WIREDGOV

There’s so much information out there about climate change that it is hard to know what to believe. It can get a bit confusing but it doesn’t have to be like that.

The Met Office is giving a clear guide to the facts about climate change and what can be expected in the future at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show next week. We will also dispel doubts by talking about the fiction.

Our climate is changing and for many gardeners the first evidence of this can already be seen in gardens across the UK. Seasons are already changing, milder winters and the early onset of spring have lengthened the growing season. This trend is predicted to continue in the future, so lawns will have to be mown all year round and it should make it easier to grow soft fruits like peaches and grapes.

Pete Gibbs, Met Office Broadcast Meteorologist at the BBC said: “At RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, we’re dispelling some of the myths of climate change, so people can be really clear about what is fact and what is fiction.

“By drawing attention to some of the changes we will experience in our gardens and in our lives, we aim to give people a reliable picture of the impacts so they can prepare for the future”

Met Office climate scientists will be on hand in the “Garden Energy” interactive feature garden to discuss the facts and fiction of climate change and advise on what our changing climate will mean to gardens and our lives. All you need to know about climate change is outlined in the essential guide to climate change that will be available at the show.

Visitors can present a typical forecast for today and the future from the Met Office TV studio. The forecast will show just how much climate change will affect the UK’s weather in the future due to our actions today.

Watch Peter Gibbs talk about climate change and gardening on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =6Rvhizys8Ds
Further information on the effects of climate change on our gardens
http ://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climatechange/guide/effects/gardens.html
Separating climate change fact from fiction (PDF)
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climatechange/news/latest/rhs_files/factficti on.pdf
TV weather maps of 2050 (PDF)
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climatechange/news/latest/rhs_files/rhswea thermaps.pdf
Climate change – Your essential guide (PDF)
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climatechange/guide/downloads/quick_guide.pdf

For further information contact Met Office Press Office 01392 886655 or email pressoffice@metoffice.gov.uk

Notes to editors:

* The Met Office will be taking part in media previews on Monday 6th July 2009 and you should contact the RHS press office on 020 7821 3045 to obtain press passes in advance. For filming requests at the RHS flower show you should contact Helen Chivers on 07826 533718 or the Met Office press office on 01392 886655.

* The Met Office is the UK’s National Weather Service, providing 24x7 world-renowned scientific excellence in weather, climate and environmental forecasts and severe weather warnings for the protection of life and property.
* The Met Office Hadley Centre is the UK's foremost centre for climate change research. Mainly funded by DECC (the Department of Energy and Climate Change), Defra (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and the Ministry of Defence, it provides information and advice to the UK Government on climate change issues.
* The RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show runs from 7th to 12th July 2009.
* How climate change could affect the weather in your region.
http://www.metoffic e.gov.uk/climatechange/guide/ukcp/