25/07/2003

UK summers will be 4°C hotter by 2100, claims report

Summer temperatures could rise by 4°C by the end of the century, summer rainfall could drop by nearly half and winters are likely to get much wetter, according to a new climate change report on the UK.

Hotter summers and rising sea levels will affect the islands around the UK and Ireland according to the report by scientists at the Hadley Centre, which is part of the Met Office.

Hotter summers and rising sea levels will affect the Isle of Man, Western Isles, Orkney Islands, Shetland Isles and the Channel Islands.

The report also shows that islands in the south will be hardest hit. The frequency of hot summer days in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man is predicted to increase four or five-fold and there could be a big reduction in frosts. Rising sea levels are expected to lead to higher storm surges - especially for the Channel Islands.

Environment Minister Elliot Morley said the report will help people to plan for the impact of climate change.

"But we must remember that adapting to the effects of climate change is not a replacement for cutting back on greenhouse emissions," he added.

"The UK and Ireland have both ratified the Kyoto Protocol, taking on legally binding emissions reduction or limitation targets. But much greater cuts will be needed if we are to avoid the most serious impacts of climate change in the future."

The report was published today by the British-Irish Council.

(GMcG)

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