When I was growing up, in the 1960s and 1970s, we had what my nan used to call “proper weather”. Snow in winter, showers in spring, sun (or at least, sunny intervals) in summer and gales in autumn. Britain’s weather may have been changeable by the day, but the seasons were seemingly set in stone, with a reassuringly predictable regularity.
That certainly suited the country’s fauna and flora. Wild animals and plants, and by extension their habitats, evolved to cope with short-term unpredictability and long-term stability. If change did occur, it happened slowly, over decades or centuries; rather than rapidly, in a single year.
Now, according to the latest annual report on weather and wildlife from the National Trust, published last week, all that has changed, with the weather in 2017 more topsy-turvy than ever. One of the warmest years on record – globally as well as in the UK – made the four seasons blur into one. This led to what the trust describes as “a freak year for nature”.
 in summer and gales in autumn. Britain’s weather may have been changeable by the day,){kind=link}