According to provisional Met Office figures, the average mean temperature of 15.8°C for June 2023 in the UK is the highest in a series since 1884, with England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also reporting their respective warmest June on record.

This eclipsed the previous record by 0.9°C, while the previous top three Junes were separated by just 0.1°C.

Eight of the twelve calendar months now have an average temperature record set since 2006 in a series which dates back to 1884.

The North Atlantic, including waters around the UK, has been experiencing record-breaking temperatures of its own in June, which has played an underlying role in the land-based temperature figures for the UK.

Met Office Scientific Manager Segolene Berthou said:

“These settled conditions also contributed to a fast warming of the sea surface around the British Isles: a severe marine heatwave was declared mid-June (NOAA – Category 4). Provisional findings from the Met Office suggest this marine heatwave in turn amplified land temperatures even further to the record levels seen during the month.”

Scotland has its third sunniest June on record with 231.4 hours of sunshine. England had its fourth sunniest with 259.8 hours. Northern Ireland had its eighth sunniest on record with 228.7 hours of sunshine, while Wales had its ninth sunniest with 242.8 hours.

The UK had just 68% of its average rainfall for the month, with 52.2mm of rainfall.