The UK has just experienced its warmest spring since 1884, with temperatures exceeding 30C for six consecutive days, and the Met Office has warned that further heat could still arrive this June
This year’s weather has been record-breaking, with the UK experiencing its warmest spring since 1884 and the hottest May day during last week’s heatwave. However, the Met Office has cautioned that it’s too early to stow away your fans, as more hot weather is expected this month as summer draws near.
An early, record-smashing heatwave at the end of May resulted in the UK having its warmest spring. Parts of the UK enjoyed six consecutive days of temperatures exceeding 30°C, providing a sneak peek of what the summer months may bring.
Each spring month ranked among the warmest on record, beginning with a joint-tenth warmest March, followed by the seventh warmest April, and ending with May as the joint-third warmest, reports Nottinghamshire Live.
Met Office scientists have suggested that these shattered records illustrate “the longer-term warming” of the planet, with “extreme conditions” happening more frequently.
Dr Emily Carlisle, a Met Office scientist, remarked: “This spring highlights both the natural variability of the UK’s weather and the longer-term warming we are observing. While conditions varied through the season, all three months of meteorological spring recorded mean temperatures within the UK’s top ten warmest on record,” according to Wales Online.
“While we expect fluctuations from year to year, this spring shows some of the changes we’re seeing in our weather patterns, with more extreme conditions becoming more frequent.”
Alongside rising temperatures, rainfall patterns have also shifted, with spring rainfall decreasing by 14% compared to the long-term meteorological average across the UK.
Scientists at the Met Office have also found that exceeding the 32.8°C May record is now roughly three times more likely in today’s climate than it would have been in a natural environment untouched by greenhouse gas emissions.
This week has seen a change in weather, with rain returning across much of Wales following a yellow thunderstorm warning issued on Thursday, 28 May.
Showers and prolonged spells of rain are expected to continue through the first two weeks of June, with temperatures “likely to be near normal overall”, according to the Met Office.
However, the extended forecast covering Tuesday, 16 June, through to Tuesday, 30 June, suggests that while “heavy showers and thunderstorms become more probable”, the UK could also see higher temperatures and warmer conditions.
The forecast states: “The start of the period is likely to be relatively settled, with high pressure in the vicinity of the UK bringing drier conditions to most parts of the UK.
“However some showers or spells of rain are still possible. Winds will mostly be light with temperatures probably above normal.
“Towards the end of June, low pressure may begin to have more of an influence, especially across the south where heavy showers and thunderstorms become more probable. It may also become hot in parts of the south.”
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.