What are the effects of climate change on the UK - and the world?

While the coronavirus pandemic has dominated headlines this year, climate change is still a significant concern for many.

A recent IPSO Mori poll showed that more than half of Brits want any Covid recovery plan to take pollution and the environment into account.

While data from online research company SEMRush showed searches for "effects of global climate change" actually rose by 93% during the pandemic.

More and more people are considering the long-term effects of global warming, and the world that we will leave behind.

What are the effects of climate change on the UK?

Global warming is already having an impact on the UK climate.

Young demonstrators hold placards as they protest around the Queen Victoria Memorial (QVM) during the "Global Strike 4 Climate" protest march, outside of Buckingham Palace in central London (Young demonstrators hold placards as they protest around the Queen Victoria Memorial (QVM) during the "Global Strike 4 Climate" protest march, outside of Buckingham Palace in central London on March 15, 2019. - Hundreds of young people took to the streets to demonstrate Friday, with some of them having gone on strike from school, as part of a global youth action over climate change. (Photo by Tolga AKMEN / AFP)TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images)

The ten warmest years on record have all happened since 2002, and heatwaves are now 30 times more likely than they were in a pre-industrial era.

Flooding caused by intense rainfall has become more frequent, and sea levels are rising by 3mm per year.

In the future, we can expect winters to get warmer and wetter, while summer maximum temperatures could rise by up to 10°C by the 2080s. 

Sea levels are going to continue to rise, meaning that coastal towns and low-lying cities will be at risk of flooding, storm surges, saltwater intrusion and damage to infrastructure.

Without intervention, 28,000 British homes could be lost to coastal erosion within the next 50 years.

What are the effects of climate change on the world?

Ice sheets are currently melting at a rate that matches the worst case scenario, and 70-90% of coral reefs are expected to disappear in the next 20 years.

Climate change has also increased the risk of wildfires, and is contributing to extreme weather events - from hurricanes to heatwaves - across the globe.

The future impact of climate change will vary significantly between different regions of the world.

Developing countries are expected to be hit the hardest, as they don't necessarily have the resources necessary to adapt quickly to change.

Climate change is expected to slow down economic growth, make poverty reduction more difficult, and exacerbate food shortages.

And people will likely be displaced by rising sea levels and extreme weather events, leading to climate refugees.