Landmark IPCC report outlines major changes in Australia's future climate, including the Shire.

Dr Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick explains how the Shire's winter climate is changing. Plus, what does the recent IPCC report mean for everyday Australians?

EARLIER this month, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a landmark report outlining the current state of the climate, and how it's likely to change in the coming decades.

The IPCC report confirmed that without "immediate, rapid and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions" the Earth will experience unprecedented warming.

In 2019, humans emitted around 42 billion tonnes of CO₂.

At this rate, for every five years of emissions, global temperatures will increase by around 0.1 degrees.

And despite the pandemic, emissions aren't slowing down.

If we continue to emit greenhouse gases at this scale, the IPCC says we're set to reach two degrees of warming by mid-century.

To put this into context, it's taken 120 years for the Earth to warm by 1.1 degrees.

Two degrees of warming will have significant ramifications for Australia and the rest of the world.

For example, many extreme heat events that used to happen every 10 years are likely to occur every one or two years.

With the rise in sea level projected to continue, many coastal areas will experience increased flooding and shoreline erosion.

Bushfire risk and drought will also worsen across southern Australia.

The climate is already changing in the Shire.

According to Bureau of Meteorology data, we're seeing similar temperature rises at the local level.

Back in 1970, the Shire's average nighttime temperature during winter was around seven degrees.

Nowadays, it's more like 10 degrees - almost three degrees warmer than 50 years ago.

Further, according to scientists July was the hottest month ever recorded on Earth.

Without a significant reduction in emissions, the Shire's climate will continue to warm.

Residents are also noticing.

Want more information on how your climate is changing? Check out the last article in this series.

Dr Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick is a climate scientist at the University of New South Wales.

This column is part of a collaboration between Monash University and News Corp to deliver hyperlocal weather and climate information.