'It is now plain that the emission of greenhouse gases, associated with industrialisation and economic growth … is causing global warming at a rate that is unsustainable.'
- Tony Blair, 2006
While there has always been climate change it is the pace of change which marks out the last few decades as something radically different.
We have seen big changes already, towards hotter drier summers and milder wetter winters. But we are also seeing increased storminess and heavy rain.
Temperature:
- The 1990s was the warmest decade in the UK since records began in the 1660s.
- Four of the five warmest years on record have been in the last 10 years.
- England’s record temperature, 101F (38.5°C), was in 2003.
- Mean temperatures in central England have risen by about 1°C since 1900 (the climatic equivalent of moving from southern England to mid France today).
- The growing season has lengthened by about a month in central England since 1900, with the onset of spring occurring around two to three weeks earlier than just 30 years ago.
- Frost occurrence has declined significantly over southern England in recent decades. The annual number of days with air frost for the 'England South' region has decreased from an average of 51 in 1961-90 to 46 in 1971-2000.
Rain and snow:
- Annual summer rainfall has fallen by around 20 per cent since about 1900.
- Winter rainfall is greater. The four wettest winters in south-west England since records began have all been in the last 10 years. A larger proportion of winter precipitation falls in heavy rain showers than 50 years ago.
- Many rivers reached their highest ever recorded levels in 2002.
Gales and storms:
- The UK has become twice as stormy over the last 50 years, with an increase in heavy rain showers.
- High pressures have increased on average by 3mb and low pressures decreased by 3mb since 1950. This results in much windier weather.
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The sea:
- Sea levels on average around the UK are about 10cm higher than they were in 1900.
- Some areas, like Liverpool and North Shields, have recorded a rise of 25cm since around 1900.
- Mean wave height (due to increased storminess) in the English Channel has increased by about 50cm since 1962.
- UK coastal waters have got warmer by an average of around 0.5°C since 1900.
Figures from the UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) and the Met Office
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