London Could Feel as Hot as Barcelona by 2050

Jun 27, 2022

With the collaboration of Statista.

A major climate change study has found that London's weather could feel more like Barcelona's by 2050. Image: Unsplash/Fas Khan

Katharina Buchholz

Data Journalist, Statista

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Climate Indicators

Climate change could push temperatures 7.6°C higher in the Austrian capital Vienna by 2050, according to new research.
London’s weather could come to resemble that of Barcelona, with stretches of severe drought along with heavier downpours when it rains.
Residents in around a fifth of all cities are expected to face climate conditions that have never been seen in any major city before.

A major climate change study has found that London's weather could feel more like Barcelona's by 2050. Even though this might sound like a dream at first to Londoners, the change could turn into a nightmare as it would be accompanied by stretches of severe drought as well as heavier downpours in the wet months, potentially challenging many aspects of life in the city.

What the climate change study

The research focused on 520 major cities and was published in the journal Plos One. Its most concerning finding was that residents in around a fifth of all cities including Jakarta, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur will experience climate conditions that have never been seen in any major city before.

By 2050, it is forecast that Madrid will feel like Iran's Tehran, Helsinki will feel more like Budapest, Seattle will feel like Rome and New York's climate will resemble Virginia Beach's more closely. The increase in average summer temperatures was just one factor the climate change researchers looked at for their city comparisons. It will be one of the highest in Austria's capital Vienna, with summer temperatures 7.6° Celsius higher by 2050 and the climate more closely resembling Skopje, North Macedonia. Berlin and Paris would be expected to see their hottest month grow more than 6° Celsius hotter on average and their climates turn into those today experienced in Canberra, Australia, and Istanbul, Turkey, respectively.

Understanding climate change from a global analysis of city analogues. Image: Statista/Jean-Francois Bastin et al. Understanding climate change from a global analysis of city analogues. Plos One journals

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Climate change poses an urgent threat demanding decisive action. Communities around the world are already experiencing increased climate impacts, from droughts to floods to rising seas. The World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report continues to rank these environmental threats at the top of the list.

To limit global temperature rise to well below 2°C and as close as possible to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, it is essential that businesses, policy-makers, and civil society advance comprehensive near- and long-term climate actions in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change.

The World Economic Forum's Climate Initiative supports the scaling and acceleration of global climate action through public and private-sector collaboration. The Initiative works across several workstreams to develop and implement inclusive and ambitious solutions.

This includes the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders, a global network of business leaders from various industries developing cost-effective solutions to transitioning to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy. CEOs use their position and influence with policy-makers and corporate partners to accelerate the transition and realize the economic benefits of delivering a safer climate.

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