Impacts of climate change in Worcestershire

As part of the development of the County Climate Change Strategy, a study was carried out to investigate the Impacts of Climate Change in Worcestershire. The study found that the climate in Worcestershire has changed significantly over the last century. It looks at what the future may hold for Worcestershire in terms of further changes in its climate and the consequences of this.

How is Worcestershire's climate expected to change?

How might life in Worcestershire be affected?

How can I find out more?

Sources of further information

How is Worcestershire's climate expected to change?

The extremity of change is expected to depend on future levels of emissions of climate change gases. The more we do now to reduce emissions, the less extreme the expected impact. Worcestershire's climate is expected to change in several ways; predictions include:

• An increase in average maximum temperature of up to 4.5C by the 2080s.
• More frequent very hot summers and less frequent very cold winters.
• Summer rainfall to decrease by up to 12% by 2020s and up to 50% by 2080s.
• Winter rainfall to increase by up to 23% by 2080s.
• More short duration extreme weather events such as storms and floods.

How might life in Worcestershire be affected?

Below are just a few examples of potential impacts on a range of sectors in Worcestershire:

Water Supply - more droughts due to higher temperatures and changing rainfall patterns.

Health Services:- more heat related summer deaths and cases of food poisoning; fewer cold related winter deaths.

Biodiversity:- changing conditions may be beneficial to some species but harmful to others.  For example, some species may be lost due to wetland habitats drying up.

Agriculture:- Problems caused by drought, floods and new crop pests.

Transportation:  Roads may be less affected by frost and freeze/thaw but may be closed more often due to flooding.  Higher temperatures are likely to affect rails and associated structures.

Leisure and Tourism:- People may take more day trips and holidays in the UK due to the warmer weather.  This could mean more spending at local businesses but increased pressure on services and the environment.

How can I find out more?

Download the Worcestershire Climate Change Impacts Study to find out more: Summary version  (1.19 MB) Full version  (4.70 MB), Further Sources of information on climate and weather, aswell as sector specfic advice on adapting to the impacts.