Where are the hottest places in the UK, and what does that mean for cooling?
Updated 23 October 2026 · SEO Dons Editorial
Which parts of the UK have the warmest summers on average?
London, the south east and the east. The table takes the warmest average July daily high in each region from the Met Office's 1991 to 2020 station tables, drawn from about 270 stations. Each region name links to its page.
| Region page | Station with the warmest July average | Average July daily high (°C) |
|---|---|---|
| London | Heathrow | 23.89 |
| South East | Gillingham, Kent | 23.61 |
| East of England | Writtle, Essex | 23.28 |
| South West | Cheltenham | 23.16 |
| West Midlands | Wellesbourne | 22.84 |
| Wales | Usk | 22.54 |
| Yorkshire | Finningley | 22.30 |
| East Midlands | Cranwell | 22.07 |
| North West | Myerscough | 20.76 |
| North East | Hartburn Grange | 20.62 |
| Scotland | Stirling | 19.91 |
The gap between the warmest regional station (Heathrow, 23.89°C) and the warmest in Scotland (Stirling, 19.91°C) is about 4°C, worked out from the table. Northern Ireland has no page on this site; its warmest station in the same tables, Belfast Newforge, averages 19.73°C. The locations directory lists every region page.
Where have the highest temperatures actually been recorded?
Somewhere different. The Met Office's climate extremes page gives the highest daily maximum for each district, and the records come from a few hot days, not from typical summers:
| Met Office district or country | Record (°C) | Date | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| England E & NE | 40.3 | 19 July 2022 | Coningsby (Lincolnshire) |
| England SE & Central S | 40.2 | 19 July 2022 | Heathrow (London) |
| Midlands | 40.2 | 19 July 2022 | Pitsford (Northamptonshire) |
| East Anglia | 39.9 | 19 July 2022 | Cambridge Botanic Garden |
| England NW | 38.4 | 19 July 2022 | Nantwich (Cheshire) |
| England SW | 37.3 | 25 June 2026 | Yeovilton (Somerset) |
| Wales | 37.1 | 18 July 2022 | Hawarden Airport (Flintshire) |
| Scotland | 34.8 | 19 July 2022 | Charterhall (Scottish Borders) |
| Northern Ireland | 31.3 | 21 July 2021 | Castlederg (County Tyrone) |
Met Office districts do not line up exactly with this site's region pages. On 19 July 2022 the highest values in Lincolnshire, London and Northamptonshire sat within 0.1°C of each other, so the record says little about which place is warmer in an ordinary year. The same page lists England's May and June records as 35.1°C at Kew Gardens on 26 May 2026 and 38.0°C at Lingwood in Norfolk on 26 June 2026, a reminder that cooling can be needed before the traditional season. The guide to whether the UK will need air conditioning covers the projections.
What counts as a heatwave in different places?
The Met Office counts a heatwave when a location has at least three consecutive days with daily maximum temperatures at or above a threshold that varies by UK county. The thresholds come from the 1991 to 2020 climatology of daily maximum temperature at the mid-point of summer, 15 July. In 2022 six counties moved from 27°C to 28°C (Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire), Lincolnshire from 26°C to 27°C and the East Riding of Yorkshire from 25°C to 26°C.
A heatwave is therefore judged against local norms. The same weather that is a heatwave day in the East Riding can pass unnoticed in Surrey, which says nothing about whether a particular office is too warm.
What do designers use instead of the headlines?
Weather files built for the purpose. CIBSE's weather data covers 28 climatic zones across the UK in two types: a Test Reference Year, a typical year for annual energy assessments, and Design Summer Years for overheating risk. DSY1 is a moderate year with heat events that have a return period of 7 years, DSY2 the year with the most intense heat events and DSY3 the year with the longest. CIBSE says the 2016 sets remain required for Part L and Part O compliance, so ask which file and which zone a design used.
Law is less specific. The HSE says there is no law for a maximum working temperature because every workplace is different, and Regulation 7 of the 1992 workplace regulations says the temperature in indoor workplaces shall be reasonable. The guide to workplace temperature law goes through the duties.
What does the data mean for the building decision?
- London, the South East and the East. July averages of 23.28°C to 23.89°C and records near 40°C make comfort cooling the common question for offices and shops. Size it for a design summer year rather than the average.
- The Midlands, Wales and the South West. Wellesbourne (22.84°C), Usk (22.54°C) and Cheltenham (23.16°C) show hot pockets inside cooler regions. Shading, glazing and ventilation come first, with cooling for the zones that carry high heat gains.
- Yorkshire, the North West, the North East and Scotland. Warmest-station averages of 19.91°C to 22.30°C make outdoor heat the lesser load, though England's NW record is 38.4°C. Look at occupancy, equipment and solar gain first, and plan for the rare hot spell rather than sizing for it.
- Server and comms rooms everywhere. The HSE notes that indoor high temperatures are often created by work activity rather than the season. These rooms need resilient cooling in every region; see server room air conditioning, and the free cooling guide for how cooler regions can reject heat to outdoor air.
The guide to cooling and heating degree days by region explains how annual cooling and heating demand compares across regions. A reader who wants a contractor's view can send an enquiry through the site's form.
Sources
- Met Office, location-specific long-term averages for 1991 to 2020: Heathrow, Gillingham, Writtle, Cheltenham, Wellesbourne, Usk, Finningley, Cranwell, Myerscough, Hartburn Grange, Stirling and Belfast Newforge; checked 22 October 2026.
- Met Office: UK climate extremes; What is a heatwave?; heatwave threshold changes, 28 March 2022; checked 22 October 2026.
- CIBSE, weather data; checked 22 October 2026.
- Health and Safety Executive, temperature in the workplace; legislation.gov.uk, Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, regulation 7; checked 22 October 2026.
Common questions
Is Heathrow the hottest place in the UK?
On the Met Office's 1991 to 2020 July averages it has the warmest figure in the station tables used here, at 23.89°C. For the all-time record the Met Office lists 40.3°C at Coningsby in Lincolnshire, with Heathrow on 40.2°C the same day.
Why were the records set in Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and London on the same day?
They came from one exceptional day, 19 July 2022, when the highest values in those places were within 0.1°C of each other. A single day shows what plant must survive, not which place is warmer in a typical summer. The averages table answers the second question.
Does a heatwave threshold mean a building needs air conditioning?
No. The thresholds define a weather event relative to local norms, and the HSE says there is no law for a maximum working temperature. Whether a building needs cooling depends on its heat gains, occupancy and use, which a designer tests against overheating weather files.
Where can I find average temperatures for my own town?
The Met Office's location-specific long-term averages page lets you pick a climate station and read its 1991 to 2020 tables. The nearest station may be in a different town, so treat it as a guide. A designer working on a specific building would use CIBSE weather files for the relevant zone.
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