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The last decade was the second hottest in the past 100 years in the UK and holds eight high-temperature records, it has been revealed.

But experts have warned that with the climate expected to continue to warm, more records could be broken.

The Met Office said on Friday that the 10 years from 2010 to 2019 had been the second warmest and second wettest decade in the country over the past 100 years, slightly behind 2000 to 2009.

The 2010s also saw the highest UK daily maximum temperature records set for February, July, October, November and provisionally for December, it added.

Further records for highest daily minimum temperature were set for January, February and April between 2010 and 2019.

UK Heatwave: July 2019 - In pictures 46 show all UK Heatwave: July 2019 - In pictures 1/46 A packed Brighton beach in the sunshine Getty Images 2/46 Swimmers at the Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park Matt Writtle 3/46 People punt under the Bridge of Sighs at St. John's College in Cambridge on the River Cam PA 4/46 People enjoy the hot weather in Hyde Park PA 5/46 A man and two women canoe up the Thames approaching the bridge at Hose Fair, near Kingston-upon-Thames PA 6/46 People enjoy the hot weather on Brighton Beach PA 7/46 Swimmers at the Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park Matt Writtle 8/46 People enjoy the hot weather in central Manchester PA 9/46 Victora Parkes and Rachel Crossland on Scarborough beach PA 10/46 Children sit in the sun by 'The Friendly Giant', a pond sculpture situated in Alnwick Gardens in Anwick, Northumberland PA 11/46 Hyde Park Alex Lentati 12/46 Scarborough beach PA 13/46 People enjoy the hot weather on the South Bank close to The Tate Modern Nigel Howard 14/46 The sun rises over the Thames estuary at Gravesend SplashNews.com 15/46 Charlotte Burniston and Justin McNicholas on Scarborough beach PA 16/46 People enjoy the hot weather on the South Bank close to The Tate Modern Nigel Howard 17/46 Gemma Moore and Leon Charlton on Scarborough beach PA 18/46 The sun rises over Burton Dassett Hills in Southam, Warwickshire PA 19/46 Sunbathing on Primrose Hill Matt Writtle 20/46 Youths cool off on Brighton beach Getty Images 21/46 The heatwave hits the London Underground Nigel Howard 22/46 Dramatic multiple lightning strikes over The Shard Alamy Live News 23/46 Revellers enjoying Scarborough Beach PA 24/46 People enjoy a water fountain in a park in Windsor AP 25/46 Crowds decend onto the beach at West Bay in Dorset as the temprature rises during the first week of the school hollidays Rex Features 26/46 Ernie Ward jumps into the water at Ilkley outdoor pool and lido in West Yorkshire as the UK is expected to edge towards its hottest ever July day, with the mercury due to soar above 30C (86F) PA 27/46 Brighton Rex Features 28/46 Sun drenched crowded beach at Weymouth, Dorset Rex Features 29/46 Brighton Rex Features 30/46 A tiger at London Zoo cools off in the water London Zoo 31/46 People play in the water at Ilkley outdoor pool and lido in West Yorkshire as the UK is expected to edge towards its hottest ever July day, with the mercury due to soar above 30C (86F) PA 32/46 Brighton Rex Features 33/46 People enjoy punting through Westgate Gardens in Canterbury, Kent, as temperatures are expected to rise over the UK this week PA 34/46 Primates at London Zoo are given ice-lollies, made of frozen fruit tea or sugar free cordial to keep cool London Zoo 35/46 People in the sun at English Heritage's Warkworth Castle in Northumberland as temperatures are expected to rise over the UK this week PA 36/46 Sunbathers relax in the sunshine on the beach in Folkestone, Kent, as the UK is expected to edge towards its hottest ever July day, with the mercury due to soar above 30C (86F PA 37/46 Horse-riders take part in the Crusaders' Chase at dusk on Musselburgh beach at the start of the week-long Musselburgh Festiva PA 38/46 A view of the Loggia at Hever Castle in Kent through new flower meadows, as the UK is expected to edge towards its hottest ever July day, with the mercury due to soar above 30C (86F). PA 39/46 The heatwave hits the London Underground Nigel Howard 40/46 The heatwave hits the London Underground PA 41/46 Lightning strikes over Canary Wharf Alamy Live News 42/46 Youths cool off on Brighton beach Getty Images 43/46 A packed Brighton beach in the sunshine Getty Images 44/46 People enjoy a boat ride along the River Thames in Windsor AP 45/46 A packed Brighton beach in the sunshine Getty Images 46/46 A couple enjoy the sunshine on Brighton Palace Pier Getty Images 1/46 A packed Brighton beach in the sunshine Getty Images 2/46 Swimmers at the Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park Matt Writtle 3/46 People punt under the Bridge of Sighs at St. John's College in Cambridge on the River Cam PA 4/46 People enjoy the hot weather in Hyde Park PA 5/46 A man and two women canoe up the Thames approaching the bridge at Hose Fair, near Kingston-upon-Thames PA 6/46 People enjoy the hot weather on Brighton Beach PA 7/46 Swimmers at the Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park Matt Writtle 8/46 People enjoy the hot weather in central Manchester PA 9/46 Victora Parkes and Rachel Crossland on Scarborough beach PA 10/46 Children sit in the sun by 'The Friendly Giant', a pond sculpture situated in Alnwick Gardens in Anwick, Northumberland PA 11/46 Hyde Park Alex Lentati 12/46 Scarborough beach PA 13/46 People enjoy the hot weather on the South Bank close to The Tate Modern Nigel Howard 14/46 The sun rises over the Thames estuary at Gravesend SplashNews.com 15/46 Charlotte Burniston and Justin McNicholas on Scarborough beach PA 16/46 People enjoy the hot weather on the South Bank close to The Tate Modern Nigel Howard 17/46 Gemma Moore and Leon Charlton on Scarborough beach PA 18/46 The sun rises over Burton Dassett Hills in Southam, Warwickshire PA 19/46 Sunbathing on Primrose Hill Matt Writtle 20/46 Youths cool off on Brighton beach Getty Images 21/46 The heatwave hits the London Underground Nigel Howard 22/46 Dramatic multiple lightning strikes over The Shard Alamy Live News 23/46 Revellers enjoying Scarborough Beach PA 24/46 People enjoy a water fountain in a park in Windsor AP 25/46 Crowds decend onto the beach at West Bay in Dorset as the temprature rises during the first week of the school hollidays Rex Features 26/46 Ernie Ward jumps into the water at Ilkley outdoor pool and lido in West Yorkshire as the UK is expected to edge towards its hottest ever July day, with the mercury due to soar above 30C (86F) PA 27/46 Brighton Rex Features 28/46 Sun drenched crowded beach at Weymouth, Dorset Rex Features 29/46 Brighton Rex Features 30/46 A tiger at London Zoo cools off in the water London Zoo 31/46 People play in the water at Ilkley outdoor pool and lido in West Yorkshire as the UK is expected to edge towards its hottest ever July day, with the mercury due to soar above 30C (86F) PA 32/46 Brighton Rex Features 33/46 People enjoy punting through Westgate Gardens in Canterbury, Kent, as temperatures are expected to rise over the UK this week PA 34/46 Primates at London Zoo are given ice-lollies, made of frozen fruit tea or sugar free cordial to keep cool London Zoo 35/46 People in the sun at English Heritage's Warkworth Castle in Northumberland as temperatures are expected to rise over the UK this week PA 36/46 Sunbathers relax in the sunshine on the beach in Folkestone, Kent, as the UK is expected to edge towards its hottest ever July day, with the mercury due to soar above 30C (86F PA 37/46 Horse-riders take part in the Crusaders' Chase at dusk on Musselburgh beach at the start of the week-long Musselburgh Festiva PA 38/46 A view of the Loggia at Hever Castle in Kent through new flower meadows, as the UK is expected to edge towards its hottest ever July day, with the mercury due to soar above 30C (86F). PA 39/46 The heatwave hits the London Underground Nigel Howard 40/46 The heatwave hits the London Underground PA 41/46 Lightning strikes over Canary Wharf Alamy Live News 42/46 Youths cool off on Brighton beach Getty Images 43/46 A packed Brighton beach in the sunshine Getty Images 44/46 People enjoy a boat ride along the River Thames in Windsor AP 45/46 A packed Brighton beach in the sunshine Getty Images 46/46 A couple enjoy the sunshine on Brighton Palace Pier Getty Images

