2026 vs 1976 — a hot, dry, sunny summer?

Compares this year against the iconic summer of 1976 on three fronts — 30°C+ days, rain-free days, and hours of bright sunshine — with each ranked against every other year and set against the long-term decade trend.

How does 2026 compare to the hottest summers on record?

A cricket-worm style running average of daily mean temperature from 1 June, tracking 2026 day by day against the five hottest summers on record (2025, 2018, 2022, 2006, 1947) plus 1976, added for its significance.

A century of heatwaves at Reading

A calendar of every heatwave day since records began — Met Office definition (28°C+ for three or more days) — with each day coloured by its peak temperature, laying the whole record out year by year so the rising frequency and intensity is plain to see.