A heatwave occurred across the UK and Ireland between late July and late August. It was part of one of the warmest and driest summers recorded in the UK, as well as one of the warmest Augusts ever recorded in many locations around the UK. Until 2025, it was the hottest summer ever recorded in Ireland. Many weather stations recorded the summer of 1995 as drier than, or comparable with, the summer of 1976. Ireland was also widely affected by the heatwave with temperatures reaching over in many locations, as well as exceptionally low rainfall throughout the summer.

United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, the heat wave of 1995 currently marks the warmest August on record, and the fourth-warmest summer overall, behind 1976, 1826 and 2025. The CET Central England station recorded a daily mean temperature of and a mean daily maximum temperature of in August, and a daily mean temperature of for the entire summer.

Before the heatwave formed, a mini-heatwave occurred between 28 and 30 June, with a highest temperature recorded during this short period of recorded on 30 June 1995 at Barbourne, Worcester. Low rainfall was also widely recorded around the nation during the month of June, many stations reporting less than 50% of its average rainfall, with some locations reporting less than 20%.

+StationCounty / UAJune 1995 rainfall amount Armagh County Armagh Bradford Lister Park West Yorkshire Cardiff Bute Park Cardiff Durham County Durham Heathrow Greater London Ringway Greater Manchester Shawbury Shropshire Sheffield South Yorkshire Southampton Southampton Sutton Bonington Nottinghamshire Waddington Lincolnshire Whitby North Yorkshire Yeovilton Somerset

July 1995 then continued the hot weather, with an average daily temperature of meaning that it is the seventh-warmest July in the CET records back to 1659. It was very dry too, with most places recording less than 30% of average rainfall. Days frequently reached above , culminating at on the 31st. Higher temperatures were recorded in August, though.

During the heatwave, many locations around the UK recorded peak temperatures at the start of August. The highest temperature recorded during the heatwave was recorded on 1 August 1995 at Boxworth, Cambridgeshire. After this, most of the United Kingdom was still under warm temperatures around or above , until temperatures rose again as high as which was recorded at Barbourne, Worcester. Toward the end of the hot spell, temperatures rose up to in many parts of the country. Cheltenham in Gloucestershire recorded three consecutive days above from 20 to 22 August, with the highest temperature at on 22 August.

Much of the United Kingdom suffered drought conditions during August, with most parts of the UK recording less than 30% of its average rainfall, and most parts of England less than 20%. Many weather stations around the United Kingdom recorded no days of rain to the value of ≥ 1.0 mm.

+StationCounty / UAAugust 1995 rainfall amount Aberporth Ceredigion Armagh County Armagh Ballypatrick Forest County Antrim Bradford Lister Park West Yorkshire Braemar Aberdeenshire Camborne Cornwall Cambridge NIAB Cambridgeshire Cardiff Bute Park Cardiff Chivenor Devon Cwmystwyth Ceredigion Dunstaffnage Argyll and Bute Durham County Durham Eastbourne East Sussex Eskdalemuir Dumfries and Galloway Heathrow Greater London Hurn Dorset Lerwick Shetland Leuchars Fife Lowestoft Suffolk Manston Kent Nairn Highland Newton Rigg Cumbria Oxford Oxfordshire Paisley Renfrewshire Ringway Greater Manchester Ross-on-Wye Herefordshire Shawbury Shropshire Sheffield South Yorkshire Southampton Southampton Stornoway Airport Na h-Eileanan Siar Sutton Bonington Nottinghamshire Tiree Argyll and Bute Valley Anglesey Waddington Lincolnshire Whitby North Yorkshire Wick Airport Highland Yeovilton Somerset

Aftermath After the heat wave ended in August, the east and south of the United Kingdom received high rainfall in September, but another dry spell occurred mainly in the east of the UK. For the rest of 1995, most of the UK received below-average rainfall. Temperatures after the heatwave remained around average for the rest of the year (with further unseasonably warm weather in October), except for a record-breaking cold spell from Christmas to New Year.

Ireland

While temperatures were lower, Ireland experienced a similar weather pattern to that of the United Kingdom during the summer of 1995.

The Valentia Observatory and the weather station at Phoenix Park both recorded a daily mean temperature of , and it was the warmest summer for over a century.

Kilkenny recorded a total of 27 days with temperatures over during the heat wave, compared to the 2.5 days that the town usually records, and was one of the hottest parts of the country during the heatwave, recording a maximum temperature of . Like the United Kingdom, Ireland received exceptionally low rainfall, and it was the driest summer on record for the weather stations at Malin Head, Casement Aerodrome and Cork Airport. The overall rainfall recorded during the summer at Phoenix Park was only .

The highest temperature recorded during the heatwave was and was measured at Oak Park in County Carlow on 2 August.

+CountyStationAugust 1995 maximum temperature Retrieved 12 Apr 2018Date Carlow Oak Park 2 Clare Shannon Airport 17 Cork Cork Airport 3 Kilkenny Kilkenny 2 Offaly Birr 17 / 18

Impacts Ireland experienced drought conditions throughout the summer, which caused problems to potato farmers in rural areas, as they had difficulty watering crops due to water shortages. Several areas around Ireland were also issued with hosepipe bans, and residents were asked not to hose lawns due to drought conditions.

Summer 1995 also saw, and still holds the record for the amount of days over in one year in Ireland with at least 10 distinct days.

References