Readiness for storms ahead? Critical national infrastructure in an age of climate change
Summary
In recent years, there have been extreme weather events in the UK that the Met Office would not have expected without climate change,5 and even more severe effects will be prevalent by the end of this century, including droughts, wildfires and floods. The UK saw six major storms over the past year, including some of the highest wind speeds recorded in over 30 years. Looking ahead to 2050, the independent Climate Change Committee (CCC) anticipates that the country will experience warmer and wetter winters, drier and hotter summers, and continued sea level rises. Sea levels have increased by 16cm since 1900; by 2050, about a third of England’s coast will be under pressure from flood risks. The impact of these changes on the UK’s critical national infrastructure (CNI) is all too clear.