London could become so hot by 2050 it could suffer ‘extreme droughts,’ shocking study shows

A new study looking at how the temperatures of 520 major cities across the world will change in the event of a 2C increase has yielded shocking results, with projections predicting Leeds could feel like Melbourne and London could suffer droughts.

Scientists at Crowther Lab compared present day temperatures to what they were “pre-industrial period”, considered to be between 1850 and 1900, a time when burning fossil fuel burning didn’t detrimentally impact the environment.

A 2C increase could mean that one fifth of cities including Singapore and Kuala Lumpur could experience conditions the likes of which they've never seen before.

In addition, London could be as hot as Barcelona and may suffer from extreme droughts, like the ones the Spanish city suffered in 2008.

At the time the Spannish city was forced to import drinking water from France at the steep cost of £20million because temperatures soared so high.

Picture: PLOS One

Jean-Francois Bastin, one of the study's authors said:

History has repeatedly shown us that data and facts alone do not inspire humans to change their beliefs or act.

Summers and winters in Europe will get warmer, increasing by 3.5C and 4.7C respectively, according to the study, which was published in the journal PLOS One.

"This study helps to put climate change in the context of human experience - and more importantly, shows that many places will see entirely new climates that are outside of current human experience," Professor Richard Betts, from the Met Office Hadley Centre told BBC.

Mike Lockwood, a University of Reading professor, added: "Bringing Barcelona's climate to London sounds like it could be a good thing - if you don't suffer from asthma or have a heart condition, that is - except London clay shrinks and is brittle if it gets too dry and then swells and expands when very wet.”

As ever, there is destructive and unforeseen devil in the details of climate change.

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