- February warmest in history
- South experiences highest rainfall
- Climate change intensifies extremes
The Met Office has officially declared February of last year the warmest on record in England and Wales.
The mean temperature in England was a sweltering 7.5°C, which was 0.5°C higher than the previous record set in 1990.
In contrast, Wales experienced mean temperatures of 6.9°C, slightly higher than the record set in 1998 at 6.8°C.
If you felt that your umbrella was constantly in your hand, you are not mistaken; according to the Met Office, last month was also among the wettest on record.
“The main theme of February has been how persistently mild and wet it has been, particularly in the south, despite a brief cold spell in the north during the first half of the month,” said Mike Kendon, a senior scientist at the Met Office. “This is largely due to the influence of Atlantic low-pressure systems bringing a predominant mild, south-westerly flow.”
South England’s Record-Breaking February
February 1998 was the second warmest on record in the United Kingdom, with average temperatures of 6.3°C, which fell just shy of the all-time high of 6.8°C.
While temperatures were higher than average throughout the nation, the south experienced especially high temperatures.
Some of the thirty counties that recorded the highest temperatures in February did so in the south. Notably, some counties surpassed the February long-term average by more than 3°C.
In February, the south of England also recorded its wettest month since records began, with well over double the average precipitation in many regions.
East Anglia, in particular, experienced its warmest and wettest February ever recorded.
The month witnessed an astounding 106.4mm of precipitation, with average temperatures reaching 8.2°C.
The entire winter in the United Kingdom has been mild and wet, as reported by the Met Office.
The average temperature for the months of December, January, and February was 5.29°C, ranking it provisionally as the fifth highest winter in recorded history.
During this three-month period, 445.8mm of precipitation fell, which is 29 percent above the annual average and ranks as the eighth wettest winter in recorded history.
“The United Kingdom’s observations unequivocally indicate that winters are becoming both warmer and wetter, as the atmosphere’s capacity to hold moisture increases with warming,” Mr. Kendon explained.
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“2024, 2022, 2020, 2016, and 2014 comprise the top ten warmest winters on record for the United Kingdom; similarly, the years 2024, 2020, 2016, and 2014 comprise the top ten wettest winters; thus, extremely mild winters tend to be extremely wet.”
According to the Met Office, these unprecedented numbers are the result of climate change, and the worst is yet to come.
It was explained, “Climate projections indicate that winters will continue to become wetter and summers drier on average, but natural variability will ensure that there are still years that deviate from this trend.”
Our atmosphere can retain approximately 7% more moisture for every 1°C of warming.
This increases the likelihood that future heavy rainfall events will be more frequent and persistent, especially in the winter, should greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase.
