Change to Atlantic current could have irreversible impact, scientists warn

“If Britain and Ireland become like northern Norway, [that] has tremendous consequences,” said Peter Ditlevsen of the University of Copenhagen.

Clare Island Lighthouse has watched over Clew Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

More than 40 climate scientists are urging Nordic ministers to prevent global warming from causing a major change in an Atlantic Ocean current, which could trigger abrupt shifts in weather patterns and damage ecosystems.

A collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (Amoc), a system of ocean currents that transports warm water into the North Atlantic and provides Europe with its mild climate, could put living conditions for people in the Arctic region and beyond at risk, according to the scientists.