Latest news with #spring2023
The Independent
8 hours ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Thunderstorm warning as Met Office forecast heavy rain to batter Britain
Britain's summer is off to a stormy start despite marking the sunniest and warmest spring on record. The Met Office has forecasted blustery showers and heavy rain with occasional hail and thunder from the start of June. While temperatures look to remain mild and balmy at in the mid- to high-teens, it's a marked difference from the sky-high temperatures of May, after the month started with peaks of 29.3C in London. Scotland will see 13C on Thursday, while further south in England, London will experience temperatures of 19C. Meteorologist Clare Nasir said there would be 'more wet weather on its way into the early hours of Thursday morning', adding that 'the rain then gradually tracks towards eastern counties through the morning. A stronger wind, particularly across channel coasts and some showers to follow.' She said: 'This band of rain will mean some wet weather through the first part of Thursday.' The forecaster warned that hail and thunder are possible over the weekend as well while the weather remains wet. The latest downpour comes as Britain marked record-breaking weather for April and May, with the Met Office declaring the warmest and sunniest spring on UK record on Monday. All across the UK, the Met Office marked the warmest spring for mean temperatures since the series began in 1884, surpassing the previous record from 2024. Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales also saw their sunniest spring on record, while England recorded its second sunniest spring since records began in 1910. Spring 2025 has been classed as the fourth sunniest season overall for the UK, with only three summers sunnier since records began. The Met Office put the unusual spring weather down to persistent high-pressure systems originating from mainland Europe, which have blocked the usual flow of Atlantic weather fronts. Met Office scientist Emily Carlisle said: "The UK's climate continues to change. What's particularly notable about spring 2025 is the combination of record warmth and sunshine, alongside very low rainfall. 'This spring shows some of the changes we're seeing in our weather patterns, with more extreme conditions, including prolonged dry, sunny weather, becoming more frequent. The data clearly shows that recent decades have been warmer, sunnier, and often drier than the 20th century average, although natural variation will continue to play a role in the UK's weather.' UK weather forecast Wednesday: Sunny spells and showers for many, these locally heavy and frequent in the north. Showers forming into bands across Northern Ireland, southern Scotland, and northern England. Breezy for all, with coastal gales in northwest Scotland at first. Feeling cool. Blustery showers continue to affect the north of the country tonight. Dry with clear spells elsewhere, but thicker cloud and outbreaks of rain arriving from the west later. Thursday: Rain, heavy in places will push eastwards during the day, clearing by mid afternoon. Sunny spells and showers, already affecting Scotland will follow for all. Rather breezy. Friday to Sunday: Staying changeable with sunny spells and showers on Friday. Heavier and more frequent showers on Saturday, with hail and thunder possible. Drier on Sunday. Often breezy and feeling rather cool.
The Independent
14 hours ago
- Climate
- The Independent
UK weather: Threat of thunderstorms to mark official start of summer as temperatures rise
Britain's summer is off to a stormy start despite marking the sunniest and warmest spring on record. The Met Office has forecasted blustery showers and heavy rain with occasional hail and thunder from the start of June. While temperatures look to remain mild and balmy at in the mid- to high-teens, it's a marked difference from the sky-high temperatures of May, after the month started with peaks of 29.3C in London. Scotland will see 13C on Thursday, while further south in England, London will experience temperatures of 19C. Meteorologist Clare Nasir said there would be 'more wet weather on its way into the early hours of Thursday morning', adding that 'the rain then gradually tracks towards eastern counties through the morning. A stronger wind, particularly across channel coasts and some showers to follow.' She said: 'This band of rain will mean some wet weather through the first part of Thursday.' The forecaster warned that hail and thunder are possible over the weekend as well while the weather remains wet. The latest downpour comes as Britain marked record-breaking weather for April and May, with the Met Office declaring the warmest and sunniest spring on UK record on Monday. All across the UK, the Met Office marked the warmest spring for mean temperatures since the series began in 1884, surpassing the previous record from 2024. Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales also saw their sunniest spring on record, while England recorded its second sunniest spring since records began in 1910. Spring 2025 has been classed as the fourth sunniest season overall for the UK, with only three summers sunnier since records began. The Met Office put the unusual spring weather down to persistent high-pressure systems originating from mainland Europe, which have blocked the usual flow of Atlantic weather fronts. Met Office scientist Emily Carlisle said: "The UK's climate continues to change. What's particularly notable about spring 2025 is the combination of record warmth and sunshine, alongside very low rainfall. 