Tag Archives: climate

March 2017: rather warm and dry for some

Posted on 31 March, 2017 by

Provisional climate statistics up to the 29 March reveal that March 2017 has been a relatively warm month and has been rather dry in South-East England. Despite a colder interlude in the third week of the month – which brought … Continue reading →

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Rainforests: exploring the global weather maker

Posted on 27 March, 2017 by

The belt of rainforests around the tropics may seem distant from most people’s day-to-day lives in the UK but these rich areas provide many essential services – such as providing key foodstuffs and helping to regulate the climate – that … Continue reading →

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Another El Niño on the way?

Posted on 16 February, 2017 by

In the waters of the far-eastern equatorial Pacific – close to the South American coast – sea-surface temperatures are beginning to rise, prompting some climate scientists to believe the world could be heading for another El Niño in close succession … Continue reading →

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The challenge of taking the temperature of the world’s oceans

Posted on 5 January, 2017 by

Sea-surface temperature measurements are an essential component in the production of the average global temperature figures. Without data from the oceans we wouldn’t see 70 per cent of the world’s surface and we would get an unrepresentative picture of global … Continue reading →

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Has the weather played a role in bringing unusual birds to Britain during 2016?

Posted on 29 December, 2016 by

With our position on the edge of northwest Europe, the UK receives air masses from all points of the compass during the year adding to the natural variability of our weather. This fact is known by meteorologists and birdwatchers because … Continue reading →

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Winter Outlook for December 2016 to February 2017

Posted on 28 November, 2016 by

Today the Met Office has released its long-range outlook for December 2016 to February 2017, highlighting the risk of a cold start to the winter for the UK. Latest observations from around the globe and long-range weather prediction systems suggest … Continue reading →

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An expert’s view on unusually warm Arctic temperatures

Posted on 25 November, 2016 by

This year has seen some exceptionally low extents of Arctic sea ice as well as periods of much higher than usual temperatures in the region. Ed Blockley manages the Met Office Polar Climate group, whose responsibilities include monitoring the increases and … Continue reading →

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Will summer be a washout or a scorcher?

Posted on 31 May, 2016 by

Summer is a time when many look forward to enjoying the great outdoors, but all too often the British weather can, quite literally, dampen our spirits. The Met Office has just released its contingency planners’ outlook covering the period for … Continue reading →

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Celebrating the benefits of global working on World Meteorological Day

Posted on 23 March, 2016 by

Today is World Meteorological Day. Organised by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the theme of this year’s day is: hotter; drier; wetter; face the future. These themes help to illustrate changes already observed in the world’s climate, and they also … Continue reading →

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Sentinel-3: A new window on the changing state of our oceans

Posted on 16 February, 2016 by

Climate change is much discussed, says Dr Simon Keogh of the Met Office, and to inform the conversation the Met Office uses historical scientific data including sea-surface temperature records, based on data from the Along Track Scanning Radiometer (ATSR) series … Continue reading →

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