Published in the Royal Meteorological Society鈥檚 鈥業nternational Journal of Climatology鈥�, is a comprehensive review of the UK climate and significant weather events through 2023.
The key messages are that the UK鈥檚 climate continues to change. Recent decades have been warmer, wetter, and sunnier than the twentieth century.
The report found 2023 was the second warmest year on record, with the number of 鈥榳arm鈥� days (25掳C) increasing by 63%, 鈥榟ot鈥� days (28掳C) have more than doubled and 鈥榲ery hot鈥� days (30掳C) more than trebled over the same period.
The past year was also the seventh wettest year on record 鈥� July, October and December 2023 were all top-ten wettest months in the monthly rainfall series and five of the ten wettest years have occurred in the twenty-first century.
Sea level is rising, with 2023 the highest year on record since 1916, and the rate of sea level rise is increasing.
The trend for fewer air frosts and longer growing seasons continues. The most recent decade (2014-2023) has had 6% more growing degree days per year on average compared to 1991-2020 and 21% more than 1961-1990.
Land temperature
In the series from 1884: 2023 was the second warmest year on record; February, May, June and September were all ranked in the top-ten warmest months and all ten warmest years have occurred in the twenty-first century.
It was the warmest June on record by a wide margin and 30掳C was recorded in September on seven consecutive days for the first time on record.
Precipitation
The most recent decade (2014鈥�2023) has been 2% wetter than 1991-2020 and 10% wetter than 1961-1990. UK winters for the most recent decade have been 9% wetter than 1991-2020 and 24% wetter than 1961-1990, with smaller increases in summer and autumn and none in spring.
Storm Babet brought the UK鈥檚 most impactful weather event of the year. England and Wales combined had its third wettest 3-day period on record on 18 to 20 October.
Sunshine
2023 sunshine for the UK was 102% of the 1991-2020 average. June was the sunniest month of the year with December especially dull.
The most recent decade (2014鈥�2023) has had on average 4% more hours of bright sunshine per year than the 1991鈥�2020 average and 9% more than 1961-1990.
For the most recent decade, UK winters have been 4% sunnier than 1991-2020 and 15% sunnier than 1961-1990. UK springs have been 7% / 16% sunnier.
Storminess
鈥�There needs to be political will to provide more funding to the Environment Agency, so it can deliver a proactive plan of management and re-investment.鈥�
NFU President Tom Bradshaw
Despite seven storms being named from September to December, overall 2023 was comparable with other years in terms of occurrences of max gust speeds.
UK annual mean wind speed was slightly below the 1991-2020 average and the annual mean wind speed from 1969 to 2023 shows a downward trend consistent with that observed globally.
Notable change in frequencies of extreme weather
Responding the report鈥檚 publication, lead author and Met Office climate scientist, Mike Kendon, said: 鈥淥ur new analysis of these observations really shines a light on the fastest changing aspects of our weather as a consequence of climate change.
鈥淟ong-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鈥檚 lives.鈥�
Mr Kendon said 2023 was another year of 鈥渢ypically varied weather鈥�, but added that 鈥渦nderlying this natural variability is a continuing and increasing influence of climate change which is influencing the weather we experience鈥�.
.