Weather extremes - Stark warning

RESEARCH carried out by Met Éireann suggests that unless many of our riverside towns quickly prepare strengthened flood defences they can expect recurring and increasingly violent winter flooding.

The research suggests that our rivers’ winter levels might rise by up to 20%. At the other end of the spectrum Met Éireann suggests that drier summers will reduce some river flows to mere trickles.

These predictions, if realised, have the potential to have a profoundly negative impact on the sectors of our economy that depend on great quantities of clean water. They would also have serious implications for species dependent on a clean and secure river environment. Shortages will inevitably mean water charges if only to try to get us to change our flagrant habits.