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Japan Today
7 days ago
- Climate
- Japan Today
New UK weather records being set 'very frequently': report
The report found that last year was the UK's fourth warmest since 1884 Extremes in temperature and rainfall in the UK are becoming increasingly frequent, the nation's meteorological service said in a report on Britain's changing climate. England and Wales endured the wettest winter in 250 years in from from October 2023 to March 2024, with six of the 10 wettest winters occurring in the 21st century. The report also found that last year was the UK's fourth warmest since 1884 with the last three years all in the top five warmest on record. Records were now being broken "very frequently", said Mike Kendon, Met Office climate scientist and lead author of the Met Office's State of the UK Climate report. "It's the extremes of temperature and rainfall that is changing the most, and that's of profound concern, and that's going to continue in the future," he said. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the findings showed Britain's way of life was "under threat". "Whether it is extreme heat, droughts, flooding, we can see it actually with our own eyes, that it's already happening, and we need to act," he said. In 2024, experts recorded the warmest spring, the second warmest February and the fifth warmest winter on record. Rising sea levels surrounding the UK were speeding up, with two-thirds of the rise recorded since 1900 taking place in the last 30 years, the report said. "Every year that goes by is another upward step on the warming trajectory our climate is on," Kendon said. "Observations show that our climate in the UK is now notably different to what it was just a few decades ago," he added. Changes to the seasons were evident, according to a volunteer-fed database drawn upon by the Met Office researchers. Out of 13 spring events monitored in 2024, 12 occurred earlier than average. The report reinforced the "clear and urgent signals of our changing climate", added Liz Bentley, chief executive of the Royal Meteorological Society. The research, however, did not find any evidence that the UK's climate was becoming more windy or stormy. Last month, a group of experts tasked with advising the government said the UK had cut its carbon emissions by 50.4 percent since 1990 levels. Much of the drop in emissions of planet-heating greenhouse gases -- blamed for triggering climate change -- was due to the closure of the UK's coal-fired power generation plants, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) said in its report to parliament. The progress could largely be attributed to the policies of the previous Conservative government, the report said, while crediting the new government of Labour Prime Minister Keir with "bold policy decisions this year". Starmer, elected just over a year ago, has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 81 percent on 1990 levels by 2035, strengthening the UK government's ambitions to help curb climate change. © 2025 AFP
Daily Mirror
17-07-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mirror
UK heatwaves could cause more than 5,000 deaths this summer as temperatures soar
The Centre for Ageing Better says it is extremely concerned about the significant heat health risk to older people this summer and the increasingly hotter summers of the future. This summer could see more than 5,000 deaths due to excess heat as temperatures look likely to exceed one of the deadliest heatwave years on record, experts are warning. The Office for National Statistics estimates that the hot weather of 2022 was a factor in more than 4,500 heat-related deaths. Predictions suggest that this summer could be even warmer. The UK Health Security Agency issued three heat health alerts in June this year compared to just one alert, issued to a smaller area of the country, in June 2022. So far, this summer has also seen higher average temperatures than in the same period in 2022. READ MORE: Why heatwaves are now hotter, more frequent and just a taste of what's to come Data from the Met Office shows that the average maximum daily temperature in England in June 2025 was 21.9C, compared to 20C in June 2022. The average maximum daily temperatures for May 2025 were also 1.2C higher than in May 2022. And the number of extremely hot days this year is also higher with 12 days exceeding 28C in England in 2025 to the end of June, compared to just six days exceeding 28C by the end of June in 2022. This is significant because research has shown that death rates increase more rapidly as temperatures rise above 27 degrees. The Centre for Ageing Better says it is extremely concerned about the significant heat health risk to older people and warns that the poor-quality of the nation's homes is a significant factor in this heightened risk – for this summer and the increasingly hotter summers of the future. Deputy director of the organisation, Millie Brown said: 'The heatwave we have just experienced is unfortunately just a taste of what could become the norm in the not-too-distant future, as the State of the UK Climate report makes clear this week. Unfortunately, this country is not built for such temperatures, and especially not our poor-quality housing stock. 'Current estimates indicate that the average number of heat-related deaths in this country could triple to 7,000 every year by the 2050s. This is an appalling scenario, and one that we should be doing all we can to avoid.' People aged 65 and above could likely constitute around four in five of heat-related excess deaths based on recent studies. Britain has the poorest insulated housing stock in Europe, which not only means homes lose heat quicker in winter but they are also very poor at keeping the heat out in summer. In 30C heat, the temperature within a UK home will rise by five degrees within three hours - double the rate of heat gain in other parts of Europe. Data shows that an ageing population living in ageing housing stock are at heightened risk from increasingly hot summers. Around three million people aged 65 and above in the UK are among the greatest at risk of becoming ill because they are living in properties between 45 and 80 years old. Millie Brown added: "This is an appalling scenario, and one that we should be doing all we can to avoid. 'Too many people are living in poor-quality homes that put their health, and lives, at risk in extreme temperatures, whether that be in the height of summer or the depths of winter. When building new homes or retrofitting existing homes, we need to consider how to keep homes cool in summer, as well as warm in winter. People also need access to information and advice if there are issues with overheating in their homes. 'This change in our nation's climate is already set in motion. But we can mitigate some of the worst of its impact by building better quality homes that offer people shelter from extreme weather while also giving people better support to improving the state of their homes. The government should be including how to tackle both these challenges in its forthcoming housing strategy."
