Melting Arctic ice could be to blame for rainy British summers

The very wet summers that left Brits moaning from 2007-2012 could have been the result of excessive Arctic ice melting, which shifted the jet stream further south than usual, according to a new study by Dr. James Screen of the University of Exeter.

Screen’s study, published in Environmental Research Letters, used a computer model to probe the relationship between sea ice retreat and northwest European summer climate.

“The results of the computer model suggest that melting Arctic sea ice causes a change in the position of the jet stream and this could help to explain the recent wet summers we have seen,” said Screen.

“The study suggests that loss of sea ice not only has an effect on the environment and wildlife of the Arctic region but has far reaching consequences for people living in Europe and beyond.”

The model predicts that alongside rainfall increases in Europe’s north, the south could see less rain.

Read the study here.

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