Show your stripes 2025
by Kirsty McCabe, FRMetS
June 21st doesn't just mark the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, it's also Show Your Stripes Day, when the weather and climate community come together to share the warming stripes to start conversations about climate change.
Here's what you need to know:
- The warming stripes are a powerful visual representation of how temperatures have changed around the world since the industrial revolution. They were created in 2018 by Professor Ed Hawkins from the University of Reading, and have been used all around the world.
- Each stripe represents a year and shows whether the average temperature that year was above or below average.
• The red lines are where the temperature was above average
• The blue lines are when the temperature was below average - There are versions for nearly every country, and hundreds of cities around the globe, including many in the UK and Ireland. You can view and download the warming stripes from the Show Your Stripes website.
- The warming stripes for the globe clearly show the rapid warming we have seen over the last few decades, turning from mainly blue to mainly red, and this trend is being seen for virtually every country, region and city.
“These simple graphics help everyone understand the changes to our climate that we are seeing. They help start conversations about the risks of inaction, and the benefits of making different choices about future carbon emissions”
Prof Ed Hawkins
Wherever you live in the world, your climate is getting warmer.
21st June is #ShowYourStripes day when we ask everyone to use the warming stripes to talk about how we are already experiencing the consequences of climate change.
Download your stripes: https://t.co/NCt3GNpeSN pic.twitter.com/rbspg50Yjd— Ed Hawkins (@ed_hawkins) June 4, 2025
The success of Ed's climate stripes has now been expanded to show temperatures changes from our upper oceans to the lower atmosphere, and even the impacts on biodiversity and air quality.
Finally, a look to the future. This image below shows the difference between delaying action or reducing our emissions. We really don't want to introduce any more shades of red.
Show your stripes on 21st June and keep the climate conversation going!
