The Atlantic Ocean circulation that underpins the Gulf Stream, the weather system that brings warm and mild weather to Europe, is at its weakest in more than a millennium, and climate breakdown is the probable cause, according to new data.<\/p>\n
Further weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) could result in more storms battering the UK, more intense winters<\/a> and an increase in damaging heatwaves and droughts across Europe.<\/p>\n Scientists predict that the AMOC will weaken further if global heating continues, and could reduce by about 34% to 45% by the end of this century, which could bring us close to a \u201ctipping point\u201d<\/a> at which the system could become irrevocably unstable. A weakened Gulf Stream would also raise sea levels on the Atlantic coast of the US, with potentially disastrous consequences.<\/p>\n Stefan Rahmstorf, of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, who co-authored the study published on Thursday in Nature Geoscience<\/a>, told the Guardian that a weakening AMOC would increase the number and severity of storms hitting Britain, and bring more heatwaves to Europe.<\/p>\n Read it all<\/a>.<\/p>\n Atlantic Ocean circulation at weakest in a millennium, say scientists<\/p>\n "Decline in system underpinning Gulf Stream could lead to more extreme weather in Europe and higher sea levels on US east coast"#ClimateEmergency<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/Fm0ubcEgrV<\/a><\/p>\n — Professor Peter Strachan (@ProfStrachan) February 25, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \n