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Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
National
Sophie Buchan

Climate change experts warn 'immediate action' is needed amid Greece wildfires

Climate change is here and believe it or not, it's real.

Right now, there are fires sweeping across Greece with thousands being forced to evacuate and homes being destroyed.

The fires broke out after the most severe heatwave in three decades where temperatures soared to 45C.

Fires like this and the ones we've seen in Australia are becoming more common and extreme due to human-induced climate change.

Experts say that heatwaves are becoming more common too with Glasgow basking in highs of 30C last month and experts now say that the UK could see highs of 40C as a 'new normal'.

Whilst the thought of less rain and more sun does sound delightful, it's also scary to think about why this is happening.

Footage circulating on Twitter shows the reality when faced with the impact of climate change - something not often seen in Scotland.

Follow all the latest thunderstorm news - including flooding and traffic updates - on our live blog

In a recent report from the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) published today (August 9), they stress that there is "no scientific reason to delay action' in order to protect the most "ambitious target" of the Paris Agreement.

This target, which requires "immediate action", is for the 'global temperature rise' to remain below 1.5°C.

The report highlights that human influence on the climate is already "affecting all regions of the planet and changing the frequency and intensity of weather extremes, from extreme rainfall and associated flooding to more intense and frequent heatwaves. In the longer term rising sea levels and melting ice from glaciers and ice sheets are going to have even more profound impacts."

Key elements from the report include

  • There is overwhelming evidence our climate is changing due to human activities and that this is already driving impacts
  • The window to meet the Paris Agreement goals to limit warming to well below 2.0°C remains open, but the science highlights the urgency and scale of action required
  • The window to meet the Paris Agreement’s aspiration to remain below 1.5°C is still open but requires immediate action
  • Advances in climate science research provide the information to better plan an effective response at global and regional levels. This includes limiting future change and making society more resilient to the changes we will see
  • An interactive regional atlas looking highlighting climate impacts is a new feature.
We could see more flooding globally due to extreme and heavy rainfall. (Getty)

Professor Stephen Belcher, Chief Scientist for The Met Office said: “This latest scientific assessment report paints an alarming picture of the drivers of climate change impacts that are disrupting our planet and society. It confirms that from the edge of space to the ocean depths human-driven climate change is affecting every region of our planet and every part of the climate system.

“In 2015 in Paris, the world came together to agree a commitment to keep global temperature rise below 2.0°C with an additional aspiration to keep below 1.5°C. This latest assessment suggests that without urgent action the opportunity to stay below the 1.5°C threshold is rapidly expiring.

“Over the last three decades the evidence for catastrophic impacts from climate change have been growing stronger and the case for urgent action has been growing stronger. This report is the starkest yet and presents overwhelming evidence to the delegates of the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow in November that without urgent action we won’t avoid the worst impacts of climate change.”

Dr Matt Palmer, who led the report’s chapter on Energy Budget and Climate Sensitivity added: “We now have a clearer picture of the warming that is occurring throughout the Earth system, from the upper atmosphere to the deep ocean, due to human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.

"This observed heating of the climate system has increased in-line with greenhouse gas concentrations and is driving the observed acceleration in sea-level rise since the mid-20th century through increased thermal expansion of the oceans and melting of ice on land. Improved understanding of past climate change and key climate processes has enabled us to refine projections of future warming and sea-level rise compared to previous reports.”

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