Extreme weather is the UK's new normal, says Met Office

The UK is experiencing a significant shift in its weather patterns, and experts from the Met Office say that extreme weather is now the country's new normal. According to the latest State of the UK Climate report, the nation is breaking records for both heat and rainfall more frequently than ever before. The report highlights that the UK's climate is now 'notably different' from what it was just a few decades ago, with many more hot days and far fewer extremely cold nights. This change is mainly due to global warming, which is caused by the large amounts of greenhouse gases released by human activities.

The report focuses on the year 2024, which saw the UK's second-warmest February, its warmest May and spring, and one of its warmest Decembers and winters since records began in 1884. Some of these records have already been surpassed in 2025, showing a clear trend toward more extreme weather. This summer, many parts of the UK are experiencing their third heatwave, with unusually high temperatures spreading to Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and southern England. England also had its warmest June on record, following the driest and sunniest spring in over a century.

The UK's weather is not just getting hotter; it is also becoming wetter, especially during the winter months. The Met Office found that rainfall between October and March in the years 2015-2024 was 16 percent higher than in the period from 1961 to 1990. This increase in rainfall, along with rising temperatures, is making extreme weather events like storms and floods more common. The Met Office calculates that the UK is warming at a rate of about 0. 25 degrees Celsius per decade, and the last three years have been among the five warmest on record. Even small increases in average temperature can make extreme weather events much more likely and intense.

Flooding and storms have caused some of the worst weather damage in the UK in recent years. In early 2024, a series of storms led to widespread flooding, especially in eastern Scotland, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and the West Midlands. Some areas received three to four times their usual rainfall for September. The Met Office warns that as sea levels around the UK rise faster than the global average, the risk of flooding will only increase. Experts say it is only a matter of time before the UK faces another major storm surge event.

The changing climate is also having a big impact on the natural world. Spring is arriving earlier, and the timing of important events for plants and animals is shifting. For example, frogspawn and blackbird nesting happened earlier than usual in 2024. This can cause problems for animals like dormice and hedgehogs, which rely on certain foods being available at specific times of the year. When fruits and nuts ripen earlier because of hot weather, there is less food for these animals in the autumn, making it harder for them to survive the winter.

Scientists are studying how to help nature adapt to the new climate. At the Alice Holt forest research centre, they are testing which types of trees can survive better in hotter and wetter conditions. Some tree species, like the coastal redwoods from California, might do well in the UK's changing climate. The Met Office and other experts say that the UK must prepare for more extreme weather and help both people and nature adapt to these changes. The weather is not going back to how it was, so everyone needs to be ready for the new normal.