The UK should be prepared to cope with weather extremes as a result of at least 2C of global warming by 2050, independent climate advisers have said.
The country was "not yet adapted" to worsening weather extremes already occurring at current levels of warming, "let alone" what was expected to come, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) wrote in a letter addressed to the government.
The committee said they would advise that the UK prepare for climate change beyond the long-term temperature goal set out in the Paris Agreement.
The CCC said they had been asked to provide advice on a timeframe for setting adaption scenarios, based on "minimum climate scenarios".
They urged the government to set out a framework of "clear long-term objectives" to prevent further temperature rise, with new targets every five years and departments "clearly accountable" for delivering those goals.
