Report summary
A summary of observations from SEPA's State of Scotland's Environment 2006 report are
described below:
Temperature
Scotland's temperature records indicate a recent and rapid
warming trend, with average spring, summer and winter temperatures
rising by more than 1°C since 1961. Over the same period there has
been more than a 25% reduction in the number of days of frost (both
air and ground frost). As a result, the growing season has also
begun earlier and has significantly increased in length.
Rainfall
SEPA is the hydrometric authority for Scotland and we monitor
rainfall and river flow at hundreds of sites across the country.
Scotland has become much wetter since 1961. Winter precipitation
(total rainfall and snowfall) has risen by almost 60% in the north
and west, and high flow frequencies in western rivers have
increased. The annual average precipitation in Scotland is up
20%.
Marine environment
The seas around Scotland have warmed by up to 1°C over the last
20 years. Warmer seas have prompted changes in the composition,
abundance and distribution of a number of marine species, including
plankton, fish, sea birds, whales, mammals, dolphins and
porpoise.
Coastline
Sea level is rising all around the UK coastline. All Scottish
mainland gauges have recorded a sea level rise over the long term,
with the longest individual record at Aberdeen indicating an
average sea rise of 0.6mm per year since 1862. Combined with
evidence of increasing storminess and wave height in the North East
Atlantic, this suggests that future storm surges will probably
become more severe, leading to increased risk of coastal
flooding.
SEPA is a sponsoring partner to the Marine Climate Change
Impacts Partnership (MCCIP), which provides planning advice to cope
with the challenges and opportunities presented by the impacts of
climate change in the marine environment:
Predicted impacts
The speed and impact of climate change will be become more
severe if we remain heavily dependent on fossil fuels. Indeed,
temperatures in Scotland may rise by up to 4°C by the end of the
century, with consequences including milder and wetter winters,
hotter and drier summers, more extreme weather events and rising
sea levels.