It's hot: Britain's average temperature is up about 1.6°C on the late 1990s, which means Glasgow is now as warm as London was 50 years ago.

Ditch the brolly: In the south at least, summer rainfall is down by about 15% since the late 1990s.

Better than the Med: The Mediterranean is too hot for comfort but we have our own warm, dry coastal resorts. It's boom-time for seaside guest houses and resorts like Bournemouth.

Trés continentale: You can't move for the profusion of pavement cafés, not to mention all those olive trees and vines.

Forget the wetsuit: Sea temperatures are up 1-1.5°C on the late 1990s and there's been an explosion in outdoor pursuits.

Cool fashions: Britons are increasingly dressing to keep cool rather than warm. The trusty overcoat is no longer de rigeur while woollens and sweaty synthetics have been traded in for lightweight cottons.

Half the frost: Heating bills are cheaper and the number of frosty mornings has halved.

Water shortage: Summer rainfall in the south is down 15% on the late 1990s.

Storm surge: The number of gales in southern England and Wales is up about 30%. Winter rainfall is up 10-15% in the north and extreme downpours make floods four times more likely in Scotland.

Sea level up: The sea level has been creeping up 5cm per decade, putting low-lying coastlines in peril of flooding.

Can't get insured: Insurance premiums have shot up, and not just against flooding. Shrinkage of dried-up clay subsoils is causing property foundations to crack, pushing up the price of household insurance as well.

Health fears: The winter death rate is down but illnesses such as asthma and heat-stroke are up. Hay-fever comes earlier and is more intense.