Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett has warned
of that the impact of climate change may happen sooner and be much
worse than has been expected- based on a new UEA/Hadley/Tyndell Centre
report ‘Climate Change Scenarios for the United Kingdom’
which suggested that top temperatures, in summers, in the UK may rise
to highs of 40 degreesC by the 2080s, especially in the SE, with many
more "very hot" days contrasted by wetter, but warmer, snow-free
winters and drier spring and autumn seasons .
Mrs Beckett warned that ‘increased
risk in the UK of droughts, heavy rainfall and floods, could have major
consequences for land use, planning, water resources, infrastructure,
insurance, tourism and many other sectors across society. Climate change
must be factored into everyday decisions by organisations and individuals
now. People must not be caught on the back foot. Even at the lower end
of the range of uncertainty they will have a huge impact on all our
lives.’
However, although the Gulf Stream may weaken in
future, the report concludes that it is unlikely to completely ‘switch
off’, or lead to a cooling of the UK climate within the next 100
years. Lets hope that’s right!
