England and Wales have experienced their warmest spring since records began in 1884, according to provisional data from the Met Office. The record-breaking season was driven by an exceptionally early heatwave in late May, with temperatures reaching 35.1°C in London on May 26, a new May record.
The mean average temperature in England for March, April, and May was 10.41°C, surpassing the previous record of 10.23°C. This marks the third consecutive year that England has set a new warmest spring. Wales recorded a mean temperature of 9.73°C, pushing 2025 into second place.
Scotland experienced its eighth warmest spring, while Northern Ireland had its joint sixth warmest. The UK as a whole saw its third warmest spring on record. The heatwave triggered amber heat-health alerts across several English regions, posing risks to vulnerable people and straining health services.
Met Office scientist Dr Emily Carlisle noted that nine of the ten warmest springs in England have occurred since 2007, highlighting a shift in the UK's climate with more frequent extreme conditions. The National Drought Group is set to meet in the coming weeks to assess the impact of the dry spell.
Several counties in southern and eastern England received only about a third of their average spring rainfall, with Cambridgeshire at 35%, Essex at 34%, and Kent and Suffolk at 33%. The north-south divide was stark, with the north receiving 90% of average rainfall compared to 50% in the south.
Environment Agency director Helen Wakeham stated that no parts of England are currently in drought, but the risk increases with continued hot and dry weather. Water demand has spiked, river flows have fallen, and reservoir levels are reducing, prompting close monitoring.
