Climate Matters•March 3, 2025
Fastest-Warming Seasons in the UK
KEY CONCEPTS
As our climate heats up, all four seasons are warming — but at different rates across the U.K.
Spring is the fastest-warming season for the U.K. as a whole and for all four nations — England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland.
Spring is the fastest-warming season for all six climate districts around England — NW England and W Wales, SW England and S Wales, SE and Central South England, the Midlands, East Anglia, and E and NE England.
Warming planet, warming seasons
Season length and temperatures vary naturally from year to year. But the unprecedented rate of global warming observed since the 1950s, due primarily to emissions of heat-trapping pollution from burning fossil fuels, is influencing long-term warming trends in each season, including in the U.K.
Seasonal warming can have widespread effects on health, wildlife, flowers, nature, agriculture, sports, food systems, and more.
Using data obtained from the U.K. Met Office, Climate Central analyzed seasonal warming trends since 1970 across the U.K. to see how much warming they’ve experienced in each season — and how quickly.
The analysis looked at the annual average seasonal temperatures from 1970-2024 for all four meteorological seasons (see how the seasons were defined in the Methodology).
Spring is the fastest-warming season for the U.K.
The average spring temperature for the U.K. has increased 1.8°C since 1970, making spring the fastest-warming season for the U.K. as a whole (Table 1).
Additionally, spring is the fastest-warming season for all four nations within the U.K. — England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. Of these locations, England has seen the most spring warming, where average temperatures have increased by 2°C since 1970 (1.8°C in Wales, 1.6°C in Northern Ireland, and 1.5°C in Scotland).
For the U.K., the average winter temperature has increased by 1.3°C since 1970, the average summer temperature has increased by 1.4°C, and the average autumn temperature has increased by 1.6°C. All four U.K. nations — England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland — have seen each of their seasons warm by at least 1°C since 1970. See graphics for all four nations below.
Country | Winter | Spring | Summer | Autumn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
U.K. | 1.3 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.6 |
England | 1.5 | 2 | 1.6 | 1.7 |
Wales | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 1.5 |
Scotland | 1 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.3 |
Northern Ireland | 1 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.3 |
Table 1. Change in seasonal average temperatures (°C), 1970-2024.
Warming in the England regions
Using the U.K. Met Office climate districts, Climate Central’s analysis showed that spring is also the fastest-warming season for all regions of England (Table 2). Four regions tied for the most spring warming: SE and Central South England, the Midlands, East Anglia, and E and NE England, each seeing their spring average temperature increase by 2.1°C since 1970.
District | Winter | Spring | Summer | Autumn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
NW England and W Wales | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 1.5 |
E and NE England | 1.5 | 2.1 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
The Midlands | 1.6 | 2.1 | 1.6 | 1.7 |
SW England and S Wales | 1.4 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 1.6 |
SE and Central South England | 1.5 | 2.1 | 1.6 | 1.8 |
East Anglia | 1.6 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 1.9 |
Table 2. Change in seasonal average temperatures (°C), 1970-2024.
Impacts of spring warming
Spring warming can have widespread impacts, including on wildlife and nature. Spring flowers in the U.K. are now flowering as much as a month earlier, which can disrupt the timing of ecologically-important events like pollination and migration. For instance, some species synchronise their migration and hibernation with the timing of plants flowering; early blooms can leave these species without the flowers and plants that they rely on. This phenomenon, known as ecological mismatch, can lead to biodiversity loss if populations cannot adapt quickly enough.
Early flowering can also impact farmers and gardeners. If fruit trees flower early following a mild winter, entire crops can be killed off if they are hit with a late frost.
An early spring can also increase the risks of a longer hayfever season, which can have significant consequences for human health.
Warmer spring can also mean longer growing seasons. Although some plants and animals may benefit, longer growing seasons can also increase pests and weeds, lead to water and heat stress in rainfed crops, and disrupt farmers’ planting, irrigation, pest management, and harvest schedules.
METHODOLOGY
All data used in this analysis was obtained from the U.K. Met Office’s Climate Research website.
The seasons were defined as:
Winter: 1 December - 28/29 February
Spring: 1 March - 31 May
Summer: 1 June - 31 August
Autumn: 1 September - 30 November
Data for the U.K. as a whole was assessed as well as data from different geographies, including:
Countries: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
Climate districts: SE and Central South England, SW England and S Wales, the Midlands, NW England and N Wales, E and NE England, and East Anglia.
Long-term warming trends (1970-2024) are based on a mathematical linear regression of annual data for each meteorological season.
