The summer of 2026 was the hottest ever recorded in the United Kingdom and Belgium, according to their meteorological agencies. The UK’s average temperature reached 16.5°C, while Belgium recorded 20.3°C. The Met Office said this is provisionally the hottest season since records began in 1884, surpassing last year’s 16.1°C. The five hottest UK summers have all occurred since 2003.
Belgium’s previous record of 19.9°C, set in 2018, has now been broken. The 20.3°C average at the Uccle station, which has measured temperatures since 1833, marks the first time the figure has exceeded 20°C. Other hot summers include 19.7°C in 2003, 19.6°C in 2022, and 19.3°C in 2025.
The Belgian institute also noted five other records broken this summer: the highest average maximum temperature, the greatest number of summer days (46), and the greatest number of hot days (15). For 64 days, from June 16 to August 18, maximum temperatures did not drop below 20°C, another first for the country.
Reference
Le Monde, “Canicule: en 2026, le Royaume-Uni et la Belgique enregistrent leur été le plus chaud,” published September 1, 2026. https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2026/09/01/canicule-en-2026-le-royaume-uni-et-la-belgique-enregistrent-leur-ete-le-plus-chaud_6763485_3244.html