Met Office scientists have published a new study detailing the increasing likelihood of extreme temperatures in the UK, revealing that the chance of exceeding 40°C in the UK is accelerating at pace.

Global climate predictions show temperatures are expected to continue at or near record levels in the next five years, increasing climate risks and impacts on societies, economies and sustainable development, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

The EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) is warning that summer 2024 was the hottest on record both globally and for Europe and it is “increasingly likely that 2024 is going to be the warmest year on record.”

Globally 2023 was the warmest year in a series stretching back to 1850, according to figures just released today by the Met Office and the University of East Anglia.

The Met Office is reporting that 2023 was provisionally the second warmest year on record for the UK, with Wales and Northern Ireland having their respective warmest years in a series from 1884.

New research commissioned by Anglian Water shows the East of England (defined as the area Anglian Water serves) faces critical challenges over the next two decades, as temperatures hit record highs, rainfall decreases, and over 720,000 new residents move to the area.