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• Extreme weather is weather that is unusual or unexpected. Many types of extreme weather affect the UK, including strong winds and storms, droughts and floods and extreme hot or cold spells.
• The extreme hot spell of June and July 2018 was one of the hottest and driest summers on record. It caused many problems, including drought, poor harvests and health issues.
• During the cold spell of February 2021 the UK experienced some of the coldest temperatures on record. Snow and blizzards caused travel disruption and led to high winds and waves.

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Extreme weather is any weather that is unusual or unexpected. This can be severe or unseasonal weather. In the UK, warnings are issued if extreme weather is expected. Examples of extreme weather include:

Strong winds and storms can cause damage to property and can be hazardous to people. Thunderstorms are caused by warm air rising rapidly. They are more common in the UK summertime when air temperatures are very warm. They have lightning strikes, which can damage property and cause fires.

Since 2015, severe storms in the UK have been given names. This enables weather forecasters to track how a particular storm is developing over time.

Droughts are very dry periods, caused by a lack of precipitation over a long period. They are a risk to water security and can damage crops.

Floods occur when water covers land that is otherwise dry. They are caused by too much precipitation in a short period of time. Floods damage property, wash away roads and vehicles, and can cause loss of life.

Extreme hot spells can occur during the summer and can lead to drought and thunderstorms. High temperatures can cause dehydration, heat exhaustion, and sunburn. Hot spells can also lead to wildfires as vegetation becomes dry and catches fire easily.

Extreme cold spells can occur during the UK winter. Extremely cold weather can bring heavy snow and ice, creating dangerous walking and driving conditions. It can cause illness in people, such as hypothermia and increased risk of influenza.

The UK has experienced extreme weather many times. These include strong winds and storms, droughts and floods and extreme hot and cold spells.

The Met Office reported that the summer of 2018 was one of the hottest and driest in the UK since 1910, when records began. Some regions received less than 10 per cent of their usual average rainfall.

Negative impacts:

• Water levels in reservoirs fell. This was a concern because reservoirs are an important source of water for the UK.
• A lack of water for crops led to poorer harvests.
• The heat also caused health issues, such as dehydration and heart failure. The number of people seeking hospital treatment during these months was the highest since records began in 2010.

An overnight temperature of -22.9 °C was recorded in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. This was the lowest UK recorded temperature since 1995.

Negative impacts:

• Snow and blizzards caused travel disruption across many parts of the UK.
• Waste collections were suspended so bins were not emptied.
• Wind speeds reached around 40 mph in coastal areas, causing dangerously high waves in places like Cornwall.
• Cold weather alerts were issued by NHS England and Public Health England.