Droughts in the Southwest and heat waves periods of abnormally hot weather lasting days to weeks everywhere are projected to become more intense, and cold waves less intense everywhere. Summer temperatures are projected to continue rising, and a reduction of soil moisture, which exacerbates heat waves, is projected for much of the western and central U.
By the end of this century, what have been once-inyear extreme heat days one-day events are projected to occur every two or three years over most of the nation. Droughts in the Southwest and Central Plains of the United States in the second half of the 21st century could be drier and longer than anything humans have seen in those regions in the last 1, years, according to a NASA study published in Science Advances on February 12, The intensity, frequency and duration of North Atlantic hurricanes, as well as the frequency of the strongest Category 4 and 5 hurricanes, have all increased since the early s.
The relative contributions of human and natural causes to these increases are still uncertain. Hurricane-associated storm intensity and rainfall rates are projected to increase as the climate continues to warm. This video explains the findings of this study. Global sea level has risen by about 8 inches since reliable record keeping began in It is projected to rise another 1 to 8 feet by This is the result of added water from melting land ice and the expansion of seawater as it warms.
In the next several decades, storm surges and high tides could combine with sea level rise and land subsidence to further increase flooding in many regions.
Ocean waters will therefore continue to warm and sea level will continue to rise for many centuries at rates equal to or higher than those of the current century. An indicator of changes in the Arctic sea ice minimum over time. Arctic sea ice extent both affects and is affected by global climate change. An interactive exploration of how global warming is affecting sea ice, glaciers and continental ice sheets worldwide. Below are some of the impacts that are currently visible throughout the U.
Global Change Research Program :. Heat waves, heavy downpours and sea level rise pose growing challenges to many aspects of life in the Northeast. Infrastructure, agriculture, fisheries and ecosystems will be increasingly compromised. Many states and cities are beginning to incorporate climate change into their planning. Changes in the timing of streamflow reduce water supplies for competing demands.
Sea level rise, erosion, inundation, risks to infrastructure and increasing ocean acidity pose major threats. Increasing wildfire, insect outbreaks and tree diseases are causing widespread tree die-off. Extreme heat will affect health, energy, agriculture and more. Decreased water availability will have economic and environmental impacts. Offset now.
What are the effects of climate change and global warming? Related articles What are climate offset projects? Is the climate change caused by humans? What does climate change mean? What is climate change?
If you would like to continue browsing, please agree to the use of cookies. In addition, he said, the frequency and intensity of droughts and wildfires are on the rise. While no state is immune to wildfires, 13 states in the West are considered susceptible to the most severe wildfire damage, with California having the most acres burned in A national analysis found that , homes are at extreme risk of wildfire in these 13 states. But even if homes do not burn to the ground, they may suffer smoke and fire damage, as well as water damage and flooding from fire fighting efforts.
As insurance companies pay out huge amounts to homeowners whose houses have been damaged by climate change impacts, many are raising premiums to offset their costs. Home insurance rates increased more than 50 percent between and In high-risk areas, premiums and deductibles may rise, coverage may be more limited, and insurance could ultimately become unaffordable or unavailable for some, especially in climate-vulnerable areas.
For Connecticut homeowners, insurance rates have gone up 35 percent in the last 10 years; for homeowners with property along the coast, rates have gone up by over 50 percent. In , California insurance companies would not renew over 10, policies for homes in high-risk areas.
Recently, however, the state issued a one-year moratorium preventing insurers from dropping customers who live in areas at risk from wildfire. Travelers Insurance Company now requires separate deductibles in areas where hurricanes and tornadoes are more common.
With continued global warming, heat waves are expected to increase in frequency, duration and intensity. Jane Baldwin, a postdoctoral research scientist at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, found that compound heat waves—heat waves that occur in sequence, one after the other—will also increase, making recovery from heat waves more difficult. Agricultural workers in California Photo: Holgerhubbs. People who work outdoors, such as construction workers, miners, firefighters and agricultural workers, will be most affected by increasing temperatures.
Florida, for example, has one of the highest rates of heat-related hospitalizations in the U. This summer during a heat wave, the majority of heat-related visits to emergency rooms in Virginia were made by people aged , 70 percent of whom were men. Indoor workers in warehouses and steel plants can also be affected by excessive heat.
One study suggested that outdoor workers should begin their shifts earlier in the day, but if global warming continues at the current pace, by , they would have to start working four to six hours before dawn. Currently, there are no federal laws that protect workers from heat stress, but in July, a bill was introduced into the House of Representatives that would require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to establish standards to protect those working in the heat.
As temperatures rise, people will need to stay cool for health and comfort reasons. Climate Central analyzed cities in the U. As we rely more heavily on air conditioners and fans, electricity bills will get higher. The increased demand for electricity, especially during peak periods, can also over-tax the electrical grid, triggering brownouts or blackouts.
Extreme weather, such as hurricanes, heat waves or snowstorms, can cause power outages too. Between the mids and , there was a ten-fold increase in power outages, 80 percent of which were caused by weather. Pre-emptive blackouts could become a common occurrence. Brownouts or blackouts can also result if hydropower plants have less water to draw from in rivers and lakes, and if water becomes too warm to cool nuclear or coal power plants.
Municipalities are recognizing the need to make their communities more resilient in the face of climate change impacts. Grand Rapids, Michigan had problems with flooding and aging stormwater infrastructure. In , the residents rejected a Flooding in Norfolk, Virginia Photo: D.
Warmer temperatures cause the pollen season to be longer and worsen air quality, both of which can result in more allergy and asthma attacks. Ground-level ozone, a major component of smog, which increases when temperatures warm, can also cause coughing, chest tightness or pain, decrease lung function and worsen asthma and other chronic lung diseases. Photo: NIH. In addition, after floods or storms, damp buildings may foster mold growth, which has been linked to allergies and other lung diseases.
Prolonged exposure to heat can exacerbate cardiovascular, respiratory and kidney diseases, diabetes, and increase the chance for strokes.
Older adults, pregnant women, and children are particularly vulnerable to excess heat. In the summer of , the Aedes aegypti mosquito, usually found in Texas and the southeastern U.
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