STUDIES into climate change have revealed several areas of south Essex could be underwater by the end of the decade.

Data produced by a Climate Central study used current projections to produce a map showing which areas of the country would be underwater by 2030.

Climate Central is an independent organisation that has a team of leading scientists and journalists who research climate change and its impact on the public.

A map shows much of coastal south Essex is at risk of being underwater by 2030.

Land in Tilbury and Canvey Island could succumb to rising sea levels with swathes of Canvey Island set to be lost as well as all of Foulness Island and parts of Shoeburyness.

Parts of Thorpe Bay Beach could be lost as well as some parts of the Golden Mile on outhend seafront.

Echo: Danger - This map shows areas in south Essex that are at risk of being underwater by 2030Danger - This map shows areas in south Essex that are at risk of being underwater by 2030 (Image: Climate Control)

A spokesman for Climate Central said: “As these maps incorporate big datasets, which always include some error, these maps should be regarded as screening tools to identify places that may require deeper investigation of risk.

“Our approach makes it easy to map any scenario quickly and reflects threats from permanent future sea-level rise well.

“However, the accuracy of these maps drops when assessing risks from extreme flood events. “

Climate Central maps are not based on physical storm and flood simulations and do not take into account factors such as erosion, future changes in the frequency or intensity of storms, inland flooding, or contributions from rainfall or rivers.