'British way of life under threat from climate change' - Miliband

UK ENERGY Secretary Ed Miliband said Britain’s way of life is “under threat” from climate change as the Met Office said extremes of heat and rainfall are becoming the norm.

- EMILY BEAMENT

The state of the UK climate report, published in the Royal Meteorological Society's International Journal of Climatology, shows the impact of human-caused global warming on weather, seas, people and wildlife.

From earlier spring events in nature to record warm periods in 2024, which have already been beaten again this year, Met Office experts say the UK's climate is “notably different” from just a few decades ago.

The report details the climate in 2024, and over the longer term, highlighting how the UK has warmed at a rate of about 0.25°C a decade and is now about 1.24°C warmer than from 1961 to 1990.

For the first time, the report also found UK sea levels to be rising faster than the global average.

Mr Miliband called the findings “a stark warning” to take action on climate and nature.