Computer simulations of the planet's weather patterns have the potential to provide forecasts with a few kilometers accuracy, which could help in predicting the impacts of severe weather events. However, it may take 20 to 40 years for this level of accuracy to be achieved as computer capabilities continue to advance, according to a senior British scientist. Alan Thorpe, director general of the ECMWF, explained that climate models could eventually reach a resolution of a few kilometers, providing valuable information on climate variability. Climate models are computerized representations of the Earth's climate system, incorporating physics and complex equations. Models like these can be utilized for predicting the weather, studying the climate, and forecasting climate change. Having a model with a more detailed resolution can lead to more precise results, however, this is dependent on the capacity of the computer. According to Thorpe, some climate models are currently reaching a resolution of 100 km, as opposed to 300 km a decade or so ago. "We already have the scientific knowledge and models to address the challenge of higher resolution, but we require the computational power to achieve it," Thorpe stated. He also mentioned that acquiring a top-of-the-line supercomputer could cost up to 200 million pounds, which is approximately 7 percent of the UK's annual science budget of 3 billion pounds. Thorpe emphasized the importance of recognizing the significance of climate change and allocating resources accordingly. Some experts have raised concerns about the potential severe impacts of climate change between 2030 and 2050. Criticisms have been directed towards certain climate models for their lack of accuracy in predicting extreme events well into the future. ECMWF scientists are focusing on researching tipping points in the climate system, where rapid and irreversible changes could occur. Thorpe highlighted the need to prioritize understanding and addressing these non-linear aspects of the climate system. He mentioned that the number of tipping points that exist is still uncertain. He suggested that progress could be accelerated if the entire science budget was focused on these questions, but there is already a significant amount of research being conducted in these areas. Some tipping points, like the disappearance of summer Arctic sea ice or the destruction of the Amazon rainforest, are expected to occur in the next few decades.