2025 Likely to Be UK's Hottest Year on Record, Met Office Says
The year 2025 is more likely than not to become the UK's hottest year on record, according to the Met Office. Temperatures for 2025 are currently tracking above those of 2022, although a colder spell from Christmas to New Year may prevent a definitive confirmation. If confirmed, 2025 would join 2022 and 2023 as one of the top three warmest years recorded in the UK.
Since 2000, the UK has experienced six occasions where a new annual mean temperature record was set, specifically in 2002, 2003, 2006, 2014, 2022, and potentially 2025, each time marking a warmer year than the previous record. Notably, four of the past five years rank among the top five warmest since records began in 1884, and all of the top ten warmest years have occurred within the past two decades.
Earlier in 2025, the UK experienced its hottest summer on record, with the mean temperature for June to August reaching 16.1°C. Climate scientist Mike Kendon highlighted that these recent changes are unprecedented in observational records dating back to the 19th century.
