The UK and Belgium have both recorded their hottest summers on record, according to their respective weather agencies. This summer saw successive heatwaves and minimal rainfall in both countries, leading to widespread drought conditions. In the UK, the average summer temperature reached 16.5°C, surpassing the previous record of 16.1°C set in 2025. Belgium's national reference station in Uccle recorded an average temperature of 20.3°C, 2.4°C above the mean of recent decades. Scientists warn that climate change is intensifying extreme weather events, resulting in more frequent heat records being broken.
The UK's Met Office reported that summer 2026 is provisionally the warmest on record, with the season's mean temperature made around 130 times more likely due to human-induced climate change. The extreme weather has left three-quarters of England and all of Wales officially in drought. Belgium also faced its largest wildfire in a century in August, highlighting the severe impact of the heatwaves.
Climate experts have warned that the UK is not prepared for the consequences of climate change, with homes and public infrastructure not built to withstand warmer, drier summers. The Met Office predicts that UK summers will continue to become hotter, a trend already evident in recent observations. Similar extreme weather patterns have been observed across Europe, with 33 countries recording their hottest July since records began this year.
FAQs
Question: What caused the record-breaking temperatures in the UK and Belgium this summer?
Answer: The record-breaking temperatures in the UK and Belgium this summer were primarily caused by successive heatwaves and minimal rainfall, exacerbated by human-induced climate change. The UK's Met Office noted that the season's mean temperature was made around 130 times more likely due to climate change.
Question: How have the extreme heatwaves affected these countries?
Answer: The extreme heatwaves have led to widespread drought conditions in both the UK and Belgium. In the UK, three-quarters of England and all of Wales are officially in drought. Belgium faced its largest wildfire in a century in August, underscoring the severe impact of the heatwaves.
Question: Are other countries experiencing similar extreme weather?
Answer: Yes, 33 countries spanning from western Europe to the Sahel and central America recorded their hottest July since records began this year. All-time temperature records were also broken in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary earlier in the season.
Question: What are the long-term predictions for summer temperatures in the UK?
Answer: The Met Office predicts that UK summers will continue to become hotter, a trend already evident in recent observations. Climate experts warn that the UK is not prepared for the consequences of climate change, with homes and public infrastructure not built to withstand warmer, drier summers.
