Weather reporters predict devastating typhoons, mega-drought and hurricanes for 2050
A TERRIFYING series of weather reports for the future predicts deadly droughts and devastating flooding across the world.
Climate Change
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“MIAMI South Beach is underwater”, says the forecaster, before scenes of typhoon devastation fill the screen.
Another weather reporter announces that Arizona’s mega-drought has claimed another casualty.
Shots of an approaching hurricane flash up as we see families fleeing floods.
Meanwhile, we learn, towns in South Africa and Bulgaria are suffering through searing 50C heat.
This is the United Nations’ terrifying vision for 2050, the first in its series of “weather reports from the future”.
The stark videos, produced with national broadcasters from Japan to Iceland, are being released ahead of the UN’s Climate Summit 2014.
They warn of a year’s rainfall in a month, destruction of ocean life and plagues of pests — just 36 years from now.
The World Meteorological Organization invited TV presenters from around the globe to prepare weather reports for 2050, depicting likely local impacts of climate change.
The year was chosen because it is halfway to the end of the 21st century, by which time it’s thought average global temperatures could rise by more than 4C, if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase at the current rate.
WMO will release the videos throughout September to support UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s call for ambitious action at the UN Climate Summit on September 23 to prevent these worst-case scenarios.
“Climate change is affecting the weather everywhere,” said Ban. “It makes it more extreme and disturbs established patterns. That means more disasters; more uncertainty.
“We can reduce the risks by cutting global greenhouse gas emissions and building low-carbon economies.
“Let’s work together to make our societies safer and more resilient.”
WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud said: “Climate change is already leading to more extreme weather such as intense heat and rain. The ‘abnormal’ risks becoming the norm. We need to act now.”
Originally published as Weather reporters predict devastating typhoons, mega-drought and hurricanes for 2050
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