As the UK looks back on one of its warmest summers on record, many have noticed a surprising change in the landscape.
You may have noticed leaves turning brown and falling from the trees, berries ripening early, and hedgerows taking on an unmistakably autumnal appearance.
Yet, despite these familiar signs, autumn has not truly arrived. Instead, the country is experiencing what experts call a ‘false autumn’, a phenomenon where the stress of extreme summer conditions prompts trees and plants to behave as if the season has changed, even though it is still late August.
This early shift in nature’s calendar is more than just a curiosity; it is a visible response to the exceptional warmth and dryness that have defined both spring and summer 2025. With record-breaking temperatures and prolonged dry spells, the UK’s trees and plants are showing signs of stress, shedding leaves and fruit ahead of schedule in a bid to survive.
In this blog, we explore what causes a false autumn and what it tells us about the UK's changing climate.
Summer 2025: A season of extremes and early autumn signs
Summer 2025 will be remembered for its four heatwaves, and provisional statistics from the Met Office suggest that this could be the warmest summer on record, surpassing the previous high set in 2018. The average temperature for summer 2018 was 15.76°C, but this year, the average is running at around 16.13°C, already beating the previous record.
READ MORE: This summer will ‘almost certainly’ be warmest on record for the UK
Notably, the legendary summer of 1976, famous for its prolonged heatwaves, will no longer be in the top five warmest summers. All of the top five have occurred since the year 2000, a clear sign of the UK’s changing and warming climate.
Why was this summer so warm and what does it mean for our trees?
Several factors contributed to the exceptional warmth of summer 2025. June and July both saw above-average temperatures, with England recording its warmest June on record. Four widespread heatwaves were driven by persistent high pressure, either centred over the UK or extending from the Azores, bringing dry, hot, and settled conditions.
A dry spring left the ground parched, and a marine heatwave meant sea surface temperatures around the UK were well above average. These conditions combined to create an environment where heat could build and linger, especially when high pressure dominated. Minimum overnight temperatures were also widely above average, further contributing to the overall warmth. All these factors point to the influence of climate change. The UK is warming at about 0.25°C per decade, a seemingly small amount, but one that is having a significant impact on summer weather, and on the health of our trees and plants.
What is false autumn?
False autumn is a phenomenon where signs typically associated with autumn, such as leaf drop and early fruit ripening, occur earlier than usual, often in late summer. This can be misleading, as it does not indicate the actual arrival of autumn but rather reflects stress in trees and plants due to adverse weather conditions, particularly prolonged dry spells and high temperatures.
Drought conditions cause trees to enter a kind of survival mode, dropping their leaves early to preserve themselves for the rest of the year and beyond. While the trees aren’t dying, they’re not thriving either, and the early leaf fall is a sign of the stress caused by the summer’s extreme conditions.
Causes of false autumn
- Drought conditions
Extended periods of dry weather can lead to trees entering a survival mode, where they shed leaves to conserve water and energy. This is particularly evident in younger trees that lack deep root systems to access moisture.
- Heatwaves
Unusually high temperatures can exacerbate stress on trees, prompting them to drop leaves prematurely. This has been observed in various regions, particularly in the UK, where summers have become increasingly hot and dry.
- Climate change
The ongoing impacts of climate change are contributing to more frequent occurrences of false autumn, as ecosystems struggle to adapt to extreme weather patterns. This can lead to long-term effects on tree health and biodiversity.
Wetter than average
As meteorological summer ends this weekend (with astronomical summer continuing until the autumn equinox on 22 September), attention turns to what lies ahead. The latest European model shows precipitation anomalies for the next two weeks.
There is no signal for a return to high pressure, another heatwave, or a prolonged dry spell in the near future. Western areas, in particular, are likely to see wetter-than-average weather, with frontal systems and showers continuing to move in from the Atlantic. This pattern is expected to persist into the second week, with Atlantic mobility bringing more wet weather from the west.
READ MORE: Met Office 10-day trend: Wet and windy into Autumn
Yet, even as rain returns, the signs of autumn are already visible. Berries are ripening, leaves are browning and falling, and hedgerows look as if autumn has arrived. This is the essence of false autumn, a direct result of the stress placed on trees and plants by the summer’s extreme conditions.
While false autumn may look and feel like the real thing, it is a sign of the stress our trees and plants are under due to the changing climate and extreme weather. As the UK continues to experience warmer, drier summers, we can expect to see more instances of early leaf fall and other unusual seasonal changes. The Met Office will continue to monitor these trends and provide updates as our climate evolves.
Keep up to date with weather warnings, and you can find the latest forecast on our website, on YouTube, by following us on X and Facebook, as well as on our mobile app which is available for iPhone from the App store and for Android from the Google Play store.
