The Met Office has warned that the UK’s climate is rapidly changing, as extreme heat and heavy rainfall are now common.
Heatwaves, floods, and droughts occur more often. They are also more intense.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband called the findings a “stark warning.” He urges action on climate and nature. Miliband stated, “Our British way of life is under threat.” He added, “We see extreme heat, droughts, and flooding. It’s happening now. We must act.”
Meanwhile, the report shows a significant shift. October 2023 to March 2024 was England and Wales’s wettest winter in over 250 years. Spring 2024 was also the warmest on record. These increasing extremes are typical of recent years.
A Decade of Change
Met Office climate scientist Mike Kendon led the report. He said, “Every year adds to our warming climate.” Kendon noted, “The UK’s climate is notably different now. We see frequent broken records. Temperature and rainfall extremes are most affected.”
The report compares the decade to 2024 with 1961-1990 averages. Average temperatures are rising. Hottest summer days and coldest winter nights warm twice as fast. The climate is also wetter.
Extra rain falls from October to March. Winter rainfall over the last decade was 16% higher than the 1961-1990 average.
Urgent Call to Action
Professor Liz Bentley, Royal Meteorological Society chief executive, finds the effects “deeply concerning.” She says the report “reinforces clear signals of our changing climate.”
Bentley emphasises, “Extreme heat, intense rainfall, and droughts affect people and nature most. This report is a call to action.”
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