Latest news 27 May 2010
Extreme droughts could become far more common in the UK if climate change becomes a reality, a new report has said.
The Met Office study built 11 different models examining the likelihood of 1976-style droughts occurring in the country.
Each of the models varied from the other and offered different analyses.
At the lower end of the scale, the organisation predicted extreme droughts would take place every 50 to 100 years – as they do now.
However, the other end of the spectrum showed that droughts such as the one the UK experienced 34 years ago could occur ten times more often than their current frequency.
Eleanor Burke, climate extremes scientist at the Met Office, said: “Severe droughts such as the one seen in 1976 have a big impact – causing water shortages, health risks, fire hazards, crop failure and subsidence.
“Understanding how the frequency of these events will change is therefore very important to planning for the future.”
Posted by Emily Thomas
Sign up for regular email updates to help you save money and energy
For further information please see:
Met Office
The news feeds on this site are independently provided by Adfero Limited © and do not represent the views or opinions of the Energy Saving Trust.
View the Original article