UK Warned to Brace for Severe Climate Scenarios

DID Press: Scientists in the United Kingdom have warned that the country must prepare for extreme outcomes of the climate crisis — including temperature increases of up to four degrees Celsius, sea-level rises approaching two meters, and even abrupt cooling caused by instability in Atlantic ocean currents.

Researchers say such developments could trigger prolonged disruption to infrastructure, agriculture, and the nation’s energy security.The warnings appear in a report commissioned by the UK Met Office as part of the government’s climate-resilience program and published in the journal Earth’s Future.

The study focuses on worst-case but plausible scenarios, which the authors argue are not hypothetical, and could, within decades, overwhelm public services and critical national systems.

The report delivers a clear message to policymakers in London: continuing to plan on the basis of “normal conditions” in an era of climate volatility carries significant and costly risk.Nigel Arnell, professor at the University of Reading and lead author of the research, said the severe events outlined in the study are “not guaranteed forecasts — but they are credible and serious.”