Dangerously hot summers on the cards as Earths axis appears to be tilting

Scientists predict brutal summer heat will become a regular occurrence as the Earth's axis is tilting.

Previously, it was thought the Earth's axis was shifting due to global warming and the melting of ice caps. However, scientists now believe groundwater extraction, with humans taking water from the planet for irrigation, is playing a much bigger role than initially thought.

Things seem to be moving slowly, but essentially the North Pole is moving gradually in the direction of the UK, which will change the seasons and also make certain areas warmer. And this phenomenon appears to be speeding up of late.

READ MORE: Met Office pinpoints where snow could fall next week with 'widespread flurries' on cards

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A concerning new study published in Geophysical Research Letters details how our use of the planet's resources – particular groundwater extraction – is responsible for this.

Ki-Weon Seo of National University, the study's co-lead author, said: ”Earth's rotational pole actually changes a lot. Our study shows that among climate-related causes, the redistribution of groundwater actually has the largest impact on the drift of the rotational pole.”

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R. K. Naresh, a Professor in Agronomy from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, said that while it is "normal for the Earth's axis to move by a few centimetres each year", the recent developments are still concerning.

Discussing the potential impact on our weather, he wrote on ResearchGate: "In the 1990s, the direction of polar drift shifted suddenly and the rate of the drift accelerated.

"More tilt means more severe seasons, warmer summers and colder winters; less tilt means less severe seasons, cooler summers and milder winters. It's the cool summers that are thought to allow snow and ice to last from year-to-year in high latitudes, eventually building up into massive ice sheets."

In sum – the Earth's axis tilting means we could face scorching summers like last year's 40C record-breaker more often.

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