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Climate modellers at the Hadley Centre in Exeter have devised their own crystal ball to see into the future. They run a number of computer models (in science speak, HadRM3, HadAM3H and HadCM3) which, among other things, predict the future change in temperature. The models are based on four greenhouse gas emission scenarios: low emissions, medium-low emissions, medium-high emissions and high emissions. Each simulation runs over three blocks of 30 years, predicting the climate for the 2020s, 2050s and 2080s.
The Hadley models predict a 2080s temperature increase for the UK of between approximately 2°C with the low emissions scenario and 4°C with the high emissions scenario. This may not sound like a great deal, but just a fraction of a degree can have huge implications on the climate, with very noticeable consequences. And 2080 really isn't that far away – your grandchildren will most certainly be experiencing the changes, possibly even your children.
1. Introduction | Rising Temperatures | Predicting Global Warming | Complicating Factors | Predicting 2080 | Spring 2080 | Summer 2080 | Autumn 2080 | Winter 2080 |10. Quick Guides | 11. Find out more | 12. Credits
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