2019 report: The local records and rankings quoted below were as understood in July 2019. Later temperatures have exceeded the UK record described at the time.
In July 2019, a heatwave brought exceptional temperatures across the UK and Europe. Buxton’s climatological station recorded a local high reported below.
Cambridge Botanic Garden recorded 38.7°C on 25 July 2019, setting the UK record at the time. The Met Office now lists the UK record as 40.3°C at Coningsby on 19 July 2022.
The July 2019 reading
The original report described warm weather in Buxton during the July 2019 heatwave.
The original 2019 report said Buxton’s climatological station recorded 32.4°C on 25 July.
In the original 2019 report, local station volunteer Michael Hilton said the previous station high was 32.7°C in August 1990. A Met Office account records 32.7°C at Buxton on 3 August 1990.
The Met Office later reported a Buxton station high of 35.9°C during the July 2022 heatwave, 3.2°C above the previous record.
What is Buxton Climatological Station?
Buxton Climatological Station is a Met Office station on The Slopes. After council staff stopped taking readings, a volunteer team led by Michael Hilton took over in 2015, according to Derbyshire Record Office.
As one of the oldest continuously recording weather stations in the UK, it records temperatures, humidity, rainfall, and much more – and even details like the daily temperature of the soil, one metre (3 feet) below the ground.
The county archive traces the Buxton station’s readings to 1865, when it was associated with the Devonshire Royal Hospital and Buxton Bath Charity.
The equipment moved to The Slopes in 1925, according to the station team’s history. High Peak Borough Council staff took readings from 1990 until volunteers took over in 2015.
The independent Buxton Weather website provides local forecasts and road information using a separate station at Harpur Hill.
Heatwaves and climate
Weather patterns influence individual heatwaves. A warming climate also increases the likelihood of extreme heat; see the Met Office’s overview of UK heatwave records.
The original 2019 report thanked Michael Hilton for sharing the station’s data.
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