What climate change report says about Ireland - flooding, heatwaves and when they could happen

The world’s leading climate scientists have warned that global warming will enter a critical zone within 20 years.

A UN report released this morning by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said temperature rise will hit 1.5C by 2040 even in the best care scenario where greenhouse gas emissions are reduced.

This will lead to more extreme weather events that we have seen over the past years occurring more commonly, which have been caused by the current warming of 1.1C.

At 1.5C, one in ten-year heatwaves are expected three to four times a decade, with drought, heavy rainfall and floods also becoming more frequent and intense.

A anti-global warming protester holds up a placard in Cleveland, Ohio, near the Republican National Convention site July 18, 2016. (gettyimages.ie)

At 2C of warming, which is likely at current emission rates, the panel said: "Heat extremes would more often reach critical tolerance thresholds for agriculture and health."

They added: “Unless there are immediate, rapid and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, limiting warming to close to 1.5C or even 2C will be beyond reach.”

Flames close in on cars parked along a country road at the Blue Cut Fire on August 17, 2016 near Wrightwood, California. An unknown number of homes and businesses have burned and more than 80,000 people are under evacuation orders as the out-of-control wildfire spread beyond 30,000 acres and threatens to expand into the ski resort town of Wrightwood. (stock image) (gettyimages.ie)

Regional analysis has signalled that sea-related events will cause problems for Europe and Ireland with more intense coastal flooding and retreating shorelines.

At 1.5C, more frequent flooding and intense rainfall is forecast for Ireland, and contrasting extremes of increased river floods and summer droughts will be seen at 2C warming.

The report states that September sea ice in the Arctic will disappear at least once by 2050, making the ability of the sea and soils to absorb and retain carbon dioxide diminish.

Minister for the Environment and Climate Eamon Ryan told RTE’s Morning Ireland: “We have to halve our emissions in the next decade, and we have to go carbon neutral by the middle of the century. That's a huge change, but I feel it can be change for the better.

“How we change our transport and energy systems, our food and land use systems; we can do it in a way that makes [Ireland] a better country.”

He added: “Doing nothing is not an option.”

Minister Ryan said Ireland needs to act fast and make changes such as using our own renewable power, stopping the use of fossil fuels.

Ireland's first-ever carbon budget will be announced next month and will be followed by a more detailed plan to gather public confidence in the actions surrounding climate change.