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Our changing weather patterns: a tale of abrupt transitions
Our weather is notoriously changeable – that is partly what makes it one of the nation’s talking points. But peering through the statistics a striking pattern emerges: one where the weather oscillates abruptly between different and contrasting phases lasting for a while before the next phase in the sequence begins to dominate.
A month of contrasts for January’s weather
January 2024 brought a month of contrasts to the UK weather, with three named storms, a significant spell of cold, wintry weather and finally a new UK daily maximum temperature record for January.
Solar maximum in sight – but when will it be?
Throughout autumn and winter there have been a number of sightings of the Northern Lights, or the aurora borealis, in the UK. As 2024 continues, the question for many space weather experts is when we’ll see a peak in the Sun’s activity as part of this solar cycle.
Is the UK winter going as forecast?
There has been much coverage of the weather in recent weeks with what has so far felt like an unusually stormy autumn and winter, followed by a spell of extremely cold weather with impacts from snow and ice for many, and then on Sunday (28/01/24) a new provisional maximum temperature record for the UK for January was recorded in northwest Scotland.
Why have there been so many storms in the UK this year?
Storm name number ten was given when Jocelyn was named hot on the heels of Isha in what has felt like an unusually stormy autumn and winter for the UK. But why have there been so many named storms, and are there underlying factors at play?
The influence of climate change on severe weather
The Met Office’s dedicated team looking at weather and climate extremes has collated the latest published academic literature on severe weather in the UK in the context of our changing climate. In this blog post, Climate Extremes Principal Fellow and Chief Meteorologist Paul Davies shares some of the findings from that work.
Understanding weather and climate extremes
Climate change is, as expected, leading to an increase in extreme weather, including in the UK.
How long will the cold last?
Will the current cold spell last or will we see a return to the wet and windy weather we experienced through the Christmas and new year period?
2023 in weather
With temperature and rainfall records broken, red warnings issued and a flurry of named storms, 2023 has been another eventful year of weather for the UK. While the full year’s provisional weather and climate statistics will be available on 2 January, along with the full UK State of the Climate Report later in 2024, we take a look back at the moments that defined 2023’s weather.
How is the winter weather shaping up?
As we head towards Christmas there is, as always, a great deal of media and public speculation about what weather we might have in store for the festive season as well as the rest of winter.
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