Climate Adaptation Minister Emma Hardy said: “Tackling climate change not only means accelerating progress towards net zero, but also strengthening the resilience of our communities and adapting to the demands of a changing climate.  

“Local communities are already being impacted by more frequent and extreme weather, as well as overheating and droughts. These effects will vary in different parts of the country and this new service will support local authorities to more effectively plan and respond.” 

*The LACS is fully available for use, but as we learn more about user requirements, we are inviting feedback to help drive improvements.  

Last week, new research was published on the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) which indicated that the impact of one of the world’s most influential global climate patterns, is much more far reaching than originally thought.  

Director of the Met Office Hadley Centre, Professor Rowan Sutton, said: “This is exciting new research which reveals unexpected potential for valuable forecasts of UK and European winter weather over a year ahead.  Such forecasts could be valuable for long-range risk and contingency planning, for example in the energy sector or in flood preparedness”. 

On 3 October, we released a study which has revealed wildfires are accelerating carbon loss from ecosystems, reducing the amount of emissions society can release, while still avoiding the worst impacts of climate change. 

Lead author Dr Chantelle Burton said, “Fires are reducing the ability of forests and other ecosystems to store carbon, narrowing our window to keep global warming in check.”