Change in climate will see Ireland's rainfall increase 11% by 2050

BY 2050, Ireland's rainfall will have increased by 11%, a seminar on climate change heard in Dublin yesterday.

Our winters will be wetter, with increased risk of flooding due to more frequent storms and localised rainfall.

Already we are feeling the effects of climate change, according to Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) chief executive David Taylor.

Mr Taylor was chairing a climate seminar Weathering the Storm as part of Energy Awareness Week which ends today.

In recent years extreme weather events such as floods and storms provide ample evidence.

"Already there has been a noticeable increase in flooding, particularly in the west of Ireland," he said.

"Likewise, we have experienced more summer droughts. If this continues the impacts will be substantial."

Climate change refers to the phenomenon that is causing the earth to become warmer - resulting in change of our climate and weather systems.

Most scientists agree that fossil fuels, which provide the bulk of our energy but release carbon dioxide, are largely responsible for climate change.

The experts warn that the choices we make today will decide the future climate our children inherit.

Research commissioned with SEI support suggests Irish winters will be wetter by 2050. January temperature will be 1.5 degrees Celsius above present values.

"Winter conditions in Northern Ireland and the north midlands will be similar to the south-west today," said Mr Taylor.

"While milder winters might seem like a good thing, this is not necessarily the case. Rainfall will increase by 11%."

Mr Taylor added: "The increasing reality of climate change means that acting alone is not an option - not for government, companies or individuals.

"The Kyoto protocol ensures that we all have a meaningful part to play and the theme of this year's energy awareness week has been to urge people to take action to combat climate change."

Meteorologist Dr Brendan McWilliams said our strategy must be to try to anticipate how we may be affected by climate change - and then to formulate our national and business plans to minimise negative impacts.

"The evidence that we can expect significant changes to our climate in the coming decades, and that indeed these are taking place already, is becoming more persuasive every day," he said.

"Our strategy must be one of informed adaptation - one of trying to anticipate how we may be affected by climate change and then formulating our national and business plans to minimise the negative impacts."

Now a country of lush green landscapes, the average number of wet days across Ireland varies from about 150 days a year along the east and south-east coasts to 225 days a year in parts of the west of the country.

Between 750 and 1,000 millimetres of rain falls in the eastern half of Ireland each year, while rainfall in the west generally averages between 1,000 and 1,250mm.

The national weather service Met Éireann attributes the country's mild climate to the influence of the Atlantic Ocean.

The average annual temperature is about 9ºC, while the south-east of the country experiences the most sunshine.

A special website www.combatclimatechange.ie has been developed which highlights the actions people can take to help combat climate change.