London’s climate will be more like Barcelona’s by 2050 as the impact of global warming brings a striking change in conditions, expert analysis shows.
Scientists warned that Londoners could be facing the kind of extreme drought conditions that hit the Spanish city in 2008, which had severe implications for its population and major economic costs from importing £20 million of drinking water.
An evaluation of the world’s 520 major cities indicates some places will experience conditions that major urban areas have never seen before. The UK capital’s climate will feel similar to Barcelona’s, Edinburgh will be more like Paris is now and Cardiff will see similar conditions to Montevideo, Crowther Lab scientists said.
The group of experts, based in Zürich, Switzerland, said that pairing up cities in this way can help people visualise the impact climate change will have on their own lives.
They found that more than a fifth (22 per cent), including Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, will experience unprecedented conditions that major urban environments have not seen before.
Research projects what the 520 current cities' climate will most closely resemble by 2050, under an "optimistic" scenario where action is taken to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
UK cities and places their climate could mirror by 2050
London - Barcelona
Edinburgh - Paris
Glasgow - Cardiff
Cardiff - Montevideo
Leeds - Melbourne
Birmingham - Paris
Manchester - Montevideo
Jean-Francois Bastin, lead author of the research paper, said: "History has repeatedly shown us that data and facts alone do not inspire humans to change their beliefs or act.
"The intangible nature of reporting on climate change fails to adequately convey the urgency of the issue - for example, it is hard to envision how 2C of warming, or changes in average temperature by 2100 might impact daily life.
"With this analysis from Crowther Lab scientists, we want to help people visualise the impact of climate change in their own city, within their lifetime."
The study, published in the journal PLOS One, suggests summers and winters in Europe will get warmer, with average increases of 3.5C and 4.7C respectively.
