How is this affecting our climate?

 Past and current greenhouse gas emissions means that no matter how successful we are at reducing our emissions now, some climate change is unavoidable. UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) has developed the UKCP09 projections which gives an understanding of how our climate system operates and how it might change in the future.

 UKCP09 show projected changes at a national and regional level and have three emissions scenarios for 2020s, 2050s & 2080s at three probability levels low, medium and high.  

 What this means for the UK

 Due to climate change we should expect to see these changes in our climate;

• Increasing summer temperatures and an increase in heatwaves
• Decrease in summer rainfall leading to droughts and creating pressure on current water resources
• An increase in winter rainfall increasing the risk of river and surface water flooding.        
• Sea level rise due to melting ice caps which may cause coastal flooding.
• More frequent and higher intensity storms/high winds.