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New Government figures highlight impact of climate change in the South West
Climate change will mean hotter, drier summers and warmer, wetter winters for Bristol, according to new Government forecasts. The UK Climate Projections 2009, published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs earlier this month, show that summer temperatures in the city could rise by almost two degrees in ten years time and by three degrees in 2050.
Bristol’s beach - a regular feature with our warming climate (Image: A visual invasion)
And it is not just our summers that will be warmer. Winter temperatures are set to increase by over one degree in the next decade and by two degrees or more in the next forty years.
But this warmer weather will come at a price, as we can expect to see drier summers and wetter winters. Average summer rainfall is set to decrease by 19% between now and 2050, while we will have up to 17% more rain in the winter months.
Government scientists also predict that sea levels around the South West will increase by 22cm in the next forty years and by nearly half a metre by the end of the century.
This changing climate will have a significant impact on life in our city and the surrounding areas. Without decisive action, the Government says that we will see water shortages, increased flooding in low-lying areas and more frequent heat waves, like the one in 2003 that caused two thousand deaths in the UK alone.
Launching the projections, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said “There is no doubt about it – climate change is the biggest challenge facing the world today. Climate change is already happening – the hottest ten years on record globally have all been since 1990. This landmark scientific evidence shows not only that we need to tackle the causes of climate change but also that we must deal with the consequences.”
Alex Webb from the South West Climate Change Impacts Partnership welcomed the new figures. “They are the most comprehensive level assessment of the impacts of climate change for the UK using the latest science,” she told Ecojam. “We are already doing a lot of work with partners to raise awareness of the impacts of climate change and to help them prepare and adapt for the changes and we will continue to do so reflecting the new projections.”
The projections were developed by a consortium of Government and academic research organisations using climate models and data from the UK Met Office. They are based on emissions scenarios outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change and have been reviewed by an international panel of experts.
Article by Simon Perks
