The British summer is changing.
While the UK has always been known for unpredictable weather, recent years have brought increasingly frequent periods of prolonged heat and record-breaking temperatures. Summer 2026 has been another clear example, with multiple heatwaves and exceptional temperatures recorded across the country.
For homeowners and businesses alike, hotter summers bring an important consideration: how can we make the most of the sunshine while keeping people and buildings comfortable?
External shading, particularly awnings, can play an important role.
A summer of record-breaking temperatures
The summer of 2026 has already seen some remarkable weather.
By the middle of July, the UK had experienced three distinct heatwaves and had recorded more days above 30°C than the whole of 1976 – a summer famous for its exceptional heat.
2026 also became the first year on record in which the UK recorded temperatures of 35°C or higher in May, June and July. June was particularly notable, with England experiencing its warmest June on record and a temperature of 38°C recorded at Lingwood in Norfolk, a new UK June temperature record.
And this isn’t simply a one-off.
The UK’s five warmest summers on record between 1884 and 2025 have all occurred since 2003. The Met Office also reports that human-induced climate change is making extreme heat events more frequent and intense.
While this doesn’t mean every UK summer will be hotter than the last, the long-term trend is clear: we are increasingly likely to experience periods of extreme summer heat.
Keeping homes comfortable during hot weather
As homes become warmer, managing heat inside the property is becoming just as important as keeping heat in during winter.
Large windows, bi-fold doors and sliding doors are hugely popular in modern homes because they bring natural light into a room and create a strong connection with the garden. However, they can also allow significant solar energy into the property.
Once sunlight passes through glazing, it can contribute to heat building up inside the room.
This is where external shading can make a difference.
An external awning intercepts sunlight before it reaches the glass, helping to reduce direct solar gain. This is different from an internal blind or curtain, where the sunlight has already passed through the window.
UK Government guidance on overheating specifically identifies awnings, external blinds, shutters and overhangs as ways of limiting solar gains.
Enjoy the garden without sitting in direct sunlight
The benefits of an awning aren’t limited to the inside of the home.
During a heatwave, a patio or terrace exposed to direct sunlight can quickly become uncomfortable. An awning creates a dedicated shaded area where homeowners can sit, eat, entertain and enjoy their garden while avoiding direct exposure to the strongest sunshine.
Shade can also help reduce exposure to UV radiation. However, an awning shouldn’t be considered a replacement for normal sun protection. Sunscreen, suitable clothing and sensible behaviour remain important, particularly during periods of high UV.
The real benefit is that an awning gives homeowners another option: they don’t necessarily have to retreat indoors when the sun becomes too strong.
External shading for commercial spaces
The same principles apply to commercial properties, where comfortable outdoor space can have a direct impact on how customers use a business.
Restaurants, cafés, pubs, hotels, garden centres and leisure venues can all benefit from creating attractive, shaded outdoor areas.
During hot weather, an outdoor seating area in direct sunlight can quickly become uncomfortable. Providing effective shading can encourage customers to stay longer and make greater use of external areas throughout the day.
For hospitality businesses in particular, an awning can effectively extend the usable footprint of a venue, creating additional space for outdoor dining, drinking and socialising.
Commercial awnings can also provide practical benefits around the building itself, helping to shade large areas of glazing and reduce direct solar gain into customer-facing areas, offices and other internal spaces.
For businesses, therefore, external shading isn’t simply about aesthetics. It can be part of creating a more comfortable environment for customers, staff and visitors, while making better use of valuable outdoor space.
Awnings and the future of summer living
As hotter summers become more common, external shading is becoming more than just a way of making a patio or commercial frontage look attractive.
It can form part of a wider approach to managing summer heat.
An awning can provide:
- Comfortable outdoor shade for homes, restaurants, pubs, cafés and commercial spaces
- Reduced direct sunlight for people using outdoor areas
- Reduced solar gain through windows and glazed doors
- Greater comfort indoors during periods of hot weather
- More usable outdoor space throughout the day
- An attractive addition to commercial properties, helping businesses make better use of terraces, courtyards and outdoor seating areas
For the awning trade, this creates an opportunity to broaden the conversation with customers.
Rather than simply selling an awning to provide shade over a patio or seating area, installers and dealers can demonstrate how external shading can contribute to both outdoor comfort and indoor solar control.
Preparing for the summers ahead
The UK isn’t suddenly becoming a Mediterranean climate, and our weather will always be unpredictable. But the evidence shows that the UK’s climate is warming and that extreme heat is becoming more likely.
As a result, the way we design and use our homes and commercial spaces is changing.
External shading can be a simple and effective part of that change. An awning provides greater control over sunlight, creates a more comfortable outdoor environment and can help reduce unwanted solar gain through windows and doors.
For homeowners, it can mean a cooler home and a more enjoyable garden.
For businesses, it can mean more comfortable customers and staff, as well as greater use of valuable outdoor space.
As our summers get hotter, creating shade is becoming less of a luxury and more of a practical consideration.
For homeowners and businesses looking to make the most of their outdoor spaces and for the trade looking to offer practical solutions for warmer summers. The awning could have an increasingly important role to play.