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Stockholm will be as warm as Budapest by 2050, study warns

TT/The Local
TT/The Local - [email protected]
Stockholm will be as warm as Budapest by 2050, study warns
The Szecheny thermal baths in Budapest. Photo: Marianne Løvland / NTB scanpix / TT

In 30 years, Stockholm is on course to be as warm as Budapest is today, according to a new study which looked at predicted climate and weather changes in cities across the world over the near future.

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The researchers from Zürich Technical University analyzed the climate in 520 cities using the so-called RCP 4.5 scenario which assumes a significant reduction in emissions, although not as significant as required by the Paris Agreement.

They found that 77 percent of the world's cities will see a drastically changed climate over the next 30 years, according to the study published in scientific journal Plus One. That means cities in the northern hemisphere will see a climate similar to the current climate of cities more than 1,000 kilometres further south, with London becoming as warm as today's Barcelona, Seattle as warm as San Francisco, and Stockholm as warm as Budapest.

The study could be a way to create a picture of how Stockholm might look in the future, said SMHI climate researcher Markku Rummukainen, but he added that it wasn't a comprehensive overview.

"Comparisons can give a sense of what changes to the climate mean. But at the same time, you should keep in mind that the changes are more complex than just the temperature. If you just think that Stockholm is getting a Budapest climate, you might think 'that doesn't sound so awful'. But in reality the problem is much more serious," warned Rummukainen.

"When you get changes in climate, this can have effects on the buoyancy of the ground for example, flood risk and water resources, which can lead to further problems," he added.

The researchers behind the study said that their calculations and models were not new, but rather that they had aimed to put climate change in a context that was easier for the general public to relate to.

Vocabulary

emissions – utsläpp

in reality – i verkligheten

serious – allvarlig

climate – klimat

flood – översvämning

We're aiming to help our readers improve their Swedish by translating vocabulary from some of our news stories. Did you find it useful? Do you have any suggestions? Let us know.

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