July set to be the driest, warmest and sunniest on record

Multiple weather records at the University of Reading could be broken this month as July comes to an end. 

Temperature, rainfall and sunshine records could all fall if forecasts for the final few days are as expected.

Dr Stephen Burt, University of Reading, said: “Parts of Reading have remained rainless throughout July to date. With little or no rainfall in prospect for the next few days, the entire calendar month is likely to end without measurable rainfall in places. 

“Since reliable rainfall records commenced in the Reading area in 1858, almost 170 years ago, no rainfall station in or around Reading has ever experienced an entire calendar month without measurable rainfall. 

“A light shower on the morning of 2 July 2026 gave 0.4 mm at the Reading University Atmospheric Observatory, the only rainfall recorded month to date. If no further rain falls by Saturday morning, July will become the driest-ever month since our records began in 1908. The current record holder is June 1925, with 0.5 mm.

“This is in stark contrast to the start of the year, when we had 37 consecutive days with rainfall to mid-February.

“July is also likely to take its place as the hottest month on the university record. Including forecast daily maximum and minimum temperatures to the end of the month, the provisional mean daily temperature looks to be 21.15 °C, surpassing July 2006's previous record of 21.06 °C. 

“By mean daily maximum temperature, provisionally 28.0 °C including forecasts for the rest of this coming week, it stands almost a degree clear of July 2006's value of 27.2 °C. July 1976’s mean daily maximum temperature was 25.6 °C.

“In doing so, it will become the third consecutive month to establish a new record high monthly mean temperature for that month on our near-120 year record, following new records in both May and June this year.

“July will almost certainly become the sunniest on record. As of Monday morning, 27 July, monthly sunshine duration to date provisionally amounts to 281 hours. The current July record stands at 299 hours, in 2018. We therefore require only 18 hours of sunshine in the coming 5 days to surpass this record."