2025 likely to be UK's hottest year ever, experts say

If you felt like this year has been particularly warm, then you'd be right.

The Met Office, the UK's national weather service, says that 2025 is set to be the hottest year since records began.

The average air temperature is on course to be just over 10 Celsius - overtaking the previous record set in 2022.

If the data is confirmed next week, it will mean that four of the past five years will be among the hottest ever recorded in the country.

With around a week of 2025 left to go, the average UK air temperature across this year is on track to end up at about 10.05 Celsius.

Temperatures between Christmas and New Year are expected to dip, which could affect final figures, but the Met Office says 2025 is likely to overtake the current record of 10.03 Celsius, which was set three years ago.

2025 saw heatwaves and drought across some parts of the country in the spring and summer, followed by a mild autumn.

Mike Kendon, from the Met Office, said: "In terms of our climate, we are living in extraordinary times."

"The changes we are seeing are unprecedented in observational records (going) back to the 19th century."

While temperatures can vary naturally from one year to another, many scientists say that human-caused climate change is driving the UK's rapidly warming trend.

Last week, the Met Office published data showing that 2025 was the sunniest year since records began.

Up until 15 December, the UK had clocked up an average of 1,622 hours of sunshine, beating the previous record set in 2003.