'This spring shows some of the changes we're seeing in our weather patterns, with more extreme conditions, including prolonged dry, sunny weather, becoming more frequent. The data clearly shows that recent decades have been warmer, sunnier, and often drier than the 20th century average, although natural variation will continue to play a role in the UK's weather.' Wednesday: Sunny spells and showers for many, these locally heavy and frequent in the north. Showers forming into bands across Northern Ireland, southern Scotland, and northern England. Breezy for all, with coastal gales in northwest Scotland at first. Feeling cool. Blustery showers continue to affect the north of the country tonight. Dry with clear spells elsewhere, but thicker cloud and outbreaks of rain arriving from the west later. Thursday: Rain, heavy in places will push eastwards during the day, clearing by mid afternoon. Sunny spells and showers, already affecting Scotland will follow for all. Rather breezy. Friday to Sunday: Staying changeable with sunny spells and showers on Friday. Heavier and more frequent showers on Saturday, with hail and thunder possible. Drier on Sunday. Often breezy and feeling rather cool.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
UK has warmest spring on record and driest in 50 years as climate change bites
The UK has recorded its warmest spring on record and its driest in more than 50 years, provisional Met Office figures show. The three months from March to May were also the sunniest spring on record for the UK, the figures reveal. The figures come after north-west England became the first region in the country to declare a drought following the exceptionally dry spring, farmers struggled to grow crops, and millions of households were warned they could face hosepipe bans this summer without sustained rainfall. And environmental campaigners said the latest data was a 'stark warning' that climate change was no longer a distant threat, but one which needed immediate action. Spring temperatures surpassed the long term average by 1.4C and beat the previous warmest spring in 2024, in records dating back to 1884. The Met Office said that eight of the 10 warmest springs on record had occurred since 2000 and the three warmest had been since 2017, in a sign of the changing climate. And the organisation warned that seas around the UK had experienced a marine heatwave, as sea surface temperatures reached record highs for April and May and with 'unprecedented conditions' of as much as 4C warmer than usual in some areas. By mid-May, the UK was experiencing its driest spring in more than 100 years, and although recent wet weather has eased conditions slightly, this year still ranks as the sixth driest since records began in 1836. With rainfall 40% below the average, it was the driest spring in more than 50 years across the UK, while England saw its driest spring in more than 100 years. Met Office scientist Emily Carlisle said: 'The UK's climate continues to change. What's particularly notable about spring 2025 is the combination of record warmth and sunshine, alongside very low rainfall. 'This spring shows some of the changes we're seeing in our weather patterns, with more extreme conditions, including prolonged dry, sunny weather, becoming more frequent. 'The data clearly shows that recent decades have been warmer, sunnier, and often drier than the 20th century average, although natural variation will continue to play a role in the UK's weather.' The Met Office figures show temperatures in the UK provisionally averaged 9.51C across March, April and May, just above the previous spring record of 9.37C, which was set only last year. The next warmest springs were in 2011 (9.12C), 2014 (9.02C) and 2007 (9.02C). All four nations experienced their warmest spring on record, with temperatures 1.64C above the long-term average in Northern Ireland, 1.56C above average in Scotland, 1.39C in Wales and 1.35C in England. It was also incredibly dry, with an average of 128.2mm of rain falling in the UK across March, April and May, the lowest spring total since 1974 (123.2mm) and the sixth lowest for spring since Met Office rainfall records began in 1836. The driest UK spring on record was in 1852, when just 100.7mm rain was measured. England endured its second driest spring on record this year, with just 75.8mm rain, behind only 1893 (65.7mm), while Wales saw its sixth driest spring, with 145.8mm of rain. Alec Hutchings, WWF's chief climate adviser, said: 'This new Met Office data is a stark warning that climate change is no longer a distant threat – it's here now and it needs immediate action. 'The UK Government needs a clear, credible plan to reduce emissions and put people at the heart of climate policy. It's time to unlock the investment to a low-carbon future and turn the temperature down. 'Climate action is an economic opportunity to futureproof our economy and support businesses and communities of the future.' Tom Lancaster, land, food and farming analyst at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) think tank said the rate at which climate records were falling was 'relentless'. He pointed to the hottest day ever in the UK in 2022, with 'dire impacts' on potato and vegetable growers, the wettest winter on record in 2024, following the wettest 18-month spell, which devastated the harvest, he said. 'And now farmers are having to contend with England's driest spring in over a century, that has already damaged crops, threatening another poor harvest this year.' He called for better support for farmers to adapt to extremes amid concerns the sustainable farming budget is to be cut in Chancellor Rachel Reeves' spending review next week.
