Scottish Climate Update June 2009
11 July 2009
One of a series of Climate Updates from WWF Scotland based on data from the Met Office
TOP LINE: June 2009 was the 6th sunniest June ever recorded and was a degree warmer than average
COMMENT:
2009 is a crucial year for climate change with world leaders meeting in Copenhagen in December to agree a new international climate deal that will come into force when the first phase of the Kyoto treaty expires in 2012. The Scottish Climate Change Bill has just completed its passage through the Scottish Parliament.
Dr Richard Dixon, Director of WWF Scotland, said:
“June was very sunny, with a very warm finish. Overall it was a full degree warmer than the long-term average. Already July has been a mix of heatwave, torrential downpour and flooding. If the second half of the year follows the pattern of the last six months 2009 would end up as the 8th warmest year on record.
"June was a really important month because the Scottish Climate Change Bill had its final vote in the Scottish Parliament. With a tough 2020 target of 42%, the inclusion of aviation and shipping emissions and a limit on the use of international carbon credits, this is a world-leading piece of legislation that will influence the international talks about climate targets in December. We can all be proud of the example that Scotland is setting with this Bill.”
THE YEAR SO FAR
- June 2009 was the 6th sunniest June ever recorded and finished with a very warm spell.
- May 2009 was the 6th wettest and 4th sunniest May ever recorded, and it was also the 9th sunniest month ever recorded, as well as being 0.6°C warmer than average.
- April was the 3rd warmest April in the records which go back to 1914 and it was also sunnier than average.
- March was the 5th sunniest ever recorded and a full degree warmer than the long-term average.
- The east of Scotland was 1.6° warmer than the average.
- The start of February was cold but temperatures picked up to allow the month to finish with an average temperature above the long-term average.
- January was the 3rd sunniest January in Scotland according to the records which began in 1929. Although it was cooler than in recent years it was still 0.1°C warmer than the long-term average.
