Reaching 10.09°C, 2025 was the warmest year on record in the UK in a series since 1884. It was also the second year where the annual average temperature exceeded 10.0°C.

Dr Debbie Hemming is a Met Office scientist leading a team examining the interactions between climate and nature, including the climate responses of potential new plant pests to the UK. She said: “With the warmer climate and recent extreme events, many species are shifting their ranges into locations previously too cold. This includes pests that were previously unable to survive in the UK. Many of these pose significant risks to UK agriculture and forestry as well as the wider environment.” 

“As our climate changes, we can expect further new arrivals.”

Pest species threatening the UK

The UK Climate-Pest Risk web tool, developed by the Met Office scientists in collaboration with Defra’s plant health risk and horizon scanning team, helps pest risk experts to assess which species are likely to threaten the UK and develop effective management actions. The tool covers nine specific insect pests for forestry and agriculture, including: Asian longhorn beetle, Bronze birch borer, Brown marmorated stink bug, Citrus longhorn beetle, Colorado potato beetle, Potato flea beetle, Japanese beetle, Oak processionary moth, and Peach potato aphid.

One recent pest management success has been the targeted eradication of the Colorado beetle, a serious pest of potato crops, from the UK.

Debbie Hemming added: “Modelling and mapping the climate sensitivities of high-risk pest species, such as Colorado beetle, helps to inform the effective management actions that are already building resilience in our agriculture and forestry sectors to emerging pests.”

Threats to agriculture, forestry and the wider environment from pests are just one of the topics covered by IPBES, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, an independent international body that connects scientific expertise with policymaking relating to biodiversity and ecosystem services. This week IPBES-12, the twelfth annual session of IPBES, is taking place in Manchester, supported by Defra, UKRI and FCDO.

The Met Office believes understanding the synergies between the nature and climate crises is vital to tackling both issues. Met Office scientists are attending IPBES-12 to build understanding and encourage wider links with biodiversity and ecosystem service experts.