Warmer and wetter: how the UK's climate has changed

A new report from the Met Office in the UK has confirmed what many in the country have already suspected - the weather is getting warmer, but also wetter. Comparing average annual figures for a range of meteorological indicators, the trend from the periods 1961-1990 to 2008-2017 is clear. As our chart shows, the number of hot days per year has increased from an average of 4.5 to 5.3, while the number of icy cold days has fallen from 4.8 to 3.2. The story is similar for temperature, with the hottest days getting hotter and the coldest getting colder. Rain has also become more prevalent and we're now experiencing longer wet spells and shorter dry spells.