Wet September Ends Record-Breaking UK Summer

September 2025 brought a sharp change in conditions across the UK, with much of the country experiencing a wetter-than-average month following the hottest summer on record.

Provisional Met Office figures show the UK as a whole recorded 32 per cent more rainfall than the long-term average, though totals were not high enough to challenge historical records.

Wales was the wettest of the UK’s nations, with 74 per cent more rain than normal. Northern Ireland also saw a notably wet month, recording 144.6mm of rain, 65 per cent above average. England registered 102.0mm, 49 per cent more than average. Scotland was closer to normal, though still slightly above, at 125.8mm of rain – around 2 per cent more than average.

Cumbria was particularly wet, notching its fourth wettest September since records began in 1836 and its wettest since 1950.

Dr Emily Carlisle, a Met Office scientist, said: “In a change from recent months, September brought frequent rain as a succession of low pressure systems moved across the country. We’ve also seen heavy downpours from thunderstorms. While there were drier interludes at times, particularly in the south later in the month, overall September goes down as wet, with temperatures and sunshine hours closer to average.”

Temperatures and sunshine

The UK’s average mean temperature for September was provisionally 12.8°C, slightly below the long-term meteorological average. All four nations were within fractions of a degree of their normal mean temperature, with the Northern Isles standing out as significantly warmer.

The highest daily maximum temperature of the month was 27.8°C, while the lowest overnight minimum dropped to -5.0°C, reflecting the variability typical of early autumn.

Despite the rain, sunshine levels were above average overall. The UK recorded 140.3 hours of sunshine, about 10 per cent more than average. England and Scotland had particularly sunny conditions compared with normal, while Wales and Northern Ireland were fractionally below average. Northern Scotland recorded the brightest skies compared with long-term figures.

A seasonal shift

The wet September marked a notable contrast with summer 2025, which was the UK’s hottest on record, accompanied by below-average rainfall and drought conditions in some regions.

With autumn now underway, forecasters say the succession of Atlantic low pressure systems that shaped September could remain a feature in the coming weeks.