WIREDGOV

February 2026 and the broader winter season have been characterised by remarkable regional contrasts across the UK.

While national statistics paint a picture of a notably warm, wet and dull season, the underlying regional data tells a far more varied story. This article focuses on those regional patterns, using UK‑wide figures for context to frame the local detail.

February overview: warm, wet and notably dull

February continued the unsettled, rain‑dominated pattern established in January, fuelled by a stronger‑than‑usual jet stream that repeatedly pushed frontal systems towards the UK. With colder Scandinavian air blocking progression to the east, rainfall became trapped over many parts of southern England, northeast Scotland and northeast England, while rain‑shadowed regions such as northwest Scotland remained unusually dry.

Nationally, February ranked as the ninth warmest on record for the UK, with England recording its fourth warmest, Wales its sixth, and Scotland and Northern Ireland also above average. Sunshine was limited almost everywhere, making this the fourth dullest UK February on record, and the dullest on record for Wales.

Rainfall across the UK was 23% above the monthly average, though the regional divergence was stark:

• England: 70% above average its February LTA 
• Northern Ireland: 30% above its February LTA 
• Wales: 35% above its February LTA 
• Scotland: 17% below average its February LTA 

These national signals provide the wider frame within which the regional February statistics must be understood.

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