New figures show the UK’s 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 2002, a stark reminder of the challenge for utilities adapting to climate change.
The Met Office’s latest annual State of the UK Climate report also shows none of the 10 coldest years on record have occurred following 1963, indicating clear signs of a changing climate.
The Met Office has been working closely with the utilities sector to assess potential impacts of climate change on both energy and water networks.
Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge told Utility Week: “We know that climate change is happening and is continuing to increase so there has to be mitigation.
“Obviously decarbonising the energy sector is a major way of doing that both domestically and globally. But it’s not all about mitigation, we have to ensure there is adaptation as well.”
A key focus is the potential impact on infrastructure, including areas such as sea-level rise and extreme flooding events. The potential for changes in the climate to shock the energy system is a concern.
Madge said: “If there is a lot more high pressure and still conditions, how would this affect a fully thriving and functioning wind sector, or would it open up more potential for solar.
“For water, it’s more about trying to ensure the future resilience of supply and also dealing with issues such as extreme flooding events.
“We’re looking at those sorts of challenges and helping the sector to understand more about what the future looks like through our projections.”
This year’s updated UK climate analysis now extends back to 1884 and the data has been added as part of ongoing projects to digitise weather records.
Mark McCarthy, head of the Met Office’s National Climate Information Centre said: “Looking back further into the UK’s weather reveals a very interesting timeline with the top 10 warmest years at the most recent end, since 2002.
“Extending the record back by 26 years from 1910 to 1884 didn’t bring in any new warm years, but it did bring in a number of new cold years, including several that are now within the top ten coldest years.
“Notably, 1892 is the coldest year in the series, when the average temperature was just over 7°. By contrast 2014, which was the warmest year in the series, saw an average temperature approaching 10°C.”
Commenting on the report, RenewableUK said the data shows why the new government must take urgent action and keep the UK on track to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
“We know that offshore wind will play a leading role in tackling climate change in the decades ahead, providing at least 50 per cent of our power by the middle of the century,” said Luke Clark, head of external affairs at RenewableUK.
“We should also be maximising the deployment of onshore wind as it’s the cheapest source of new power, so we’re urging new ministers to take a fresh look at it, and to support innovative technologies like floating wind and marine energy.”
UK’s top 10 hottest years:
• 2014
• 2006
• 2011
• 2007
• 2017
• 2003
• 2018
• 2004
• 2002
• 2005
UK’s top 10 coldest years:
• 1892
• 1888
• 1885
• 1963
• 1919
• 1886
• 1917
• 1909
• 1887
• 1962