Climate change is fuelling Britain's wild weather: Scientists blame global warming for record...
The UK's record breaking weather in the past 12 months can be blamed on , the has revealed. In its annual State of the Climate report, the forecasting body said 2023 had the hottest June on record, the joint warmest September on record, and the year as a whole was the second warmest on record for the UK. Analysis of the weather records shows that human induced climate change made these records 'much more likely to happen'. 'Our country is getting hotter and wetter, faster,' said Gareth Redmond-King, Head of International Programme at the Energy and Climate Information Unit. 'The fingerprints of climate change are all over that, as they are on more frequent and more intense extreme weather in all parts of the world.' As an illustration of how the UK has become hotter, the Met Office said between 1961 and 1990 only London and Hampshire recorded six days or more with temperatures at 28C or above - what the Met Office classes as 'hot' weather. But in the latest decade, between 2014 and 2023, much of England and Wales get six or more days of temperatures above 28C, while many more counties in the south east are now getting around 12 days above 28C. The report said the number of 'pleasant' days (daily maximum 20C) has increased by 41 per cent for the most recent decade (2014-2023) compared to 1961-1990. Meanwhile, the number of 'warm' days (25C) has increased by 63 per cent, the number of 'hot' days (28C) have more than doubled and 'very hot' days (30C) have more than trebled over the same period. Overall, the most recent decade has been on average 0.42C warmer than the 1991- 2020 average and 1.25C warmer than 1961-1990. The report said we are also seeing an increasing frequency of the wettest days. The UK had 20 per cent more days of exceptional rainfall in the past decade compared to the 1961-1990 averaging period. The year was also stormy, with seven named storms between September to December, the most damaging of all being Storm Babet which brought heavy rain and flooding. Storm Ciaran on November 2 had the potential to be as severe as the 'Great Storm' of October 16, 1997, the Met Office said, but the strongest winds missed the UK to the south. The storm killed 21 people across Europe. Lead author and Met Office climate scientist, Mike Kendon, said: 'Our new analysis of these observations really shines a light on the fastest changing aspects of our weather as a consequence of climate change. 'Long term averages can be difficult for people to relate to, but what we are showing here is the notable change in frequencies of extreme weather that can have a real impact on people's lives. '2023 was another year of interesting and at times significant weather. 'From the UK's record warmest June by a wide margin, to a significant September heatwave and the most active start to the storm naming season culminating in serious flooding problems in the autumn, it was another year of typically varied weather. 'But underlying this natural variability is a continuing and increasing influence of climate change which is influencing the weather we experience.' 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, and 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.' Mr Redmond-King added: 'Many Brits heading off on holiday to Spain, Italy, Greece and parts of the US, will experience dangerously high temperatures this summer, and that extreme heat is fuelling wildfires, harming crops, and causing deaths.'