Global impacts of climate change - observed trends

These maps show the observed regional trends in 6 types of climate extremes and impacts, with examples of impactful extreme weather events attributable partly or wholly to anthropogenic climate change.

Regions around the world are experiencing multiple increasing climate extremes and impacts. The maps show regions where recent decades have seen increases in extreme heat, heavy rainfall, agricultural drought, and the length of the fire weather season, as well as changes in river flows, and glacier mass. Regions with decreasing extremes are also shown. Confidence in attribution of trends to human-caused climate change varies between impacts and regions, and information is not available for all impacts. There are numerous other impacts related to human-induced climate change, such as coastal flooding and risks to biodiversity leading to widespread decline in ecosystems, that are also of concern but not shown here.

Projections of future climate impacts are also important for effective adaptation. For more information please see our page on climate impact projections.

Contents:

Multiple changes in weather extremes and climate impacts

Extreme high temperatures

Heavy rainfall and flooding

River flows

Agricultural drought

Fire weather

Glaciers

 

Multiple changes in weather extremes and climate impacts

Global map showing the regions where the number of extremes / impacts show an increasing trend per region. All inhabited continents have regions seeing increases in at least 4 of the 6 extremes or impacts assessed, and in many cases, this could be an underestimate due a lack of data.

This map shows the number of extremes / impacts showing an increasing trend per region. The extremes and impacts include extreme high temperatures, heavy rainfall and flooding, river flows, agricultural drought, fire weather and glaciers. Some regions do not have sufficient data for all extremes / impacts, and some impacts are not applicable in all regions.

Extreme high temperatures

Global map showing observed changes in hot extremes since the 1950s and examples of extreme heat events with their severity / likelihood increased by anthropogenic climate change. All regions have seen an increase in hot extremes, with the exception of Eastern and Central North America where there is no clear trend, and in Central Africa, Southern South America and Antarctica where there is insufficient data.

The map shows observed changes in hot extremes since the 1950s and examples of impactful extreme heat events with their severity / likelihood increased by anthropogenic climate change.

Heavy rainfall and flooding

Global map showing observed changes in heavy precipitation since the 1950s and examples of major flooding events with severity / likelihood increased by anthropogenic climate change. All inhabited continents have some regions seeing increases in heavy rainfall and flooding.

The map shows observed changes in heavy precipitation since the 1950s.

River flows

Global map showing observed changes in river flows influenced by climate change, between 1971 and 2010. Regions seeing increased river flow include Northern and Western Central Europe, Northern and South Eastern South America, and the South American Monsoon region. Decreased river flow has been seen in North Eastern South America, the Mediterranean, Southern Australia, and Western and Eastern North America.

The map shows observed changes in river flows influenced by climate change, between 1971 and 2010.

Agricultural drought

Global map showing observed changes in agricultural (soil moisture) drought since the 1950s, and examples of major drought events with severity / likelihood increased anthropogenic climate change. All inhabited continents have at least one region that is seeing an increase in agricultural drought. Northern Australia is the only region that shows a decrease in agricultural drought.

The map shows observed changes in agricultural (soil moisture) drought since the 1950s.

Fire weather

Global map showing observed changes in length of fire weather season between 1979 and 2019 from reanalysis. All inhabited continents have regions seeing increases in fire weather.

The map shows change in length of fire weather season between 1979 and 2019 from reanalysis, and examples of major fire events with severity / likelihood increased by anthropogenic climate change.

Glaciers

Global map showing observed change in glacier mass 2000 - 2019. All regions currently harbouring glaciers have seen a decline in glacier mass.

The map shows observed change in glacier mass 2000 - 2019.

 

For versions of these maps highlighting specific extreme events attributable to human activity, please see this report.

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