2022 provisionally warmest year on record for UK, says Met Office
According to provisional figures, 2022 has been the warmest year on record for the UK, the Met Office has said.
The UK’s national weather service said that 2022 has broken annual temperature records – which began in 1884 – due to the persistence of warmer than average conditions.
The year included a scorching July during which Hawarden recorded the hottest ever day in Wales.
2022 will see the highest annual average temperature across the UK, exceeding the previous record set in 2014 when the average was 9.88C. Since 1884
The year began with a mild theme, as the maximum temperature on New Year’s Day was the warmest on record, with a reading of 16.3C at St James’s Park in London.
This mild theme has continued throughout the year, with more days being warmer than average and fewer days being cooler than average.
Temperatures remained above average for every month of the year in 2022, except December which has been cooler than average so far.
1600 UPDATE: Hawarden in Flintshire has now provisionally reached 37.1°C
🌡️ This is the highest air temperature ever recorded in #Wales #Heatwave2022 #heatwave #hottestdayoftheyear pic.twitter.com/QjkVL9YYrV
— Met Office (@metoffice) July 18, 2022
Summer temperature
Recorded temperatures reached excess of 40C in the UK for the first time.
Coningsby, Lincolnshire, recorded the highest temperature, with 40.3C exceeding the previous UK record by 1.6C.
The hot period in July saw the Met Office issue its first ever red warning for extreme heat with widespread impacts for the UK.
Wales recorded its hottest day on record with the temperature reaching 37.1C in Hawarden on July 18.
Dr Mark McCarthy is the head of the Met Office’s National Climate Information Centre. He said: “2022 is going to be the warmest year on record for the UK.”
“While many will remember the summer’s extreme heat, what has been noteworthy this year has been the relatively consistent heat through the year, with every month except December being warmer than average. ”
“The warm year is in line with the genuine impacts we expect as a result of human-induced climate change.”]
“Although it doesn’t mean every year will be the warmest on record, climate change continues to increase the chances of increasingly warm years over the coming decades.”
The final provisional figure for 2022 will be available at the end year and will be subject to “further quality control and a verification process.” The Met Office has said.
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