Images taken at a Preston beauty spot show low water levels persist as the Met Office declared 2025 the hottest summer on record.
Meadow Lake at Brockholes Nature Reserve is at a historic low water level, according to the Wildlife Trust, after a summer where temperatures have been persistently high, though rarely crossing the threshold into being considered extreme.
The average UK temperature from 1 June to 31 August was 16.10C, which is higher than the previous record of 15.76C recorded in 2018. The highest temperature recorded at 35.8C in Kent, which is well-below the UK’s all-time high of 40.3C.
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The Met Office believes, with evidence, that summers of high temperatures are around 70 times more likely as a result of greenhouse gases released by humans since the industrial revolution.
Rainfall in the North West has been below average, and that was particularly the case in August.
Dr Emily Carlisle, a Met Office scientist, said: “Provisional Met Office statistics show that summer 2025 is officially the warmest on record with a mean temperature of 16.10°C, surpassing the previous record of 15.76°C set in 2018.
“The persistent warmth this year has been driven by a combination of factors including the domination of high-pressure systems, unusually warm seas around the UK and the dry spring soils. These conditions have created an environment where heat builds quickly and lingers, with both maximum and minimum temperatures considerably above average.”
A spokesperson for Brockholes said previously: “If you’ve visited us recently you may have noticed that the water’s of Meadow Lake are at a historic low.
“To illustrate the severity of the low water levels our Marketing Officer Matthew ventured into Meadow Lake (please do not try this yourself), and walked where water would usually be abundant.”
Unsettled conditions are likely to continue as September begins with yellow weather warnings in place for the south west. In Preston, scattered showers are likely before Friday and Saturday becomes more settled.
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