Last year was officially the warmest since records began more than 350 years ago. According to the Met Office, the average temperature in 2014 was 9.9C (49.82F), warmer than any year since 1659 when the Central England Temperature series began.
It was also the warmest since official records began in 1910 and 1.1C (1.98F) above the long-term average. The year also supplanted 2006 as the hottest on record and was the fourth wettest since the start of the 20th century.
Climate change campaigners point out that the UK’s top ten warmest years have all occurred since 2002.
Every month last year except August had higher than average temperatures and the number of frosts was the lowest since 1961. However, since 1998 the heating of the