The year 2022 will be the warmest year on record in U.K. observational history. Preliminary data show that the average annual temperature is on track to exceed the previous record high of 9.88°C set in 2014. The exact figure will be confirmed in the new year, PA Media reports.

Dr. Mark McCarthy, head of the National Climate Information Center at the Bureau of Meteorology, said that 2022 will be the warmest year on record for the UK.

While many people remember the extreme heat in the summer, this year should be noted for the relatively consistent heat throughout the year, with every month except December being warmer than average. A warm year is consistent with the real effects we expect from human-induced climate change. While this does not mean that every year will be the warmest on record, climate change continues to increase the likelihood of warmer years in the coming decades, he said.

A series of heat waves beginning in June led to Britain experiencing its fourth warmest summer on record, while temperatures broke the 40°C mark for the first time, setting a new record of 40.3°C on July 19 at Coningsby in Lincolnshire.

During the heatwave in July, the Meteorological Office issued its first red alert for extreme heat.