World's major cities to face 'unknown' climate conditions by 2050

(Reuters News, 11 Jul 2019) London's climate in 2050 could be similar to Barcelona's current climate, with Madrid feeling more like Marrakesh and Seattle more like San Francisco.

A fifth of the world's major cities will face "unknown" climate conditions by 2050, researchers warned on Wednesday, as rising temperatures heighten the risks of drought and flooding.

Climate scientists at the Crowther Lab, a research group based at ETH Zurich, a science and technology university, analysed 520 cities across the world, including all capitals and most urban centres with a population of more than 1 million.

Looking at current climate conditions in these cities - including precipitation and seasonal data - scientists projected what would happen as temperatures rise another half degree, to near the lower 1.5 degree Celsius target set in the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change.

It showed that 22% of the cities will experience unprecedented climate conditions by 2050, such as more intense dry and monsoon seasons, said Jean Francis-Bastin, the lead author of the report.

"It is a change in climate conditions that is likely to increase the risk of flooding and extreme drought," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "It is unknown conditions."

Almost 70% of the world's population is expected to be living in urban areas by 2050, according to the United Nations.

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Reuters News, 11 Jul 2019: World's major cities to face 'unknown' climate conditions by 2050