Report by Duncan Williams for Pulman's Weekly News
The South West is likely to have been one of the major beneficiaries of an extraordinary summer of sunshine and heat, as the UK heads towards what is expected to be its hottest summer on record.
Provisional figures from the Met Office are due to confirm whether June, July and August 2026 have produced the highest mean summer temperatures since records began in 1884. The figures are expected to show that the previous record, set only last year, has been broken again.
For tourism-dependent communities across Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset, the prolonged spell of warm and predominantly dry weather will have provided a significant opportunity, encouraging people to spend more time on beaches, along the coast and in the region’s outdoor attractions, while potentially giving a valuable boost to hospitality, leisure and visitor businesses during the crucial summer season.
The exceptional conditions have been particularly striking for thei…
