A new report from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research suggests that climate models are underestimating the full severity of extreme weather events, but that water cycle impacts (such as river water levels) are among the more reliably projected…

A new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) contains some stark messages.  It is no longer considered that limiting warming to 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels is the ‘safe’ maximum – rather warming must be limited to…

Great to see climate change issues figuring prominently on the programme of the World Canals Conference being held in Ireland next week (10th - 12th September in Athlone).  The first keynote, by Catherine Sheridan, is on Building Resilience: Climate, Risk, and…

A new publication by the Dutch Environmental Assessment Agency provides useful, and potentially worrying, food for thought for the waterborne transport sector.  The 'Geography of Future Water Challenges' explains and illustrates the global implications of climate change for water-related disasters…

The European Joint Research Centre has published two studies that identify an unprecedented coastal flood risk unless timely climate change adaptation measures are taken.  The studies highlight that without such measures: - average annual coastal flood damage in Europe could increase…

A paper in the journal Nature Communications describes a new mathematical model that predicts average global surface air temperature.  For 2018–2022, the probabilistic forecast using this system indicates a warmer than normal period with an associated increased likelihood of intense…

A large proportion of the Leeds-Liverpool canal, an important recreational boating waterway, is closing - potentially for many weeks - because of drought conditions in Northern England.  See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-10835222 

Some interesting preliminary analysis on the role of climate change in the current European heatwave at https://www.worldweatherattribution.org 

The partners in the Navigating a Changing Climate initiative are preparing a survey to help improve understanding of the costs and other consequences of extreme weather events for ports and inland waterways. The survey is intended to provide information to…

According to the World Meteorological Organization's April update, April 2018 was the third warmest on record.  Notable developments in long-term climate change indicators, including carbon dioxide levels and sea ice cover, were also noted, and there were several high-impact weather…