.5

Wind Run        1141.6 miles

Gale days        0

Pressure (mb):

Maximum          1030.92 on 03/07/2026

Minimum          997.40 on 04/06/2026

Temperature (°C)

Lowest Minimum:                                                                                5.58 (on 14/6/26)

Highest Minimum:                                                                               15.73 (on 28/7/26)

Mean Minimum:                                                                                   11.59

Minimum Anomaly:                                                                              +1.14

Lowest Maximum:                                                                                 15.43 (on 6/6/26)

Highest Maximum:                                                                                 28.45 (on 23/6/26)

Mean Maximum:                                                                                     20.22

Maximum Anomaly:                                                                                +1.54

Lowest Average:                                                                                       11.09 (on 9/6/26)

Highest Average:                                                                                       21.43 (on 23/6/26)

Average Temperature:                                                                              15.91

Average Anomaly:                                                                                       +1.35

Lowest Diurnal Temperature Range:                                                        2.32 (on 5/7/26)

Highest Diurnal Temperature Range:                                                        15.38 (on 18/7/26)

Average Diurnal Temperature Range:                                                       8.63

Other Temperature Statistics

Single Figures Minimum Temperatures:                                                     22

Double Figures Maximum Temperatures:                                                  49

Double Figures Minimum Temperatures:                                                   70

Maximum Temperatures Above 20°C:                                                         43

Tropical Nights:                                                                                                 0

Maximum Temperatures Above 30°C:                                                          0

Rainfall (mm)

Total for summer:                                                                                             158.8 (73.7% of 1991-2020 summer average)

Wettest Day:                                                                                                       21.2 (on 19/8/26)

Highest Hourly Total:                                                                                         10.6 (on 19/8/26 at 16:00)

Highest Ten Minute Total:                                                                                  5.0 (on 19/8/26 at 15:40)

Rain Days:                                                                                                             31 (92.0% of 1991-2020 summer average)

Dry Days:                                                                                                               51

Longest Dry Spell                                                                                                  12 days (12/7 to 23/7)

Longest Non-Dry Spell                                                                                          6 days (24/7 to 29/7)

Most Consecutive Rain Days                                                                                 5 days (25/7 to 29/7)

Longest Period Without a Rain Day:                                                                     17 days (8/7 to 24/7)

Month with lowest rainfall total:                                                                            July 2026: 48.8 (67.9% of 1991-2020 July average)

Month with highest rainfall total:                                                                          August 2026: 60.4 (80.8% of 1991-2020 August average)

Month with fewest rain days:                                                                                 August 2026: 9 (80.6% of 1991-2020 August average)

Month with most rain days:                                                                                    June 2026: 12 (107.7% of 1991-2020 June average)

Wind Speed (mph)

Average Mean Wind Speed:                                                                                    8.7 (109.6% of 1991-2020 summer average)

Highest Mean Wind Speed:                                                                                      23.9 (on 12/6/26)

Highest Wind Gust:                                                                                                    38.9 (on 1/7/26)

Most Common Wind Direction                                                                                 WSW

Pressure (mb)

Lowest Pressure:                                                                                                          981.8 (on 3/6/26)

Average Pressure:                                                                                                        1015.1

Highest Pressure:                                                                                                          1031.8 (on 11/7/26)

Sunshine Total (hrs)

Total for summer:                                                                                                          477.9 (102.6% of 1991-2020 summer average)

Sunniest Day:                                                                                                                  13.8 (on 10/7/26)

Sunless Days:                                                                                                                   3

Most Consecutive Sunless Days:                                                                                   1 day (6/6, 16/6 and 11/7)

Month with lowest sunshine total:                                                                                August 2026: 127.9 (87.8% of 1991-2020 August average)

Month with highest sunshine total:                                                                               July 2026: 201.5 (125.2% of 1991-2020 July average)

Month with fewest sunless days:                                                                                   August 2026: 0

Month with most sunless days:                                                                                      June 2026: 2

Conclusion

Unlike in the rest of the UK, there were no official heatwaves here in Edinburgh during the summer of 2026 and there were no 30+°C maximum temperatures here either. However, the summer of 2026 was substantially warmer than average with at least two days in each month meeting the heatwave criteria. This was shown by the fact that 20+°C maximums were being achieved quite readily even on days when that wasn't even forecast to happen and even as we leave the summer behind and head into the start of autumn, that is still continuing here right to this very day.

