On 5 December, new research was published indicating that high-sensitivity climate models should not be excluded when projecting future regional climate impacts because the level of warming measured globally is not always the only good indicator of regional changes. 

Dr Ranjini Swaminathan, lead author at the University of Reading and National Centre for Earth Observation, said: "We should not exclude climate models from impact assessments based on their climate sensitivity as this could lead to ignoring future outcomes that are potentially serious and realistic.” 

Significant progress had been made in tackling UK air pollution, but geographical location is a key factor in higher exposure levels for some communities.  

In a blog published on 3 December, we explore how air pollution levels have changed over time in the UK, what air quality is like in other countries, and what the future may hold for us.  

On 2 December, we published a news release looking back at the weather during November and the full autumn season. The first half of November was mild, dry and gloomy, followed by storms, snow and heavy rain. Autumn, meanwhile, was fairly average for the UK in terms of rainfall, temperature and sunshine hours, but there were big differences across the regions. Gloucestershire for example, has had its wettest Autumn since the series began in 1836. 

Met Office scientist Emily Carlisle explained: “The UK’s highly variable weather means we’ve seen exceptionally warm conditions in Scotland, virtually no sunshine for half a month, as well as lying snow in Exeter and severe flooding during Autumn 2024. All of this illustrates the huge variability in the UK’s climate, and this is consistent with the ongoing pattern which is emerging as our climate continues to change.”