The UK is facing more frequent and intense weather extremes, such as heavy rain, storms, heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires, as a result of climate change, according to a new study by the Met Office.
The study, published in the journal Climatic Change, found that the higher the level of global warming, the stronger the projected increase in frequency or severity or both of these weather events will be.
Four days of heavy rain warnings after storms Elin and Fergus
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The Met Office has issued four days of heavy rain warnings for parts of the UK, following the impacts of storms Elin and Fergus, which brought strong winds, flooding, and travel disruption to many areas.
The yellow warnings, which mean that some flooding and disruption to transport and utilities are likely, cover parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and northern England from Tuesday to Friday.
Some places could see up to 100mm of rain over the four-day period, which is more than the average rainfall for the whole of December.
The Met Office said that the heavy rain is caused by a series of low-pressure systems moving in from the Atlantic, bringing moist and unstable air to the UK.
These systems are influenced by the jet stream, a band of fast-moving winds high in the atmosphere, which is currently very strong and variable due to the contrast between cold air from the Arctic and warm air from the tropics.
The UK weather forecast for the next week is mixed, with some dry and sunny spells but also some wet and windy days.
According to the Met Office, the weather will be mostly unsettled from Tuesday to Friday, with showers or longer spells of rain affecting many areas, especially in the north and west.
Some of the rain could be heavy and there is a risk of gales or severe gales in exposed places. Temperatures will be mild for the time of year, with highs of 12°C to 15°C in the south and 8°C to 11°C in the north.
However, from Saturday onwards, the weather will become more settled and cooler, as high pressure builds over the UK.
This will bring mostly dry and bright conditions, with some sunny spells and patchy clouds. There will also be a chance of some frost and fog in the mornings, especially in rural areas.
Temperatures will drop to near or below average, with highs of 7°C to 10°C in the south and 4°C to 7°C in the north.
The weather outlook for the next week is influenced by the jet stream, a band of fast-moving winds high in the atmosphere, which is currently very strong and variable due to the contrast between cold air from the Arctic and warm air from the tropics.
This makes the weather more changeable and unpredictable, as low-pressure systems move in from the Atlantic.
However, as the jet stream weakens and moves northwards, high pressure will take over and bring more stable and calm weather to the UK.
