UK Climate Information (UKCI)

UK Climate Information will support adaptation decision-making across the country

What is UK Climate Information (UKCI)?

In summer 2026, the Met Office is introducing UK Climate Information (UKCI). This will be a new climate service to help the UK plan for the challenges of climate change and to support climate adaptation decision-making across the country.  

UKCI will represent the next generation of UK climate projections, building on UK Climate Projections 2018 (UKCP18) and continuing a series that began in 1998. Based on robust science, it is being developed to provide trusted, relevant and useable climate information for a wide range of users, including business, policy and decision makers. This includes enhanced data, tools and engagement opportunities tailored to user needs across sectors. 

The service will provide a broader and more usable package of UK climate information beyond projections. It will exploit climate science advances, embed practical tools for impact assessment, and offer a user-focused delivery system to better meet real-world needs. 

Why is UKCI needed now? 

The last major update of the UK's national climate scenarios was UKCP18, originally published in 2018. Our climate has continued to change since then, with impacts from extreme weather in the changing climate being increasingly felt. Information on current and future conditions is also being used to help quantify risks and plan adaptation responses. We also want to address varying requirements from an increasingly diverse user community in recent years, and to help our users benefit from improvements in scientific methods and technologies. 

How has UKCI's development come about?  

In March 2026 we released the outcome of our latest UKCP18 user consultation involving contributions from more than 500 participants across government, industry, academia and multiple sectors. They provided invaluable insight into how UKCP18 is used, the barriers encountered and how needs are evolving. You can learn more about the consultation by reading our synthesis via this open access journal: Identifying user requirements to inform national climate projections in the UK. The Met Office and our partners in UK Government agreed there was sufficient evidence from science advances and evolving users need to consider developing a major update to UKCP18.  

Should UKCP18 be used during UKCI development?

UKCP18 remains the current recommended and validated national climate dataset, so users should continue to use its data, guidance and information. UKCI is being developed as an evolution of UKCP18, with phased, incremental releases and clear guidance on how new information should be adopted alongside existing datasets. This means there is no need for users to pause or delay decisions, as UKCP18 will continue to be supported during the transition. Over time, UKCI products will become the recommended default as they mature, with a gradual, well-managed transition and clear guidance on which datasets are current, being updated or superseded. 

When will UKCI kick-off? 

We are hosting a kick-off webinar for UKCI on Thursday 9 July 2026. It will be an opportunity to hear how we are developing the next generation of UK climate projections.  

You can also learn how UKCI will reduce barriers to using climate information and support national adaptation efforts and how you can shape its development.  

The webinar will outline UKCI’s purpose, structure and development pathway, as well as user engagement opportunities. We will also discuss the underlying science, how it builds on UKCP18 and how the new climate information can be applied in real-world decision-making, as well as how they can contribute to and shape UKCI. 

The session will include contributions from the Met Office, Defra, and invited users, alongside a live Q&A.   

This event is suitable for existing UKCP users, policy makers and government organisations, businesses and consultants, researchers and academia, and anyone interested in UK climate data and adaptation.  

Click on this link to register for the webinar.  

A recording of the webinar will be shared via this page afterwards.