Extreme Rain Forecast for UK
Extreme rainfall is likely to occur more frequently according to new research published.
The kind of intense rain that causes havoc up and down the country is likely to become more common place in the UK.
The threat of more intense rainfall could lead to flooding in Autumn, Spring and Winter by the year 2080. This will be particularly prevalent in the North and West.
Temperatures are rising and so are sea levels. The 'global water cycle' is changing and the warmer air that we have got used to over the last few years, although pleasant to us, actually holds more moisture and has more of a treat to our surroundings.
This is going to mean big changes in the way that we think about our climate and governments are going to have to respond accordingly.
We should expect to see an increase in two different types of rain. The one-day downpours that result in flash flooding and then the five-day heavy rainfall type, that quickly saturates the ground and may lead to widespread flooding. These two types of rainfall are predicted to change in intensity towards the end of the century.
Scientists have looked at how 13 different climate models have simulated these two types of extreme rainfall across nine regions of Britain. The results from the models were compared to actual rainfall measurements between 1961 and 1990 over the four seasons. The models were then used to predict future changes to the climate.
The results state that should no action be taken to greatly reduce gas emissions then the kind of rain that we only see once every 5 years or every 25 years, will become more intense and common place.
The models have indicated that the North and the West will see the biggest changes, with Autumn being the season to watch and predicted 60% more rain and that this could be as much as 30% more rain in one sitting.
Although the South and East may not see a big changes as the North and West, there is still going to be an increase of around 10-20%.
The Environment Research Council have launched a £10 million project to research the changing water cycle and to help reduce the uncertainty of unpredictable extreme weather.
Talk to our flooding and water damage loss assessors today about your insurance claims.
Predictions for climate change could result in us all being under water
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