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In this study, we simulate offshore wind development for 2023, 2030, and beyond 2050 across the Northwest-European Shelf, using various turbine sizes over a 10-year period, an approach not previously undertaken. For the post-2050 scenario, we assess the maximum potential deployment within all currently identified development zones in North Sea countries. Results indicate that large-scale offshore wind farm expansion can reduce surface wind speeds by up to 2\u20133\u2009m\u2009s\u207b\u00b9. Notably for post-2050 scenario, precipitation decreases by 10\u201312% in coastal regions of Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, and by more than 15% in parts of Jutland, Denmark, particularly under south-westerly winds. Conversely, precipitation increases over the wind farm areas. These findings suggest that extensive offshore wind deployment may significantly alter regional climate patterns, highlighting the need for further multi-model investigations to reduce uncertainty.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1038\/s43247-026-03852-x","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,12]],"date-time":"2026-08-12T09:02:48Z","timestamp":1786525368000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Projected impacts of future offshore wind farms on coastal precipitation over the Northwest European shelf"],"prefix":"10.1038","volume":"7","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3422-6118","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Naveed","family":"Akhtar","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alberto","family":"Elizalde","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Beate","family":"Geyer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3251-4551","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Corinna","family":"Schrum","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"3852_CR1","unstructured":"WindEurope. 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