The UK Hits Their Record of Warmest New Year’s Day

By: Natalie Shomali, Staff Reporter, The Pawprint

According to the Met Office, the UK reached its highest New Year’s Day temperature on Saturday, with 16.3°C in St. James Park, central London. 

Recent warm air from the Azores has impacted this record as they have been reaching the UK, bringing warm weather that is usually not seen.

Firstly, the temperature was believed to be 16.2°C, until a higher one was recorded later in the day.

On Friday, the record of the warmest New Year’s Eve was also reached. 

The previous record on New Year’s day was hit in 1916, with the temperature in Bude, Cornwall reaching 15.6°C.

The Met Office includes that the high temperatures were reached due to manmade climate change, which increased temperatures worldwide by 1.1°C. 

They also revealed that these warmer records are now being achieved nine times more frequently.

In a statement, BBC weather forecaster Ben Rich said: “We’ve had winds coming from the south and southwest bringing very warm air from the Azores – nearly all the way from the tropics – wafting across the UK and it’s that which has lifted the temperatures.”