2025 set to be hottest UK year on record, says Met Office
Met Office says 2025 has been ‘extraordinary’ and ‘unprecedented’ – here’s why
- The Met Office has described the current climate situation in the UK as "extraordinary" and "unprecedented" as 2025 is on track to be the warmest year on record.
- Forecasters predict 2025 could surpass the previous record set in 2022, with the average annual temperature currently tracking at 10.05C, slightly above 2022's 10.03C.
- Final confirmation is pending a forecasted cold spell over Christmas, but if confirmed, 2025 would be only the second year in observational records to exceed an annual mean temperature of 10C.
- This trend means four of the last five years would rank among the top five warmest since records began in 1884, with all top 10 warmest years occurring within the last two decades.
- Climate scientists emphasise that these findings are devastating but unsurprising, serving as further evidence of climate change impacts and highlighting the urgent need for the UK to achieve net zero emissions.