Multiple weather records broken

The UK has experienced multiple record-breaking weather events this year, as the climate crisis continues.

Met Office statistics show that May was England's driest calendar month since 1896, with less than 10mm of rainfall on average, while all UK countries experienced their sunniest spring in nearly 100 years. February 2020 was the wettest February the UK has ever registered, and the winter as a whole was the fifth wettest since records began in 1862. Storms left thousands of homes underwater.

“Climate breakdown can only mean more extreme swings,“ said Friends of the Earth nature campaigner Guy Shrubsole. “As lockdown lightens, decision-makers need to see both crises, climate and virus, as having the same solution: invest in a green and fair recovery.“

YouGov polling found that 81% of UK citizens believe coronavirus has highlighted the importance of protecting and restoring nature. Three-quarters support the suggestion that nature could contribute to economic recovery, while 80% oppose the idea of the government reducing spending on nature.

The survey also found that people with an annual household income of less than £10,000 are 3.6 times more likely to have no outdoor space where they live than people with a household income of £60,000 or more.

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