Is the UK getting warmer?
Temperature Trends Visualisation
A comparison of UK and global average annual temperatures from 1884 to present. The solid blue line shows UK Met Office data, while the dashed grey line shows global temperature data. Both datasets reveal clear warming trends, particularly accelerating from the 1980s onwards.
View temperature data table
| Year | UK Temperature (°C) | Global Temperature (°C) |
|---|---|---|
| 1884 | 8.42 | 13.72 |
| 1890 | 8.35 | 13.65 |
| 1900 | 8.48 | 13.92 |
| 1910 | 8.52 | 13.57 |
| 1920 | 8.71 | 13.73 |
| 1930 | 8.65 | 13.84 |
| 1940 | 8.89 | 14.13 |
| 1950 | 8.93 | 13.83 |
| 1960 | 8.82 | 13.97 |
| 1970 | 8.73 | 14.03 |
| 1980 | 8.95 | 14.26 |
| 1990 | 9.12 | 14.45 |
| 2000 | 9.33 | 14.61 |
| 2010 | 9.49 | 14.72 |
| 2015 | 9.73 | 14.90 |
| 2020 | 9.88 | 15.02 |
| 2022 | 10.03 | 14.89 |
| 2024 | 9.97 | 15.17 |
The comparison reveals that both UK and global temperatures have increased significantly since the late 19th century. The UK has warmed by approximately 1.6°C, while global temperatures have risen by approximately 1.2°C over the same period. The horizontal dashed line represents the 1961-1990 UK baseline average of 8.73°C. UK temperatures above this baseline are highlighted in red, with the area between the trend line and baseline shaded to emphasise warming periods.
While the UK and global temperatures operate on different absolute scales (UK averages around 9-10°C, global around 14-15°C), the similar rate of warming demonstrates that climate change is a consistent global phenomenon, with regional variations in the absolute temperature changes but aligned long-term trends.
Data sources: UK temperatures from Met Office climate averages; global temperatures based on NASA GISTEMP data (relative to 1951-1980 baseline). Temperature values represent annual mean temperatures.