May 2026 brought notably warm conditions across much of the UK at county level, with a clear north–south divide emerging in both temperature and rainfall.
May temperatures
Temperatures were widely above average, with the highest values across southern and eastern England. Counties such as City of London recorded an average maximum temperature of 21.6°C, with similarly high values across Surrey, Cambridgeshire and Berkshire, all exceeding 20°C. Mean temperatures frequently reached or exceeded 14°C in these areas, reflecting a sustained period of late-spring warmth.
Across the Midlands, temperatures remained notably high, with counties including Warwickshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire recording mean temperatures around 13–14°C. Further west, counties such as Devon and Cornwall were also warm, though moderated slightly by more cloud and rainfall.
In contrast, northern England and Scotland experienced lower values, though still generally above average. Counties such as Durham and North Yorkshire recorded mean temperatures around 11–12°C, while northern Scotland, including Inverness and Shetland, saw mean temperatures closer to 8–9°C.
May rainfall
Rainfall totals showed a marked regional contrast, with much drier conditions across southern and eastern England compared to wetter conditions further north and west.
The driest counties were in eastern England, particularly Essex, which recorded just 13.7 mm of rainfall. Nearby Suffolk and Norfolk also saw very low totals, reinforcing the notably dry conditions across East Anglia. Southern counties such as Kent, Berkshire and Hampshire also recorded below-average rainfall.
Across the Midlands, rainfall was more mixed. Counties such as Rutland and Northamptonshire remained relatively dry, while others, including Derbyshire, were closer to average.
Further west, rainfall totals increased. Counties including Devon, Cornwall and Dyfed saw totals generally between 50 mm and 70 mm, reflecting a greater influence of Atlantic weather systems.
The wettest conditions were found across parts of northern England and Scotland. County Durham recorded around 72.9 mm, while Lancashire and Argyll and Bute saw totals approaching or exceeding 75 mm, with some northern Scottish regions edging closer to 90 mm.
The full set of stats can be explored using the visualisations below. Click the menu on the top left to see different temperature stats or hold control and scroll or zoom in to view rainfall data.
Where does the monthly data come from?
The Met Office’s monthly climate statistics use HadUK‑Grid data to work out county, regional and UK‑wide averages. The dataset takes weather observations from across the country and interpolates them across the UK onto a 1km x 1km grid, covering every part of the UK. Some of these records stretch all the way back to 1836, meaning almost 200 years of weather data.
READ MORE: How do we know when weather records are broken?
READ MORE: What is HadUK-Grid?
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