Increasing influence of climate change on UK climate

Author: Grahame Madge

The sixth report in the State of the UK Climate series confirms that 2019 was the 12th warmest year in a series from 1884. The latest report covering the climate of the UK – published today [Friday 31 July ]- reveals that the most recent decade (2010-2019) has been on average 0.9° C warmer across the UK than the period 1961-1990, with 2019 being 1.1° C above the 1961-1990 long-term average.

Although sitting outside the top ten warmest years in the series (all since 2002), 2019 was most remarkable for setting four UK high temperature records, including:

• A new all-time record (38.7° C) 25 July, Cambridge University Botanic Gardens (Cambridgeshire)
• A new winter record (21.2° C) 26 February, Kew Gardens (London); the first time 20 C has been reached in the UK in a winter month.
• A new December record (18.7° C) 28 December, Achfary (Sutherland).
• A new February minimum record (13.9° C) 23 February, Achnagart (Highland)

The all-time and winter records also created new high-temperature records for February and July.

No national low-temperature records were set during the year.

The State of the UK Climate report is compiled by the Met Office and published in Royal Meteorological Society’s International Journal of Climatology.

Mike Kendon is the lead author of the report for the Met Office. He said: “Our report shows climate change is exerting an increasing impact on the UK’s climate. This year was warmer than any other year in the UK between 1884 and 1990, and since 2002 we have seen the warmest ten years in the series. By contrast, to find a year in the coldest ten we have to go back to 1963; over 50 years ago.”  Click here to read more and download the Report