Key facts
- The UK's climate is significantly warmer and wetter than in previous decades, with extreme weather events becoming more frequent.
- Records show a dramatic increase in very hot days and intense rainfall, while extremely cold nights have decreased.
- The UK has experienced multiple record-breaking warm months and seasons, contributing to droughts and heatwaves.
- Scientists attribute these changes to greenhouse gas emissions, with the UK warming at a rate of 0.25C per decade.
- Sea levels around the UK are rising faster than the global average, exacerbating coastal flooding risks.
The UK is experiencing unprecedented climate change, with extreme temperatures and more frequent severe weather events becoming the new normal, according to reports from the Met Office and other scientists. The country's climate has become 'notably different' compared to just a few decades ago, characterized by a significant increase in very hot days and a decrease in extremely cold nights.
Data indicates that the UK has experienced multiple record-breaking warm months and seasons. For instance, 2024 saw its second-warmest February, warmest May, and warmest spring. This followed England's warmest June on record and the driest, sunniest spring in 132 years, leading to official drought declarations in Yorkshire and the North West of England. Alongside warming, rainfall patterns have also shifted, with a significant increase in winter precipitation.
Scientists attribute these changes to the relentless rise in global temperatures driven by human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. The UK is warming at a rate of approximately 0.25C per decade, and recent temperatures have surpassed those observed in over 300 years. The frequency of days with temperatures significantly above average has doubled in the last decade, and periods of intense rain have also ramped up.
Furthermore, sea levels around the UK are rising faster than the global average, exacerbating the impact of coastal flooding. The increased likelihood of extreme weather events like heatwaves, now estimated to be 100 times more probable due to global heating, poses profound concerns for public health, infrastructure, and societal functioning. Despite these escalating impacts, official advisers have criticized the government's preparations as inadequate.