Climate trends and projections
Did you know that Scotland’s top 10 warmest years have all occurred since 1997 since records began in 1884?
We are already seeing evidence of a changing climate in Scotland. Over the last few decades our climate has warmed, rainfall patterns have changed, and sea-levels have risen. The weather extremes we experience are also changing with our hottest days getting hotter and our wettest days getting wetter.
Climate projections indicate that the changes we have already experienced in our climate, over the last century, will continue and intensify over the coming decades. Ultimately the amount of change that occurs will depend on how successful we are in reducing greenhouse gas emissions globally.
Key long-term climate change trends for Scotland are:
- Average temperatures will increase across all seasons
- Weather will remain variable and may become more variable
- Typical summers will be warmer and drier
- Typical winters will be milder and wetter
- Intense, heavy rainfall events will increase in both winter and summer
- Sea levels will rise
- Reduced frost and snowfall
Find out more about how Scotland's climate could change - download our Climate Projections for Scotland summary
The Past: Climate Trends
In Scotland, we have access to a long record of observational climate data…
The Future: Climate Projections
The UK Climate Projections 2009 (UKCP09) indicate that our average climate will…