Abstract

This chapter is a review of national and regional climate scenarios for Ireland within the broader context of the likely global impacts of climate change. Projected seasonal changes in two key meteorological variables – temperature and precipitation – are outlined for three 30-year future time periods: the 2020s, 2050s and 2080s. Changes in extremes of temperature and precipitation are also discussed. This chapter provides the basis for the discussion of the physical impacts of climate change on inland waterways and the coastal environment in Chapter 4.