BBC News
16-07-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Anglian Water will not rule out summer hosepipe ban
A water company said it would not rule out a future hosepipe ban, despite recent rain and river and reservoir levels "delaying the need for restriction". Anglian Water, which supplies a large part of the East of England, said "uncertainty over the future forecast meant a hosepipe ban could still be needed this summer".Four other water firms have introduced hosepipe restrictions following the unseasonably hot and dry weather, with a drought declared for parts of England. In an update on the water situation facing the region, Anglian Water said the last few months had been exceptionally dry, and it had been focusing on tackling leaks to prevent water loss. Ian Rule, director of water services, said: "The East of England is the driest part of the country, so we're used to seeing a lack of rainfall in our region and we plan accordingly. "Our focus on leakage, and the investment we've put in place to give us resilience in the face of climate change, has helped to delay the need for restrictions, but the last few months have been exceptionally dry, even by our standards."Mr Rule confirmed river levels had been low following a lack of rain in spring, "but they have responded better than expected to recent rainfall". He added, with the forecast "far from certain", the water company was "closely monitoring" the Rule said its decisions over a hosepipe ban centred on a "careful balance" between protecting the environment and the region's agricultural sector. Anglian Water also said it had invested more in tackling leaks, with 250 people dedicated to the task, adding it was spending £10m this year on reducing leakage and renewing pipes."However, the dry ground we're seeing at the moment means our water pipes are at greater risk of shifting and breaking, so we're seeing an increase in issues being reported to us, and it's an area we are continuing to focus resources on," he added. The privately-owned water firm urged people to use water carefully. Although there is not currently a drought in England, the Environment Agency previously said there was a "medium risk" of one this Met Office, meanwhile, reported parts of the region saw their sunniest March on record, with the UK experiencing its driest March conditions since drier temperatures left farmers concerned that their crops would struggle to grow, with some taking drastic action to mitigate the April, Elveden Farms, close to the border between Suffolk and Norfolk, said it was in the process of building its third water reservoir, costing about £3m. The country's changing weather patterns mean the UK now experiences a "notably different" climate to what it was just a few decades ago, the Journal of Climatology's State of the UK Climate report change was expected to lead to drier summers on average, while more intense heatwaves meant more water could be lost via evaporation. Follow East of England news on X, Instagram and Facebook: BBC Beds, Herts & Bucks, BBC Cambridgeshire, BBC Essex, BBC Norfolk, BBC Northamptonshire or BBC Suffolk.
