00:00Summer 2025 will go down its history as Wales' hottest ever on record.
00:06Provisional Met Office figures confirm Wales recorded a mean summer temperature of 16.06
00:12degrees Celsius, measured between June 1st and August 31st – that's more than a degree
00:17above the average long term, and the highest ever recorded.
00:22The heat wasn't driven by extreme peaks, but by persistence.
00:26Four separate heat waves and lingering overnight warmth kept average temperatures exceptionally
00:30high.
00:32In August, North Wales saw particularly elevated numbers, with a mean temperature of 16.3
00:36degrees and average daytime highs around 20.5, making it one of the warmest Augusts ever seen
00:42in the region.
00:44Butte Park saw the hottest temperatures of the summer overall, with the mercury hitting
00:4733.1 degrees back in July 12th, showing just how long we've had hot weather this summer.
00:53Later on, during the August bank holiday, Howarddon and Flintshire broke another record.
00:57The thermometer reached 29.1 degrees, the hottest ever for that holiday in Wales, surpassing
01:02a mark that had stood all the way back since 1991.
01:06Scientists say these levels of sustained warmth were only expected every few centuries.
01:10Now because of climate change, summers like this are likely to happen every few years.
01:16A dominant high pressure system, unusually warm seas and dry spring soils all combine to
01:21trap heat through much of the season.
01:23At the same time, rainfall was below average, and sunshine was well above normal, intensifying
01:28drought risks and putting pressure on farming, water supplies and public health.
01:33This isn't just a record to note down, it's a warning.
01:35As summers heat up and heat waves become more frequent, Wales, like the rest of the UK, must
01:39prepare for these new normals.
01:40James Beach Watkins reporting for Local TV.
01:42James Beach Watkins reporting for Local TV.
01:43James Beach Watkins reporting for Local TV.
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