Updated: 2026-07-31
The highest temperature ever recorded at Holme Moss, the Met Office station closest to Manchester, was 29.4°C — the maximum air temperature that day — registered on 4 August 1990. It remains the hottest reading in the station's complete daily series covering 2 January 1977 to 1 June 1995.
The point of measurement nearest to Manchester is the Met Office station at Holme Moss, in the county of West Yorkshire, sitting at an altitude of 520 metres and located roughly 26.1 km from the city centre. These are its historical records, not a direct reading inside Manchester itself. The city's actual climate can differ from what this upland station records — altitude, exposure to wind, and distance from urban warmth all play a role. What follows is the best available long-term reference for the area, measured with professional instruments at a fixed point.
That summer of 1990 was notable across northern England, but the early days of August were exceptional. The reading on 4 August at Holme Moss reached 29.4°C, a full two-tenths of a degree above anything else in the station's records. What makes it even more striking is what happened the day before: on 3 August 1990, the thermometer hit 28.7°C, with a minimum of 20.5°C — meaning the air barely cooled overnight. Those two consecutive days stand as the only time in the series where the maximum topped the 28°C mark.
To put the absolute record in perspective, here are the five most extreme days in the entire Holme Moss series. What stands out is that all five fall in the three summer months, and three of them cluster in that single August 1990 heatwave:
| Date | Max temp (°C) | Min temp (°C) |
|---|---|---|
| 1990-08-04 | 29.4 | 14.0 |
| 1990-08-03 | 28.7 | 20.5 |
| 1989-07-23 | 26.0 | 13.8 |
| 1984-07-08 | 24.7 | 14.0 |
| 1990-08-02 | 24.6 | 17.6 |
Looking at the monthly pattern across the entire 1977–1995 period, August is clearly the month when the extreme heat arrives. The August record of 29.4°C sets the bar for the whole year. July comes close with its own maximum of 26.0°C, but no other month manages to reach even 25°C during the entire measurement window. The gap between the monthly record and the monthly average is also widest in summer — in August, the typical daily maximum sits at 15.5°C, so the record day was nearly double the usual summer warmth at this exposed site.
Even beyond the absolute highs, the seasonal rhythm is clear in the averages. January tops out at a modest 3.2°C on an average day, with the record for that month at only 9.5°C. By July, the mean daily maximum climbs to 16.3°C. You can see the full monthly breakdown below:
| Month | Record max (°C) | Mean daily max (°C) |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | 9.5 | 3.2 |
| 02 | 12.7 | 3.7 |
| 03 | 18.0 | 5.2 |
| 04 | 19.0 | 7.6 |
| 05 | 23.8 | 11.7 |
| 06 | 24.5 | 14.0 |
| 07 | 26.0 | 16.3 |
| 08 | 29.4 | 15.5 |
| 09 | 21.5 | 12.9 |
| 10 | 22.3 | 9.5 |
| 11 | 13.8 | 5.9 |
| 12 | 11.8 | 4.8 |
The all-time record belongs to August 1990, but a look at the annual maxima shows how few years ever came close. The station's data begins in 1977, though the first years of the record have gaps — no annual maximum is available for the years from 1977 through 1983. From 1984 onward, the series is continuous, and only two years feature a daily maximum above 25°C: 1989, which reached 26.0°C, and 1990 with 29.4°C.
Notably, by the time the series ends on 1 June 1995, the temperature recorded that final year reached only 14.0°C by early June — a reminder that extreme heat is far from a yearly occurrence at this upland location exposed to the Pennine weather.
| Year | Highest max (°C) |
|---|---|
| 1977 | No data |
| 1978 | No data |
| 1979 | No data |
| 1980 | No data |
| 1981 | No data |
| 1982 | No data |
| 1983 | No data |
| 1984 | 24.7 |
| 1985 | 22.5 |
| 1986 | 23.5 |
| 1987 | 23.1 |
| 1988 | 23.5 |
| 1989 | 26.0 |
| 1990 | 29.4 |
| 1991 | 24.3 |
| 1992 | 24.1 |
| 1993 | 21.1 |
| 1994 | 24.5 |
| 1995 | 14.0 |
For anyone planning events, outdoor work, or simply curious about how hot it can get near Manchester, the practical takeaway is this: extreme heat at this specific measurement point is rare, and the single standout day — 4 August 1990 at 29.4°C — has never been equalled in the period with full data. Since the series ends on 1 June 1995, that record still stands for the window analysed here.
It's also worth noting that while August holds the absolute maximum, the warmest average conditions also land in that month and in July (16.3°C mean daily max). If you're looking for the warmest window of the year near Manchester, the data points clearly to mid-summer — but be prepared for the upland character of Holme Moss to keep temperatures a step below what the city centre itself might experience on the hottest afternoons.
Source: Met Office MIDAS data — Holme Moss station, West Yorkshire. Period analysed: 2 January 1977 to 1 June 1995.
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