Climate Change to drastically change New York by 2080: More wetter and warmer weather

A new report envisions a wet, overheated future for New York City, saying temperatures and sea levels will rise as climate change settles in over the coming decades.

The 2015 New York City Climate Change Report shows that the mean annual precipitation in the city will increase by 5-13% by the 2080s, building on the eight inches it increased by from 1900 to 2013.

"The work of the NPCC provides an opportunity for the City of New York to further define itself at the forefront of climate action among the world's cities," said Bill Solecki, who's NPCC co-chair and a professor of geography at Hunter College.

"The NPCC report highlights the vulnerabilities and opportunities for climate resilience of the city's infrastructure systems and neighborhoods. While the impacts of climate change will be uneven, the conditions for a flexible and robust adaptation strategy are present."

The reports said that annual temperatures are projected to rise between 4.1 and 5.7 degrees by the 2050s. The sea level is projected to rise 11 to 21 inches by the same period. The report also noted that annual precipitation is expected to increase by up to 11 percent by then.

"Higher temperatures and increased coastal flooding are the greatest risks," said the panel's co-chair and NASA senior research scientists Cynthia Rosenzweig in a press release. "The NPCC highlights how the climate of New York City is already changing, as well as how it is projected to change in the future."

"These changing climate hazards increase the risks for the people, economy, and infrastructure of New York City," the report states. The city is also likely to see its annual rainfall increase about 5 to 13 percent by the 2080s. These changes could add up to flood damage beyond what was seen during Hurricane Sandy, affecting wide portions of Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx, according to the report.