King’s Lynn projected to be underwater by 2050

King’s Lynn projected to be underwater by 2050
The areas shaded red on the map identify areas most at risk of being flooded. Picture: Climate Central

Swathes of the coastline of north west Norfolk are projected to be below the annual flood level by 2050, with most of King’s Lynn expected to be underwater, according to a new global flood-risk map.

The interactive map, created by US-based researchers Climate Central, say that areas shaded red indicate areas that are lower than the local sea-level or coastal flood projection according to the selected elevation dataset.

Areas identified as at risk locally include King’s Lynn, Dersingham, Ingoldisthorpe, Heacham and portions of Hunstanton and the northern coast.

The map indicates that the A149 Dersingham Bypass could be almost entirely underwater.

West Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire appear the worst hit nationally, with the entirety of Wisbech, Boston and swathes of Peterborough below flood level – Ely could also become an island once again.

However, the maps do not take neither engineered coastal defences nor long-term dynamic changes into account, stating that because of these limitations the map should be regarded as a screening tool to identify areas in need of deeper investigation.

Climate Central is an independent group of scientists and communicators researching the effects of climate change.

The Latest News in North-West Norfolk