Provisional data from the Met Office reveals that the UK faced its second-hottest year on record in 2023, underscoring the persistent impact of the climate crisis with elevated temperatures.
Scientists assert that a year of such warmth would have occurred only once in 500 years without human-induced global heating. Notably, the heat peaked in June and September, marking both months as record hot in a series dating back to 1884. All of the UK's ten warmest years have transpired since 2003.
Globally, 2023 is anticipated to be the hottest year on record, propelled by unprecedented carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, reaching heights not seen in at least 2 million years, and the resurgence of the Pacific Ocean phenomenon known as El Niño.
Mike Kendon of the Met Office emphasized the unmistakable impact of climate change on UK temperature records, labeling 2023 as another exceptionally warm year. He noted that the climate projections indicate an increase in the frequency of hotter, drier summers and warmer, wetter winters. As the atmosphere warms, the capacity to hold moisture also increases, resulting in observable trends in precipitation.
Despite the average temperature of 9.97°C in 2023 being slightly lower than the 10.03°C recorded in 2022, the Met Office indicated that such warm years are now anticipated every three years in the current heated climate.
Bob Ward, policy director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change, highlighted the consequences of warming, including sea level rise, intensified rainfall, and more lethal heatwaves, stressing the need for urgent action to achieve net-zero emissions globally.
Ward urged British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to prioritize the acceleration of the transition to net-zero emissions, expressing concerns about the UK's decisions to grant new licenses for oil and gas extraction and approve a new coal mine.
Greenpeace UK’s policy director, Doug Parr, criticized the government's stance on climate action, pointing out the urgency of bold policies to address the climate crisis. Parr warned that unless decisions are reversed, Sunak's premiership might be remembered as one of climate failure.
In response, a government spokesperson emphasized the UK's commitment to tackling climate change, citing net-zero targets and international commitments. They asserted the country's leadership in emission reduction, claiming to have outpaced any major economy since 1990, with the UK now accounting for just 1% of annual global emissions.