Sydney and Melbourne warned to prepare for 50°C days

SYDNEY: Sydney and Melbourne could regularly face 50°C days within 25 years even if Australia meets its Paris global warming targets, a new study warned.

Other areas across the country should also prepare for extreme heat, said the research led by the Australian National University (ANU) and supported by the Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science, an international consortium.

The study assessed the potential magnitude of future extreme temperatures under the 196-nation Paris Agreement, which targets curbing increases in global temper- atures to between 1.5°C and 2.0°C above pre-industrial levels.

“Major Australian cities, such as Sydney and Melbourne, may experience unprecedented temperatures of 50°C under 2.0°C of global warming,” said lead author and ANU climate scientist Sophie Lewis, adding it could occur by the 2040s.

“The increase in Australian summer temperatures indicates that other major cities should also be prepared for unprecedented future extreme heat.”

The study’s climate modelling projected daily temperatures of up to 3.8°C above existing records in the states of Victoria and New South Wales, despite efforts to curb warming.

In ratifying the Paris agreement last year, Australia set an ambitious target to reduce emissions to 26% to 28% from 2005 levels by 2030.

This would represent a 50%-52% reduction in emissions per capita between 2005 and 2030. — AFP