Why British Summers Are Getting Wetter and Winters Milder — Climate Change Explained

The British weather has always been a national preoccupation, but the conversations are changing. The question is no longer just whether it will rain at the weekend — it is whether the flooding that devastated parts of Yorkshire and the Somerset Levels will become an annual event rather than a once-in-a-generation occurrence.

n

What the Data Shows

n

The ten warmest years in the UK's recorded weather history have all occurred since 2003. The five years 2019–2023 are the warmest five-year period on record. Rainfall patterns are shifting: average summer rainfall in southern England is declining, while extreme rainfall events — heavy downpours that overwhelm drainage systems — are becoming more frequent nationally.

n

Flooding: A Growing Emergency

n

The number of English homes at significant risk of flooding has risen to 5.2 million, up from 4.4 million a decade ago. The Environment Agency's flood defence programme protects more homes than before, but so-called "residual risk" — the chance of flooding even behind defences — is increasing as climate extremes intensify.

n

Agriculture

n

British farming is being reshaped by changing weather patterns. Longer growing seasons benefit some crops; drought stress is increasingly affecting others. The potato harvest in southern England has been affected by summer drought in three of the last five years.

n

What Households Can Do

n

The government's flood risk map (check-long-term-flood-risk.service.gov.uk) allows anyone to check whether their property is at risk. Flood resilience measures — air brick covers, flood doors, resilient flooring materials — can significantly reduce damage when flooding does occur.

n