‘Extreme weather is the UK’s new normal, says Met Office’
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c74w1gyd7mko
'The UK is breaking heat and rainfall records increasingly frequently as its climate continues to warm, the Met Office has warned.
The country’s changing weather patterns mean the UK now experiences a “notably different” climate to what it was just a few decades ago, its State of the UK Climate report says.
We now have many more very hot days and many fewer extremely cold nights, according to this latest assessment.
It shows just how much global warming caused by the vast emissions of greenhouse gases our civilisation creates is reshaping the country’s climate.
Climate change is bringing more severe weather events like storms and flooding - and inevitably the country’s changing climate is having an impact on the natural world, with some species suffering.
The report focuses on 2024, when the UK experienced its second warmest February, warmest May, warmest spring, fifth warmest December, and fifth warmest winter since records began in 1884.
The Met Office highlights that some of these records have already been surpassed in 2025 - more evidence of this trend towards more extreme weather.
This summer many parts of the country are in the throes of their third heatwave with very warm weather reaching into Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland as well as southern England.
The first hosepipe ban of the year was imposed in Yorkshire last week following England’s warmest June on record, which came after the country’s driest and sunniest spring for 132 years.
Yorkshire and the north west of England were declared in official drought by the Environment Agency in June. At least one region is expected to be added to the list when the UK’s National Drought Group meets on Tuesday.
Mike Kendon, a Met Office climate scientist and lead author of the State of the UK Climate report, said: "Every year that goes by is another upward step on the warming trajectory our climate is on.
“Observations show that our climate in the UK is now notably different to what it was just a few decades ago.”’
more categories and info in the linked article here: www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c74w1gyd7mko
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