Official news blog

Sea water shown above and below surface with blue sky in background

What can the world expect from the developing El Niño?

There is much speculation about how the developing El Niño will affect weather patterns in the UK and around the world.

high apartment building in front of blue sky, with lots of green plants growing on balconies

Adapting for tomorrow, now

The evidence of climate change can be seen all around us. Globally, 2022 was the sixth warmest year in a series stretching back to 1850, according to Met Office figures.

A panoramic view of the Antarctic coastline and sea with sea ice on the surface.

Antarctic sea ice hits record low

The extent of sea ice around Antarctica is at a record low for the end of June.

white building next to trees in flood water

How does climate attribution science relate to Loss and Damage?

In our recent blog post on Loss and Damage, we explored the climate change impacts caused by slow-onset events (such as sea-level rise) and extreme weather events. These different types of events resulting in losses and damages are also implicit in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) ‘Reasons For Concern’ (RFCs).

A dwelling in Kerala almost submerged in floods, green tree tops coming out of the water

The science of linking climate change to extreme weather events

“Would this heatwave or severe rainfall have happened without climate change?” This is the kind of question that policymakers and businesses are asking scientists.

Stormy ocean waves breaking

May 2023: a record for UK sea-surface temperature says Met Office chief scientist

The North Atlantic, including around the UK has been experiencing record-breaking temperatures.

close-up of ocean wave reflecting sunshine

Sea surface temperatures breaking records

The global sea surface temperatures for both April and May were the highest on record for those calendar months in a series stretching back to 1850. That is according to the HadSST.4.0.1.0 dataset compiled by the Met Office.

houses in rural area in Ruanda being flooded, tops of buildings coming out of water

What is meant by Loss and Damage?

And why are we talking about it?

Relative lack of Spring rainfall triggers water scarcity alert

With 1 June marking the first day of meteorological summer, we reflect on spring and ask whether it has been unusual in any way.

Is it going to be a long, hot summer?

There is lots of speculation about the potential for up-and-coming heatwaves, extreme temperatures or drought for this summer. The Met Office Contingency Planners 3-Month Outlook is often cited as a source for some of this conjecture, but can it really be used to tell us what the daily weather has in store for the coming months?

About this blog

This is the official blog of the Met Office news team, intended to provide journalists and bloggers with the latest weather, climate science and business news, and information from the Met Office.

Subscribe to this blog

Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts from the Met Office news team.

The form will open in a new tab.

Privacy policy