The summer of 2026 was also substantially drier than average with every single month being drier than average although August was the wettest month of the summer.

Finally, every month within the summer of 2026 was duller than average with the exception of July which was its only sunnier than average month. Despite that though, the summer of 2026 was actually sunnier than average overall due to the fact that July was such an exceptionally sunny month.

Those have cleared up a few of the question marks over highs.

July 16: the 32.1C I had found at Marnhull has not been counted, the official max is 30.7 at Seavington (Somerset)

July 18: Another Marnhull reading of 28.3C discounted, max is 27.6 at Westonzoyland (also Somerset)

July 21: Marnhull 28.8C discounted, max 28.7 Westonzoyland.

July 23: Cirencester 29.9C the new max - one I hadn't seen and very close to another 30!

July 28: Felsham manual reading of 31.3 discounted, max 31.0 at Cavendish and Coningsby

July 29: Felsham 35.8 discounted, max 35.2 at Writtle

July 30: Charlwood 30.7C accepted (next highest was 29.8)

So if Charlwood is now acceptable, that must mean that August 2nd was the "missing" 30C day out of the 40 that the Met had counted (I had 39 but had discounted Charlwood and Frittenden which were the only stations over 30C that day).

So from what I can see, with figures for August still not confirmed by the Met Office, we had:

40 days of 30C+ (1976 had 24)

24 days of 32C+ (1976: 16)

17 days of 33C+ (1976: 10)

13 days of 34C+ (1976: 7)

10 days of 35C+ (1976: 5)

4 days of 36C+ (1976: 0)

3 days of 37C+ (1976: 0)

2 days of 38C+ (1976: 0)

Not a bad summer really!

A good summary and time to put to bed the idea that '76 was better/hotter! I read somewhere that someone insisted that the English '76 heat began in April and ended in October. Nonstop sunshine/heat, too they wrote. FFS.

By next summer, I will be prepared with a better watering system using rainwater from water butts. I know some are saying that with El Niño we will get an even hotter English summer. I'm not so bullish about this notion. That is based on the water butts I'll have ready to use next year. But Even in a wet summer, plant containers will need additional water.  And it will reduce metered water.

1976 301

1995 298

1983 278

1955 277

2018 272

1984 271

1959 269

2026 269

1975 268

1949 267

1989 262

2022 261

So decent but not as spectacular as it was further south.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/articles/c99dypl3jgmo 

Yeah, it really wasn't. FWIW for the meteorological summer, 2026 had a higher max than 1976 on 54 out of the 92 days (59%)

For the year as a whole, to date, 2026 has had a higher max on 153 out of 243 days (63%).

April 1976 was really quite chilly - max all month was just 21.6C with only three days reaching 20C.

May 1976 had a brief early heatwave (29C on May 7th) but after that it was mostly high teens and low 20s.

September 1976 failed to reach 25C even once, and October only reached 20.2C. 

Manchester summer indices from 1901 to present day

1901 249 1902 195 1903 209 1904 212 1905 223 1906 214 1907 147 1908 220 1909 171 1910 190 

1911 274 1912 156 1913 205 1914 222 1915 196 1916 188 1917 228 1918 200 1919 203 1920 174 

1921 249 1922 178 1923 174 1924 158 1925 246 1926 227 1927 175 1928 197 1929 211 1930 199 

1931 173 1932 223 1933 251 1934 238 1935 243 1936 190 1937 213 1938 177 1939 213 1940 238 

1941 236 1942 214 1943 209 1944 200 1945 223 1946 170 1947 255 1948 176 1949 267 1950 216 

