UK Will Get 37 Extreme Hot Days Per Year, If Global Temperatures Rise By 4¡ãC
Based on current situations, days exceeding 77 degrees Fahrenheit in the UK from around 10 days in a year to around 37 days in a year. However, if the rising temperatures are controlled to just 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, the extremely hot days could increase only around 10 to 18 days.
The Meteorological Office (also known as Met Office) has now warned that the UK could see a considerable increase in the number of extremely hot days in the UK if global average temperatures spike by just 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit or 4 degrees celsius.
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This is according to a study published in the journal Climate Change that has discovered that worsening of global warming could make the weather a lot more severe in the UK.
This would include days touching temperatures of 77 degrees Fahrenheit or over 25 degrees celsius, along with more flooding however, it would also include more periods of droughts.
Previous studies have hinted that climate change has already raised average temperatures by 4.1 degrees Fahrenheit above pre-industrial levels and if the same trend continues, things could get more difficult.
Based on current situations, days exceeding 77 degrees Fahrenheit in the UK from around 10 days in a year to around 37 days in a year. However, if the rising temperatures are controlled to just 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, the extremely hot days could increase only around 10 to 18 days. Although, even at this level, it poses a severe risk to human health from extreme heat.
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Alternatively, the number of days with high-impact rainfall in the UK could rise by three days per year. As of now, there are seven days every year in England and Wales that see intense prolonged rainfall, causing river flooding.
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The rising temperatures of 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit could spike to 11 days per year. However, with a 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit spike, this could lead to 9 days of heavy rainfall per year.
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The study also warns of extreme droughts too with this rise in temperature -- increase by 146 percent if temperatures exceed 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit. However, in case the temperatures don¡¯t exceed 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, droughts could be 86 percent more frequent.
Lead author Dr Helen Hanlon explains, ¡°Severe weather can impact us in a number of ways, from our health to flooding, food availability and transport issues. The paper shows that the increase in high-impact weather is reduced if global warming is kept as low as possible, showing that efforts to reduce human-induced climate change will curb the most severe impacts of future weather in the UK.