Climate change caused Britain’s warmest year, Met Office says
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Global warming is exacerbating events such as heat waves and drought – which sparked wildfires and deaths in Europe in 2022.
PHOTO: AFP
LONDON – Climate change caused by humans pushed Britain’s average temperature to above 10 degrees Celsius for the first time in records dating back to 1884.
Met Office modelling showed that 10 degrees Celsius would naturally occur around once every 500 years, compared with once every three to four years in the current climate.
The hottest year was announced in December and confirmed on Thursday.
Countries across Europe have broken temperature records already in 2023, with cities including Berlin and Warsaw recording their warmest ever start to January.
Global warming is exacerbating extreme events such as heat waves and drought – which sparked wildfires and deaths in Europe in 2022.
It is a concern for governments trying to meet climate goals.
“It is clear from the observational record that human induced global warming is already impacting the UK’s climate,” Mark McCarthy, head of the Met Office National Climate Information Centre, said in a statement. BLOOMBERG