This compared to just one low-temperature record during this decade, with the Beast from the East in 2018 leading to the coldest March day on record with a maximum temperature of -4.7C recorded at Tredegar in South Wales.

Dr Mark McCarthy, head of the National Climate Information Centre, said: “It is notable how many of these extreme records have been set in the most recent decade and how many more of them are reflecting high rather than low-temperature extremes: a consequence of our warming climate.”

He warned that with the warming trend in the UK expected to continue, this could see more records broken.

He added: “We are expecting the warming trend to continue through the 21st century and we would expect these sorts of records subsequently to be broken in the future.”

A spokesman for the Government said that climate change was a “national priority” and it is committed to increasing the momentum around environmental action.

The Met Office said that 2019 was provisionally the 11th warmest year on record, with a mean average temperature of 9.42C.

This puts it just outside the top 10, which have all occurred since 2002, the Met Office said.

Last year four highest temperature records were set, including the highest winter and summer temperatures and, pending verification, a potential new December maximum of 18.7C recorded on December 28.

The year has also been the 11th wettest year on record, with mean average rainfall of 1,240.1mm. The highest mean average rainfall was 1,337.3 in 2000.

Some counties in central and eastern England such as Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire and parts of south Yorkshire, which saw heavy rainfall through summer and autumn, have had annual rainfall figures in the top five, the Met Office said.

Dr McCarthy said the UK can expect wetter winters and drier summers in the future.

He added: “We have observed a general increase in rainfall in recent decades but that’s not evenly distributed so not everyone in the country has experienced this.

“We are expecting to see an increase in winter rainfall, so wetter winters and drier summers – but we could still experience some dry winters and wet summers.”

A Government spokesman said: “Tackling climate change is a national priority and we are determined to address it.

“We were the first major economy to set out a legally binding target to eliminate our contribution to climate change by 2050, and are the fastest in the G20 to decarbonise since 2000.

“Since 1990, we have reduced our emissions by over 40% while growing the economy by over two thirds.

“But we are determined to do more to increase the momentum and drive ambitious action both in the run up to and at this year’s COP26 talks in Glasgow.”