And despite its international reputation as a country with bleak and rainy weather,the country this year had its 10th driest on record and total rainfall was well below average. The south of England received three-quarters of the rain normally expected.
For the first time,the temperature rose above 40 degrees in July,sparking a surge of fires in London. But it wasn’t just summer:every month except December,which began with a freak cold snap and heavy snow in London,was warmer than average.
New Year’s Day 2022 began with a record-high temperature of 16.3 degrees,setting the tone for the rest of the year.
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It smashed records as the warmest according to the Central England temperature series that dates back to 1659 and is the world’s longest record of temperatures.
The scorching summer meant the UK set a new 139-year annual mean temperature,exceeding the last record of 9.88 degrees set in 2014.
The mean,which is the average of total temperatures,divided by the total number of temperatures recorded,shows the overall trend over time.