The greenhouse gases (GHGs) that are already in the atmosphere will not disappear even if we were to stop emitting today. They will remain and continue to affect our climate for a number of years. Therefore it is important that we are prepared for the impacts that we may see in Leicester, such as hotter, drier summers and colder, wetter winters.
Colder, wetter winters
Predictions have shown that the East Midlands will see
colder, wetter winters in the years to come. For Leicester this means
more cold spells just like the ones in winter 2010/2011.
These cold spells can have negative impacts on our city
such as increased damage to road surfaces and, perhaps more seriously,
increased flooding through the winter period.
Flooding has negative impacts on both the residents of
Leicester and its businesses. For example disruption to transport
prevents people coming into the City and having your home flooded is a
devastating experience.
To see what we are doing to protect Leicester from flooding in the future please take a look at Leicester City Council’s Adaptation Action Plan.
To find our more about the impacts of climate change in the UK take a look at the UK Climate Impact Projections website.
Hotter, drier summers
Predictions have also shown that we will see hotter,
drier summers. Although this may sound nice, heatwaves can have serious
consequences for some members of the community.
Hot, dry weather means that the air pollutants that
would normally be blown away stay at ground level and heatwaves often
come hand in hand with poor air quality. This is very bad news for
anyone who suffers from respiratory illnesses and indeed anyone who
walks or cycles around the city a lot. A heatwave also puts pressure on
our care systems as heat can cause complications in vulnerable people
and hospitalisation rates often increase at these times.
A decrease in rain during the summers means much higher
pressure on our water systems and it is likely that there will be an
increase in water saving measures such as hosepipe bans.
To see what we are doing to protect Leicester from
hotter, drier summers in the future please take a look at Leicester City
Council’s Adaptation Action Plan below.
To find out our more about the impacts of climate change in the UK take a look at the UK Climate Impact Projections website.
