Last month was officially the hottest February on record in England and Wales, the Met Office has confirmed.
The average temperature in England was a balmy 7.5°C – 0.5°C warmer than the previous record, which was set back in 1990.
Wales meanwhile, experienced average temperatures of 6.9°C, marginally ahead of 1998’s record of 6.8°C.
If you felt like you permanently had your umbrella glued to your hand, you’re not wrong, as the Met Office says that last month was also one of the wettest in history.
‘Despite a cold spell in in the north in the first half of the month, the main theme of February is how persistently mild and wet it has been, particularly in the south and this is largely due to the influence of Atlantic low-pressure systems bringing a predominant mild, south-westerly flow,’ said Mike Kendon, Met Office Senior Scientist.
Met Office confirms last month was the hottest February on record in England and Wales – and one of the wettest in history. Pictured: fields filled with flood water after the River Great Ouse in St Ives, Cambs, burst its banks in February
The average temperature in England was a balmy 7.5°C – 0.5°C warmer than the previous record, which was set back in 1990. Wales meanwhile, saw an average temperature of 6.9°C, marginally ahead of 1998’s record of 6.8°C
The UK experienced its second warmest February, with average temperatures reaching 6.3°C – just short of the record high of 6.8°C in 1998.
While temperatures across the country were higher than usual, it was particularly warm in the south.
Over 30 counties – mainly in the south – recorded their highest February temperatures, with some hitting more than 3°C above the February long-term average.
The south of England also experienced its wettest February since records began, with many parts experiencing well over twice the average rainfall.
In particular, East Anglia had both its warmest and wettest February on record.
A whopping 106.4mm of rainfall was seen across the month, while average temperatures hit 8.2°C.
Overall, the whole winter in Britain has been warm and wet, according to the Met Office.
Across December, January, and February, the average temperature was 5.29°C, making it provisionally the fifth warmest winter on record.
445.8mm of rainfall fell across these three months – 29 per cent more than the long-term average and the eighth wettest winter on record.
The south of England also experienced its wettest February since records began, with many parts experiencing well over twice the average rainfall
The UK experienced its second warmest February, with average temperatures reaching 6.3°C – just short of the record high of 6.8°C in 1998
‘The UK’s observations clearly show winters are getting warmer, and they are also getting wetter since as the atmosphere heats up, it has an increased capacity to hold moisture,’ Mr Kendon said.
‘The top-ten warmest winters on record for the UK include 2024, 2022, 2020, 2016 and 2014 and the top-ten wettest 2024, 2020, 2016 and 2014 – so very mild winters also show a tendency to be very wet.’
The Met Office says that climate change is to blame for these record-breaking figures – with the worst yet to come.
‘Climate projections indicate that on average, winters will continue to become wetter and summers drier, though natural variability will mean we will continue to see individual years that don’t follow this trend,’ it explained.
‘As our atmosphere warms it can hold more moisture, roughly 7% more per 1°C of warming.
‘This brings a risk of increased frequency and longevity of heavy rainfall events in the future, particularly during winter, if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise.’
