Rising UK temperatures in February

March 2019: Arctic warming is leading to temperature spikes and drops in mid-latitude areas resulting in abnormally high temperatures in the UK in February. Extreme weather conditions demonstrate that climate change is not a future but a current threat.

Information

Exploring causal links between Arctic warming and unpredictable weather patterns with mild winters is an active area of research. Pan-Arctic anomalies indicate that the Arctic is transitioning from a relatively cold state to a warmer one, increasing the frequency of temperature spikes and drops in mid latitude areas. Due to Arctic warming, Britain experienced the warmest February on record with an average of 10.0^o during the day, which concluded a warm, dry, and sunny winter season. Atypical temperatures suggest that the warming Arctic is destabilising the jet stream, which is bringing up warm air to Europe and forcing down cold air from the polar region in other parts.

Implications & Opportunities

Increasing temperatures and extensive media coverage on rising temperatures due to Arctic warming could change public perception on climate change. It underlines that climate change is not a theoretical future threat but a current risk that requires immediate attention. Further, the transition to warmer and unpredictable weather patterns poses challenges for countries that are not used to such high temperatures and can cause large-scale disruptions of ecosystems.

Limitations

Recordings of the Met Office show that the overall mean temperatures during February averaged out across the month. Hence, temperature recordings need to be seen in context of regular weather changes and seasonal transitions.

Sources

Met Office. (2019). Record breaking February, mild winter. Retrieved from https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/press-office/news/weather-and-climate/2019/february-and-winter-statistics

Cohen, J., Pfeiffer, K., Francis, J., (2018). Warm Arctic episodes linked with increased frequency of extreme winter weather in the United States. Nature Communication, 9 (869).