Met Office warns extreme UK weather on the rise, as 2023 second hottest year on record
The Met Office also confirmed 2023 was the warmest year on record for Wales and Northern Ireland, as ITV News Health & Science Correspondent Martin Stew explains
Our weather is becoming more extreme more often, according to the Met Office’s State of Climate report.
It compares weather data and events from last year with statistics dating back to the 19th century.
The headline figure is that 2023 was the second hottest year on record for the UK as a whole, and the hottest ever for Wales and Northern Ireland.
The annual UK temperature was 1.66C higher than the average between 1961 and 1990.
The report flagged two key trends. The number of "hot" days (28C or above) and "extremely wet" days are both increasing.
Between 1961 and 1990, London and Hampshire were the only places to average six or more days over 28C.
But in 2023, that rose to 20 days across 11 different counties in the south and east of England.
The number of "extremely wet" days was 20% higher in the most recent decade than in the 60s, 70s and 80s.
March, July, October and December 2023 were all in the UK's top 10 wettest months ever, according to records which go back to 1836.
Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning
Professor Liz Bentley, Chief Executive of the Royal Meteorological Society said: “The new analysis of days that are classified as ‘hot’ or having ‘exceptional rainfall’ highlights the increased frequency in high impact extremes we are already experiencing in the UK.
"The attribution studies help to understand how human activities, such as burning fossil fuels, are making these extreme events much more likely to happen as our climate continues to change."
Forecasters say the frequency of these extremes will put added pressure on health services and infrastructure. What’s more, they say last year’s extremes will become the new norm.
“By 2050, a year like 2023 would be fairly average, and by the end of the century, it is likely to be a very cool year," lead author and Met Office climate scientist Mike Kendon said.
"These projections going forward show us just how dramatically we expect our climate to change in the future."
For context, last year’s weather was made more extreme by the natural ocean warming phenomenon called El Nino - but the trends are clear.
Our climate is changing and man-made greenhouse gases are making that change happen fast.
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...