Europe 'needs to prepare for climate change'

Europe needs to prepare for an influx of extreme weather over the coming decades as climate change is set to trigger a higher amount of severe storms, according to a new report. The European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC) has issued research that highlights the damage that could be done to society and the economy if policies are not put in place throughout Europe that plan for the possible consequences of climate change.

According to the report it is not the alterations in types of weather that needs to be planned for, instead it is the increase in severity that is likely to occur as the global temperature increases that will be the ultimate problem. The increase in severe weather is what will likely have the largest impact when it comes to economic and social factors.

In the last 30 years the costs associated with damage caused by extreme weather throughout Europe have risen by around 60 per cent, the report said. This extreme weather can be seen in central and western Europe's record-breaking heat waves in 2003 and those in Russia during 2010, as well as the incredibly cold winters of 2005/6 and 2009/10, which caused high numbers of deaths and damaged the economy. 

The report suggests that by the end of the century the temperatures across Europe could increase by between one and five degrees celsius, which is higher than the recent global predictions of temperature rises released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). As well as the temperature increase, the report suggests that droughts, extreme heat waves and heavy rainfall will be seen in areas of south and central Europe.

The EASAC recommends that Europe makes plans that enable them to better deal with heat waves, such as reducing the number of deaths by performing more studies into how increased temperatures can affect health. It also suggests that plans be made surrounding agriculture, as drought and heat waves in recent years have affected this area and reduced the number of crops being produced.

Early warning systems and flood defences have also been recommended in order to reduce damage caused by flooding and storm surges, which is likely to increase with rising sea levels. Individual member states are also being recommended to implement adaptation plans that enable them prepare for possible social and economic damage caused by climate change.