Sea level rise accelerates in the UK

A man cools his body in a water fountain in Trafalgar Square in London, during the heat wave sweeping the United Kingdom – Photograph: Reuters

According to a report by the UK Met Office, sea level rise is accelerating in the country, making the coasts more vulnerable.

Released on Thursday (28), the document highlights the ongoing impacts of climate change on the British coast.

This study, based on observations of climate and weather events for 2021, confirms the impact of rising global temperatures on the UK, highlighting that “climate change is not just a future problem, but is already affecting the conditions in which we live.”

Recent decades have been hotter, wetter and brighter than those of the 20th century. The rate of sea level rise has doubled in just one century, and since 1900 the level has risen by about 16.5 cm. One of the reasons From this phenomenon Melting glaciers in the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets.

“Our long-term measurements show that over the past few decades the rate of sea level rise in the UK has increased,” explains Svetlana Jevrejeva from the National Oceanographic Centre. He pointed out that this phenomenon threatens coastal areas.

As sea levels rise, storms can cause stronger impacts. Due to its island nature, the country is particularly vulnerable to coastal erosion.

A recent report from the UK Environment Agency estimated that one in six people are at risk of flooding due to rain or rising sea levels, and that one million people will be directly affected by rising water levels by the end of the century.