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Experts stunned as weather station records data not seen in nearly 60 years: 'Its persistence recently has been remarkable'

The site was far from alone.

The site was far from alone.

Photo Credit: iStock

A weather station at a university close to the Irish Sea in the UK just measured its sunniest and warmest spring on record. It was an exceptionally warm meteorological spring for the rest of the northern hemisphere, too. 

What's happening?

Around 40 miles north of Liverpool in the United Kingdom lies Lancaster University. Scientists have been logging weather reports at the school's weather stations since the 1960s. After compiling weather statistics at the location for nearly 60 years, the numbers gathered there can still startle.

Lancaster saw more than 1.5 times the average sunshine this spring compared to average, for the sunniest spring on record, according to the Lancaster Guardian. All that sunshine helped warm the town's temperatures. The daily high temperatures for spring were around three degrees warmer than the location's previous warmest spring.

Relatively warm nighttime temperatures helped make it the warmest spring on record for Lancaster. So, in review, Lancaster just had its warmest and sunniest spring on record.

Lancaster Environment Centre's Dr. James Heath has noticed that springs in this part of the UK have been unusually warm during recent years. Five of the 10 warmest springs on record at Hazelrigg have happened during the 2020s. According to the UK's Met Office, spring is the fastest-warming season in the UK.

"It's not at all unusual to have such a spell of weather in spring, but its persistence recently has been remarkable," Heath told the Lancaster Guardian. "The site experienced 31 consecutive days with no measurable rainfall at all between the Easter and late May bank holidays, the end of May saw the monthly average rain falling in just one week."

Why is a record warm spring in Lancaster important?

Lancaster was far from alone in terms of unseasonably warm temperatures this spring. Europe just had its second-warmest spring on record, according to the latest global climate report from the National Centers for Environmental Information. The northern hemisphere had its second-warmest spring in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's 176-year record.

Record-breaking heat in May reached as far north as Iceland and Greenland in the northern hemisphere. The temperature at Egilsstaðir Airport in northeastern Iceland reached a high of 79.88 degrees Fahrenheit on May 15 to set a new record. A few days later, on May 19, the Ittoqqortoormiit station in Greenland reported a temperature of 57.74 degrees Fahrenheit, more than 20 degrees above the average. Scientists with World Weather Attribution say this record-breaking heat was driven by an overheating planet.

This year is a virtual lock to land among the top five warmest years on record for Earth. Last year was the hottest year on record for both the U.S. and the planet as a whole. The World Meteorological Organization reports that the past ten years (2015-2024) were the ten warmest years on record globally.

Heat-trapping gases in our atmosphere are pushing temperatures well above average, supercharging storm systems, acting like steroids for the world's weather.

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What's being done about turning down the heat?

Cooling off our planet requires a huge transition away from relying on dirty energy sources to embracing clean, renewable options like solar or wind energy. An innovative company has recently announced the launch of a massive project that will harness energy from ocean waves.

We can all make changes in our homes that will not only lower utility bills but also help curb harmful carbon pollution. Washing clothes in cold water, upgrading to LED bulbs, and unplugging energy vampires are small steps we can take that will make a difference.

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