The North West towns that could end up underwater because of rising sea levels

A number of towns across Lancashire could be engulfed by sea water as a result of climate change, worrying new research has shown.

Global warming has been an issue for years now, having mainly been fuelled by man-made issues such as the burning of fossil fuels – coal, gas and oil – factory farming, the increase in livestock production and deforestation.

As a result of this, temperatures across the globe have slowly been rising, resulting in increasing sea levels and more severe weather conditions, with the world’s ice caps melting at alarming rates.

@explorelpool / Instagram

However, while melting ice caps may not seem to directly affect us here in the North West, Climate Central – a non-profit news organisation focused on climate science – has recently revealed the severity of the threat locally, LancsLive reported.

Their damning research shows that areas of Blackpool, Lytham, Fleetwood and Morecambe could be underwater in less than thirty years.

Other affected areas include Lancaster, Thornton-Cleveleys, Heysham, Preston, South Ribble, West Lancashire and Southport.

Climate Central

To detail the severity of their predictions, Climate Central released a series of maps with areas shaded red representing places that are lower than the local sea-level or coastal flood projection, according to the selected data.

According to the maps, in Blackpool, most of the area south of Central Pier, including the Pleasure Beach and Blackpool Airport, could be lost by 2050.

Inland areas including Common Edge, South Shore, Little Marton, Marton Fold and Squires Gate would also be impacted along with Fylde Industrial Estate, Blackpool Zoo and Marton Mere Local Nature Reserve.

Climate Central

Morecambe would also bear the brunt of the rising sea levels with Climate Central predicting that tourist hot spots would be flooded due to rising sea levels.

Heysham, on the other hand, would remain relatively unaffected with surrounding areas such as the Nuclear Power Station and Nature Reserve keeping their heads above the water (literally).

Though it is worth noting that these images are based on predictions if no cuts are made to emissions – they also do not take into account engineered coastal defences nor long-term dynamic changes.