It's hot outside, and calling it a trend would be an understatement. The warming of the planet has been relentless, according to scientific surveys.
Miserably hot summers are not the worst problem we face in the coming decades. Rising seas, an uptick in hurricanes and wildfires, and more invasive insects are already beginning to transform the United States.
Ali Sundermier contributed to an earlier version of this post.
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As oceans get warmer and northern sea ice begins to melt, sea levels will rise, increasing the frequency of floods. Rising temperatures will also cause land ice, such as mountain glaciers and giant ice sheets, to melt.
Sources: "IPCC Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007," NASA
Summers will be extreme, since climate change lengthens summer months and makes them hotter. By the 2050s, New York City could see as many as seven heat waves per year, with maximum temperatures at or above 90 degrees Fahrenheit for about two months' worth of days — twice what we currently experience.
Sources: "Shifting Cities" by Climate Central, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
As climate change drives up temperatures, wildfire seasons in the western US will begin earlier. Fires will also last longer and burn more intensely.
Source: National Wildlife Federation
See the rest of the story at Business Insider