UK Records Warmest Day of the Year with Temperatures Exceeding 18 °C

Published: 27 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

The United Kingdom has experienced its warmest day of the year so far, with temperatures hitting nearly 18.7 °C in parts of southern England on Wednesday, according to the Met Office and provisional weather data. The milder conditions — unusual for late February — brought sunshine and spring‑like warmth to many areas, particularly in London and the southeast, where readings well above 18 °C were recorded.

At Kew Gardens in southwest London, the mercury reached 18.6 °C in the afternoon, making it the highest temperature reported in the UK this year and one of the warmest late‑winter days in recent seasons. Forecasts indicate that this peak is also the highest February temperature since 2019, although it falls short of February historical records.

The mild spell was driven by a warm southerly airflow drawing air up from the Atlantic, which also pushed temperatures above 18 °C in parts of Essex, Suffolk and Kent. This pattern contrasts with cooler and cloudier conditions in the north and west of the country, where rain and lower temperatures persisted.

Meteorologists say that while such mild days are atypical for the time of year, they are not unprecedented in the UK’s variable climate. The overall trend of unseasonably high readings in late winter reflects occasional incursions of warm air, though forecasters warn that colder, more typical weather — including rain and lower temperatures — is likely to return later in the week as Atlantic systems shift in.

Despite the warmth, the Met Office emphasised that this event does not signal a sustained early spring; overnight frost and fog remain possible, and temperatures are expected to settle back toward average for the season in the coming days.

The unusually warm spell follows a wet and unsettled start to 2026, with heavy rainfall and periodic flooding affecting many parts of the country earlier in the winter. For residents in the south and southeast, however, Wednesday’s high temperatures provided a brief respite and a reminder of the UK’s variable transitional weather as winter gives way to spring.

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