Britain’s favourite forecaster, weatherman Michael Fish, will give a dire warning to Dorset next month – years of even worse weather are on the way and we’re helpless to stop it.
Mr Fish, who became a national icon through his forecasts on the BBC, is to spearhead a grim reality check on future weather for Dorset’s Climate Week [March 1st-6th].
Pulling no punches, Mr Fish is to deliver a lecture at the Dorchester Corn Exchange on Monday March 3rd entitled ‘Climate Change – The Ultimate Weapon Of Mass Destruction’. The weather expert who spent 42 years with the Meteorological Office is bound to shake up climate change doubters with his informed view.
‘There could be much more severe weather and floods in the UK. It is too late to do more than slow it,’ Mr Fish warned bluntly this week.
He added: ‘The weird weather has already been responsible for possibly millions of deaths and many more will occur, through floods, droughts, disease and famine.”
Although authorities are only recently waking up to the problems of climate change, Mr Fish said the weather has been known to be worsening for more than 40 years.
‘The basics were identified in the 1880s, the severity in the 1970s,’ he said.
And he gave no hope of things getting better for the storm-bashed West Country, forecasting a bleak future of sodden winters and scorched summers.
‘The South West can expect more floods and droughts,’ said Mr Fish, ‘The only advantage will be a longer growing season.’
Supporting Mr Fish’s forecast that the effects of climate change may be slowed, Dorset’s Communities Living Sustainably in Dorset group, funded by the Big Lottery Fund, has organised a week of events aimed at inspiring a new wave of local initiatives against the weather threat.
On Saturday March 1st the programme will kick off at Litton and Thorner’s Community Hall, Litton Cheney, with a planning conference on strengthening local food links in West Dorset. Speakers including Tom Andrews of the new national Sustainable Food Cities Programme and Traci Lewis from Foods Plymouth will share their experiences and advice for putting food at the heart of the local policy agenda.
On March 3rd in Dorchester, Mr Fish will be joined by writer and poet Matt Harvey, who will present his view on sustainable energy.
On March 5th Bridport pupils will meet with the CLS to discuss ideas for preparing for extreme weather and tackling climate change. On the same day in schools in and around Dorchester the CLS will celebrate their work on litter meet with pupils and launch a two-year initiative to lessen environmental impact and encourage environmental leadership in students.
On Thursday March 6th the Bridport Arts Centre will host a Focus On Energy film day, which will include movies on the evidence of climate change, energy efficiency in the home and a documentary with contributions from more than 50 politicians, scientists and environmental campaigners on the state of the planet and how to save it.
Free tickets for Michael Fish’s lecture and other events can be booked at www.clsdorset.org.uk
For more information on Climate Week 2014, the UK’s biggest campaign to promote action on climate change, go to www.climateweek.com