The Royal Meteorological Society’s latest State of the Climate for the UK Energy Sector report, supported by global infrastructure consultancy AECOM, identifies two key impacts: periods where weather conditions led to significant discrepancies between renewable generation and demand, and periods where extreme weather conditions affected energy infrastructure.

In the first instance, in November 2024, cold, calm, and cloudy conditions led to an extended period of lower-than-average wind and solar generation, coupled with high energy demand. Similar conditions occurred on 8 and 20 January 2025.

On 8 January in particular, this resulted in spikes in both the real-time and day-ahead price of electricity as the system worked to balance generation and demand across the network. A combination of interconnection with other European networks and alternative sources of generation ensured that supplies were not disrupted.

In August 2024, high winds and sunny skies led to a surplus of wind and solar generation, and there were several periods where wind farms were paid to curtail their production to ensure the electricity network remained balanced.

Impact on energy infrastructure came mostly from the seven named storms the UK faced during the report period. The most destructive storms were Storm Darragh on 6–7 December 2024 (2.3m customers disconnected in Wales and central and northern England) and Storm Éowyn on 24 January 2025 (over 1m customers disconnected, mostly in Scotland and NE England), with most faults being related to damage caused by high winds or flooding.

Increases in faults from precipitation, which came from extreme summer rainfall events, are also noted, and two periods of high thunderstorm activity in May and September 2024 across Britain also contributed to localised outages due to lightning strikes.

Finally, the report provides an assessment of how a potential future electricity network with increased wind and solar generation capacity would cope with these weather events. It shows there would still need to be reliance on other sources of generation beyond wind and solar to provide adequate electricity to meet demand for the periods of cool, cloudy, and low-wind conditions seen in November and January.

Professor Liz Bentley FRMetS, chief executive of the Royal Meteorological Society, said: “As our changing climate makes extreme weather events more frequent, the impacts on industry, and the risks to business and society, are becoming increasingly significant.

“The Royal Meteorological Society leads in bridging the gap between research and the real-world application of meteorology, helping organisations make decisions grounded in evidence. We’re delighted to have been supported by AECOM on this report. Collaborations like this demonstrate how science can actively support a resilient, climate-ready economy.”

Sally Vivian, sustainability advisory growth lead, AECOM, added: “Understanding how weather events affect our energy systems is vital for building resilience in the face of a changing climate. This report provides valuable insights into how weather has impacted power generation and energy network reliability over the past year and will help guide the future planning and maintenance of energy infrastructure. AECOM is proud to partner with the Royal Meteorological Society on this work, combining climate science and industry expertise to better support and inform the UK’s energy sector.”