Daily Record
15-07-2025
- Climate
- Daily Record
Urgent warning from Met Office as report shows extreme weather is 'new normal'
The latest report on the UK's climate is a 'call to action' against global warming. The Met Office has issued an urgent warning as extreme weather has become the 'new norm' for the UK. We enjoyed the sunniest spring on record this year and are just out a sweltering heatwave. But we have also seen some wild weather, and these trends of extremely hot weather mixed with severe storms and rainfall show the concerning impact of global warming on our climate. The new State of the UK Climate report was published by Wiley in the Royal Meteorological Society's 'International Journal of Climatology'. It shows that the last three years have been in the top five warmest on record for the UK, with records beginning in 1884. UK temperatures have warmed at a rate of approximately 0.25C per decade since the 1980s, with the most recent decade (2015-2024) being 1.24C warmer than 1961-1990. The report is based on data from a network of several hundred weather stations, with temperature and rainfall records dating back to the 1800s providing the long term context for climate change. The hottest summer days and coldest winter nights have warmed around twice as much in some parts of the UK when comparing the most recent decade of 2015-2024 to 1961-1990. Rainfall has also increased dramatically, bringing greater risks of flooding in the UK. The overall increase in rainfall was caused by an upward trend of rain in the winter half-year (October to March). For 2015-2024, the winter half-year is now 16 per cent wetter than 1961-1990 for the UK. Met Office Climate Scientist and Lead Author of the State of the UK Climate report, Mike Kendon, 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. We are now seeing records being broken very frequently as we see temperature and rainfall extremes being the most affected by our changing climate." These changes in temperature and rainfall have already led to an increase in extreme weather events for the UK. While we've seen major storms this year, such as Storm Éowyn, and several record-breaking heatwaves already, the report only uses data up until the end of 2024. However, it details a spike in severe weather up until the end of last year that caused widespread damage and several deaths. The UK saw widespread flooding last year caused by storms Babet, Ciarán, Debi, Elin, Fergus, Gerrit, Henk, Isha and Jocelyn, and parts of Eastern Scotland in particular were affected. Parts of South Wales also experienced severe flooding from storm Bert in late November 2024, with 100 to 150mm or more of rain falling across high ground. This multi-hazard storm brought heavy rain, strong winds and caused several deaths. Red warnings were also issued across the UK for storm Isha in January and storm Darragh in December of 2024. Chief Executive of the Royal Meteorological Society, Professor Liz Bentley, said: 'This latest edition of the State of the UK Climate report reinforces the clear and urgent signals of our changing climate, rooted in robust observational science. "It documents changes in temperature, rainfall, sea level, and weather extremes that are affecting lives, infrastructure, and ecosystems across the UK. 'The report draws particular attention to the last decade that clearly shows how quickly our climate is evolving to inform policy, resilience planning, and adaptation. Perhaps most striking is the growing impact of extremes. "While long-term averages are shifting, it is the extreme heat, intense rainfall and droughts that are having the most immediate and dramatic effects on people and nature. This report is not just a record of change, but a call to action.'
eNCA
15-07-2025
- Climate
- eNCA
New UK weather records being set 'very frequently': report
LONDON - Extremes in temperature and rainfall in the UK are becoming increasingly frequent, the nation's meteorological service said in a report on Britain's changing climate. England and Wales endured the wettest winter in 250 years from October 2023 to March 2024, with six of the 10 wettest winters occurring in the 21st century. The report also found that last year was the UK's fourth warmest since 1884, with the last three years all in the top five warmest on record. Records were now being broken "very frequently", said Mike Kendon, Met Office climate scientist and lead author of the Met Office's State of the UK Climate report. "It's the extremes of temperature and rainfall that is changing the most, and that's of profound concern, and that's going to continue in the future," he said. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the findings showed Britain's way of life was "under threat". "Whether it is extreme heat, droughts, flooding, we can see it actually with our own eyes, that it's already happening, and we need to act," he said. In 2024, experts recorded the warmest spring, the second-warmest February, and the fifth-warmest winter on record. Rising sea levels surrounding the UK were speeding up, with two-thirds of the rise recorded since 1900 taking place in the last 30 years, the report said. "Every year that goes by is another upward step on the warming trajectory our climate is on," Kendon said. "Observations show that our climate in the UK is now notably different to what it was just a few decades ago," he added. - 'Clear signs' - Changes to the seasons were evident, according to a volunteer-fed database drawn upon by the Met Office researchers. Out of 13 spring events monitored in 2024, 12 occurred earlier than average. The report reinforced the "clear and urgent signals of our changing climate", added Liz Bentley, chief executive of the Royal Meteorological Society. The research, however, did not find any evidence that the UK's climate was becoming more windy or stormy. Last month, a group of experts tasked with advising the government said the UK had cut its carbon emissions by 50.4 percent since 1990 levels. Much of the drop in emissions of planet-heating greenhouse gases -- blamed for triggering climate change -- was due to the closure of the UK's coal-fired power generation plants, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) said in its report to parliament. The progress could largely be attributed to the policies of the previous Conservative government, the report said, while crediting the new government of Labour Prime Minister Keir with "bold policy decisions this year". Starmer, elected just over a year ago, has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 81 percent on 1990 levels by 2035, strengthening the UK government's ambitions to help curb climate change. har/jkb/jm
