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What is likely to happen to the UK's climate?

The UK climate is expected to become warmer, with wetter winters, drier summers, and more extreme weather events, such as heavy rain and high winds.

Climate change scenarios have been developed to show the possible changes in the UK climate over the 21st century. These scenarios are known as UKCIP02. (New scenarios, known as the UK Climate Projections are due in early 2009.)

The main changes predicted are:-

Temperature

  • The UK climate will become warmer.
  • The temperature of coastal waters will also increase, although not as rapidly as over land.
  • High summer temperatures will become more frequent, whilst very cold winters will become increasingly rare.

Rain and snow (precipitation)

  • Winters will become wetter and summers may become drier throughout the UK
  • Snowfall amounts will decrease throughout the UK.
  • Heavy winter precipitation (rain and snow) will become more frequent

Sea level

  • Relative sea level will continue to rise around most of the UK's shoreline.
  • Extreme sea levels will be experienced more frequently

Winds

  • Stronger winds across southern and central Britain in winter

Resources

1. Powerpoint presentation on the evidence, reasons and implications of climate change

2. Resources for understanding and communicating climate change to the general public are available on the Climate Challenge website.

3. More information on changes to the UK's climate, including regional predictions, is available from the UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP).

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