An Atlantic circulation collapse could bring even greater climate chaos across Europe

The expected larger extremes of heat, cold, drought and flooding, a range of 'surprises' to exacerbate the current climate emergency, should add urgency to our decision-making

The Amoc amounts to a system of currents in the Atlantic that bring warm water northwards where it then cools and sinks. It is a key reason why Europe’s climate has been stable for thousands of years. File picture: David Creedon

Amid news of lethal heatwaves across the northern hemisphere comes the daunting prospect of a climate disaster on an altogether grander scale.

New findings published in Nature Communications suggest the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, or Amoc, could collapse within the next few decades — maybe even within the next few years — driving European weather to even greater extremes.