Times
2 days ago
- Climate
- Times
UK weather: Spring 2025 was hottest on record, fuelling drought fear
Britain has had its hottest and sunniest spring on record amid rising fears of widespread droughts this summer. Conditions described as 'unprecedented' by the Met Office also delivered the country's driest spring in more than 50 years. The average temperature for spring in the UK this year was 9.5C, up 1.4C on the long-term average for the season. Last year had been the record holder, and eight of the ten hottest springs have happened since 2000, noted by the Met Office as 'a sign of our changing climate'. Northern Ireland and Scotland were notably warmer, up 1.6C on the average. A study by American researchers has shown that spring is the fastest-warming season in Britain. The average spring temperature has increased by 1.8C since 1970, Climate Central, a research group, found. The Met Office said that average daytime temperatures were 'particularly remarkable' this spring, hitting a maximum of 14.6C, above the previous record of 14C in 1893. Overall, spring had 653.3 hours of sunshine, beating the lockdown spring of 2020 by more than 27 hours. The combination of sunny days and cool nights has been good news for strawberries, which growers say are bigger and sweeter than usual. However, it was also the UK's sixth-driest spring since records began in 1836. Only 128.2mm of rain fell between March and May this year, 40 per cent less than average. England had its driest spring since 1893. Conditions have left reservoirs at lower levels than they were during the drought of 2022, when widespread temporary hosepipe bans were implemented. Last week the Environment Agency officially declared drought across northwest England. The move has allowed water companies to progress to the next stages of their plans to conserve water. The Midlands and the northeast have also been particularly dry, although the water firm Severn Trent has insisted that no hosepipe ban will be necessary. Emily Carlisle, a Met Office scientist, said: 'The UK's climate continues to change. What's particularly notable about spring 2025 is the combination of record warmth and sunshine, alongside very low rainfall.' The reason for the hot, dry and sunny weather has been persistent high pressure systems dominating the atmosphere from February until late May, the agency said. Scientists are still investigating whether such weather systems are becoming more likely due to climate change. The heat has also been seen at sea, where a 'marine heatwave' affected much of the Irish coast and the west coast of the UK. Sea temperatures were up to 4C above normal, a phenomenon more usually seen in the Mediterranean. The prediction for this summer does not offer much relief for those who struggle in heat. The Met Office's three-month outlook, issued on Monday, said that summer was twice as likely to be hotter than normal.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Temperatures hit 26C in warm end to UK's sunniest spring on record
UK temperatures hit 26C on Saturday, wrapping up the sunniest spring on record before the country officially goes into the summer season. Heathrow in west London enjoyed the hottest weather at 26.7C, about 8C hotter than the average for the time of year, while levels of grass pollen were very high in the South East. A balmy end to spring for many comes as provisional figures from the Met Office show 630 hours of sunshine were clocked up across the country between March 1 and May 27. Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said: 'It's the last day of meteorological spring today but it'll actually feel more like midsummer for some southern and eastern areas. 'It's fairly warm in that sunshine, particularly across more eastern and south-eastern parts of the UK, with temperatures in the mid 20s.' He said it has been a 'different story' in the North West where people have seen cooler and more showery weather, which is expected to spread on Sunday. 'Further showers and longer spells of rain across the north of the UK and feeling much fresher for all of us by tomorrow,' Mr Morgan continued. 'Generally a fine start for many parts of England and Wales, a mixture of clouds and sunny spells overall though it will be a breezier day tomorrow and generally a bit cloudier too. 'So the cloud bubbling up through the morning, further showers and longer spells of rain pushing eastwards across Northern Ireland and Scotland, the odd rumble of thunder here and there. 'Showers breaking out quite widely across northern England, Wales, the Midlands and the South West as well, but some places will stay dry, particularly across the South East of England.'
