Weather v climate: How to make sense of an unusual cold snap while the world is hotter than ever

Earlier this year , the Met Office announced average global temperatures in 2023 were 1.46C above pre-industrial levels.

Ten days later , a village in the Scottish Highlands reached a balmy 19.9C, the warmest January temperature ever recorded anywhere in the UK .

Yet just ten days on from that record warmth, much of the UK has again been hit by unusually cold and snowy weather.

Global climate change makes high temperature extremes more likely, even in winter . It does not forbid winter cold snaps, but it does reduce their likelihood. Provided by The Conversation.