Winter downpours also made 20% wetter and will occur every three years without urgent carbon cuts, experts warn

The seemingly “never-ending” rain last autumn and winter in the UK and Ireland was made 10 times more likely and 20% wetter by human-caused global heating, a study has found.

More than a dozen storms battered the region in quick succession between October and March, which was the second-wettest such period in nearly two centuries of records. The downpour led to severe floods, at least 20 deaths, severe damage to homes and infrastructure, power blackouts, travel cancellations, and heavy losses of crops and livestock.

The level of rain caused by the storms would have occurred just once in 50 years without the climate crisis, but is now expected every five years owing to 1.2C of global heating reached in recent years. If fossil fuel burning is not rapidly cut and the global temperature reaches 2C in the next decade or two, such severe wet weather would occur every three years on average, the analysis showed.

  • Kecessa@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    15·
    6 months ago

    Good thing the UK already made sure its agricultural sector wouldn’t be able to function by leaving the union, that’s one less impact to worry about!

  • DessertStorms@kbin.social
    8·
    6 months ago

    It’s a good thing they’ve been dredging the (now sewerage filled) rivers and sorted all the other flood defences out in preparation!

    Oh, wait… 🙄

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldBEnglish
    2·
    6 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:

    The seemingly “never-ending” rain last autumn and winter in the UK and Ireland was made 10 times more likely and 20% wetter by human-caused global heating, a study has found.

    If fossil fuel burning is not rapidly cut and the global temperature reaches 2C in the next decade or two, such severe wet weather would occur every three years on average, the analysis showed.

    For example, dehumidifiers provided to dry out flooded homes were not used by some because of high energy costs, while others could not afford to replace losses of frozen food after storms cut power supplies.

    Dr Sarah Kew, a researcher at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute and also part of the WWA team, said: “The UK and Ireland face a wetter, damper and mouldier future due to climate change.

    A separate analysis from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit found that the losses of arable crops alone in the UK due to the heavy rain would cost farmers about £1.2bn, compared with average production over the last decade.

    Dr Ellie Murtagh, the UK climate adaptation lead at the British Red Cross, said: “We know flooding has a devastating impact on people’s lives.

    The original article contains 705 words, the summary contains 196 words. Saved 72%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

  • alcoholicornEnglish
    2·
    6 months ago

    So is the UK gonna start getting temperate rainforests?

    IIRC Ireland was a temperate rainforest, before the English fucked everything up.

    • Zip2@feddit.ukEnglish
      2·
      6 months ago

      I think it was more likely the Neolithic farmers clearing the forests before Britain was even a thing.

      Same thing happened in Britain.

    • HumanPenguin@feddit.ukEnglish
      22·
      6 months ago

      Pretty sure 2024 humanity will cut everything down. Before forrests get settled. The UK is genrally just to populated. Maybe dart moor etc where building is already not very practicle.

      PS british have done a lot of shit. And shoold take the blame for much.

      But the irish would have been just as likly to remove forest land as the brits if we were not involved.

      Its not like conservation was a important topic for most europeens pre mid 1900s. And ireland free of British influence. Would have had the same expansion motives during the industrial revolution stage.