Future forecast: Children give insight into future weather
Mini-meteorologists read hypothetical but plausible future weather forecasts to show the impact climate change could have on the weather by the time they’re adults.
Children have been presenting hypothetical but conceivable weather forecasts for 2050 in a bid to highlight the extreme weather situations they could be facing in the future.
It is part of a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) ‘Weather Kids’ global campaign in which thousands of parents and carers worldwide have made pledges on behalf of their children about how to tackle climate change and improve the future outcomes for their children. The campaign ties in with the theme of this year’s World Meteorological Day – ‘At the Frontline of Climate Action’.
Meteorologist Jack
The ‘Weather Kids’ acted as meteorologists and read several hypothetical future forecasts which could ring true by 2050, when they’ll be adults. But they haven’t just been reading the weather; they’ve also been explaining how the extreme weather in the forecast could impact their daily lives.
A UK version was read by Jack – aged 9 – who says: “I wanted to inspire other people to show them it doesn’t matter how old you are, anyone can have an impact on climate change.”
During the report, Jack says that: “long heatwaves will affect 98% of children in the UK. All this heat could stop us from playing outside for ages. If we don’t listen to scientists, things are going to be even crazier when I grow up. Extreme droughts will wipe out wheat crops, killing the one food my brother eats, Weetabix.” It ends with a powerful plea: “It’s not just a weather report to us. It is our future.”
The report was compiled with the help of the Met Office, and features presenter and meteorologist, Aidan McGivern, who says: “I have been involved in this project from the start and although its format is light-hearted, it is a vehicle for a very serious message. We need to increase awareness of the impacts of climate change and take meaningful action now to create a better tomorrow for future generations.”
Extreme changes
The 2050 weather forecast is based on climate projections and data from UNDP, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and UNDP’s Climate Horizons data platform.
The campaign launched ahead of World Meteorological Day, hot on the heels of the WMO’s State of the Global Climate report, which showed that records for greenhouse gas levels, surface temperatures, ocean heat and acidification, sea level rise, Antarctic sea ice cover and glacier retreat were broken throughout 2023.
“The climate my children will experience will be very different to the climate I experienced as a child. The science is clear, our climate is changing, with impacts around the globe due to human influence,” says Prof Lizzie Kendon, Climate Scientist at the Met Office. “Climate change is not just something that is distant from us or something in the future, with the observational record showing changes already here in the UK.
The Weather Kids theoretical 2050 forecast is a reminder of how things could look for future generations. The worst impacts however are not inevitable – we can prevent them and improve outcomes for the next generation. The next few years are critical."