New research has highlighted a worrying trend that could see the entire continent get significantly colder than in recent memory.
Now, looking back at 2004, movie the day after tomorrow Typical Hollywood A quirky disaster movie.
So… that still holds true, but new research suggests that might not be that far from the truth.
While the study isn’t predicting a freeze-over ice age or natural disasters that will fundamentally change the world’s landscape, it does highlight some worrying temperature trends.
In fact, in the worst case scenario, Climate ChangeEurope could plunge into total cold.
A great movie to watch while staying warm at home during a pouring rain. (20th Century Studios)
The researchers University of London They found that the Gulf Stream, which is essential for maintaining the flow of warm water, may be particularly sensitive to climate change.
If the Gulf Stream were to collapse, temperatures in Europe could drop significantly by up to 15 °C (27 °F).
Lead researcher Dr Jack Wharton said: “Weakening winds in the future, as shown by recent studies using climate models, could weaken the Gulf Stream and lead to cooler temperatures.” Europe.”
He also explained what scientists know about the last time the continent was under control and how the Gulf Stream worked.
“We now know that during the last ice age, the Gulf Stream was much stronger because of stronger winds in the subtropical North Atlantic,” he said.
“As a result, even though other parts of the planet were getting much cooler, the Gulf Stream was still transporting a lot of heat northward.”
This could be especially important if changes in global climate affect the Gulf Stream.
Speaking to Mail Online, Prof Thornali, co-author of the study, emphasised the importance of the oceans in transporting heat around the Earth. Earth.
A collapse of the Gulf Stream could lead to significant temperature drops in Europe. (Getty Stock Image)
He said: “The oceans transport huge amounts of heat around the planet – the equivalent of the energy of millions of power plants – so if you change the strength of the ocean currents, you change where that heat goes, which changes the climate and, on shorter timescales, the weather.”
While this is a worst-case scenario, it is important to note that there is no evidence that the Gulf Stream would stop, and it is just one part of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a network of ocean currents that pumps heated water around the world.
Prof Thornalee added: “There is a subtropical loop which includes the Gulf Stream, and then there is a subpolar loop which carries heat further north into the Arctic.”
But the biggest concern is that rising global temperatures could disrupt the engine that powers this subtropical loop.
