Scotland’s changing climate
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Our climate is changing rapidly. We have already seen significant changes in our weather systems in Scotland, including more rain during the winters, and periods of drought in parts of Scotland during the summers. Our coastline is also changing, with sea level rise contributing to coastal errosion.
The weather extremes we experience are also changing, with our hottest days getting hotter, and our wettest days getting wetter, as well as more intense storm events.
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Projections show that because of the greenhouse gas emissions we have already emitted globally, our climate will continue to change in the coming years, with the impacts of climate change becoming more intense.
In the long term, the amount of change that occurs will depend on how successful we are in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland and globally.
Climate change projections for Scotland – Summary
UPDATE: More recent observations of the impacts of climate change in Scotland have been provided by the Met Office than those contained in the Summary for Scotland resource below. The following information is correct as of March 2024.
Scotland’s 10 warmest years on record have all occurred since 1997. The average temperature for the last decade (2014-2023) was 1.02°C warmer than the 1961-1990 average, and the warmest year on record was 2022.
There has been an increase in rainfall over Scotland in the past few decades. The annual average rainfall in the last decade (2014-2023) was 10% wetter than the 1961-1990 average, with winters 29% wetter.
Mean sea level around the UK has risen by approximately 18.5cm from the start of the 20th century and the rate of sea level rise has increased over the last 30 years.
Learn more about adaptation
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Impacts of climate change
Understand how climate change and extreme weather events have impacted our natural environment, infrastructure, and our society
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What is adaptation?
Adaptation involves us preparing for both extreme weather such as storms, and more gradual changes such as when growing seasons start and end.
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Related resources
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Community Climate Adaptation Routemap — now in Gaelic
Adaptation Scotland and Argyll & Bute Climate Action Network (ABCAN) have been collaborating on something exciting: a Gaelic version of our pioneering Community Climate Adaptation Routemap.
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Building Resilience Together: Expanding Scotland’s Public Sector Climate Adaptation Network
We are delighted to announce that the Adaptation Scotland programme’s Public Sector Climate Adaptation Network now represents 64 member organisations, including 28 local authorities.
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Public Sector Climate Adaptation Network gathers for Autumn meeting
The Adaptation Scotland programme is excited to announce the opportunity for public body organisations to join The Public Sector Climate Adaptation Network (PSCAN).
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