England and Wales have experienced their warmest spring since records began in 1884, according to provisional figures from the Met Office. The record is partly attributed to an “exceptionally early” heatwave that swept across the UK in late May.
The mean average temperature in England for March, April and May reached 10.41C, surpassing the previous record of 10.23C. This marks the third consecutive year that England has registered a new warmest spring. Wales saw a mean temperature of 9.73C, pushing 2025 into second place.
A high of 35.1C was provisionally measured at Kew Gardens in London on May 26, a new record for the month of May, while temperatures topped 30C for six consecutive days in some areas. Amber heat-health alerts were issued for several regions of England, indicating risks to vulnerable people and potential pressure on health services.
Met Office scientist Dr Emily Carlisle said: “This spring highlights both the natural variability of the UK’s weather and the longer-term warming we are observing. The fact that nine of the 10 warmest springs in England have occurred since 2007 illustrates this ongoing shift in the UK’s climate.”
Several counties in the south and east of England received only around a third of their average rainfall this spring, with Kent and Suffolk both receiving 33 per cent. A meeting of the National Drought Group will be held in the coming weeks to assess the impact of the heatwave, the Environment Agency said.
