UK Weather: Snowball Fighting and Sledding Could Be a Distant Memory for Brits Later This Century | UK News



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The days of snowballing and sledding could be over for much of the UK by the end of the century, the Met Office analysis suggests.

Research has found that most of southern England may not have temperatures below or below zero in the 2040s, due to climate change.

By 2080, only the very high ground and parts of northern Scotland will see freezing temperatures if the trend continues.

The Met Office said each year will vary and some will be colder or warmer than the trend.

The findings are based on projections that assume global emissions continue to rise, but the Met Office said that while this scenario may not be the most likely outcome, it is credible.

Even if emissions are reduced, average temperatures are likely to continue to rise, leading to hotter and drier summers.

Dr Lizzie Kendon, Senior Scientist at the Met Office, told BBC Panorama: “We are saying that by the end of the century much of the snow lying on the ground will be completely gone, except on the higher ground.

“The big picture is hotter and wetter winters, hotter and drier summers.

“But within that, we get this shift towards more extreme events, so more frequent and intense extremes, so the rains are stronger when they occur.

“It’s a huge change … in the course of our life. It’s just a wake-up call to what we’re talking about here.”

Dr. Kendon said that temperatures above 30 ° C (86 ° F) for two days in a row will be 16 times more frequent by the end of the century, compared to the average between 1981 and 2000.

Sky weather anchor Nazaneen Ghaffar says: “For precipitation to fall as snow, the air temperature must be below 2 ° C, so with milder winters and fewer cold spells anticipated due to Due to climate change, snow is less likely in the future during our winter months.

“In fact, wetter winters are more likely, as warmer air can hold about 7% more moisture per degree of warming. A warmer planet also means more energy is given to storms, making them more intense. and frequent, so flooding could become a devastating problem during our winter months down the road. ”

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