1951 201 1952 198 1953 193 1954 143 1955 277 1956 155 1957 216 1958 184 1959 269 1960 217 

1961 203 1962 197 1963 194 1964 197 1965 189 1966 192 1967 223 1968 215 1969 234 1970 235

1971 205 1972 185 1973 234 1974 199 1975 268 1976 301 1977 223 1978 173 1979 199 1980 173 

1981 196 1982 203 1983 278 1984 271 1985 180 1986 189 1987 169 1988 191 1989 262 1990 229 

1991 207 1992 222 1993 194 1994 240 1995 298 1996 245 1997 232 1998 192 1999 234 2000 198 

2001 211 2002 200 2003 247 2004 197 2005 224 2006 246 2007 174 2008 168 2009 194 2010 191 

2011 179 2012 164 2013 247 2014 236 2015 192 2016 189 2017 192 2018 272 2019 199 2020 182 

2021 238 2022 261 2023 217 2024 203 2025 235 2026 269

Summer wildfire call-outs more than double

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce30lx3z2k8o 

I agree with APS; the Manchester Index 'does what it says on the tin', i.e. it's an index for the northwest of England and shouldn't be extended to apply to the southeast.

My personal experience of 1976, when for something like 6 weeks in June/July I was doing a weekend commute between Manchester and Maidstone, is that Manchester had a very agreeable summer, pleasantly warm and sunny but enough rainfall to keep the grass growing. In Kent it was (for me at any rate) unpleasantly hot, and by the end of July the grass was baked brown.

My garden, on the other hand? Here's how it looks as of the 1st September, after the hottest summer on record here and after a completely dry July and first week of August. The visitors I've had over the past week have all remarked on how green it looks, or at least the bits that my pup didn't churn up in winter!

Aside from rinsing out the food and water bowls using the outside tap - the water was chucked on the bit of grass nearest the doors from where the photo was taken, it's all down to one thing... I didn't mow the grass for a couple of months from the start of the hot weather in June until a week or so ago. As my neighbours know, if they hear me mowing it means rain is on the way! I find that leaving it long, and mowing just before rain is forecast keeps the grass looking much more lush than if you just scalp it every week as everyone else seems to do. 

https://ukwct.org.uk/weather/endofsummer.jpg 

Max High - August 13th 37.1c (beating 36.9c in 2022)

30c days - 26 days (beating 11 days in 2022)

Mean monthly Max - 29.2c in July (the previous monthly record of July 2018 was 26.5c) 

Mean Max for the whole summer - 26.7c (no idea what the previous record was but this summer beat the previous single month record)

Mean (1 min) monthly - July 21.0c (beating July 2018 20.0c)

Mean (1 min) for the whole summer - 19.5c

Rainfall - July 0mm (1st calendar month with zero rainfall)

Rainfall Longest Dry Period - 57 days

Highest Heat Index - 42.6c on 24th June

Highest DP - 24.3c on 24th June

Highest Min - 19.9c on 26th June (never had a tropical night here still)

Max Pressure (hPa) - maybe not a record but interesting we had 0 days above 1030 in the whole summer

Consecutive days with max >20c - 81 days

Summary for period 01/06/2026 to 31/08/2026

Temperature (°C):

Mean (1 minute)  19.5

Mean (min+max)  19.9

Mean Minimum    13.0

Mean Maximum    26.7

Minimum          7.1 on 20/07/2026

Maximum          37.1 on 13/08/2026

Highest Minimum  19.9 on 26/06/2026

Lowest Maximum  15.0 on 06/06/2026

Air frosts      0

Rainfall (mm):

Total for period 82.4

Wettest day      15.0 on 02/06/2026

High rain rate  96.0 day 02/06/2026

Rain days        16

Dry days        76

Wind (mph):

Highest Gust    30.0 on 06/06/2026

Average Speed    3.0

Wind Run        6578.9 miles

Gale days        0

Pressure (hPa):

Maximum          1028.45 on 03/07/2026

Minimum          993.16 on 04/06/2026