# What are the effects of climate change? How they disrupt our daily life, fuel disasters.
Climate change makes splashy headlines when protesters hurl soup at priceless paintings or devastating floods wash through communities, but the impacts of warmer temperatures are also increasingly disrupting daily life. Take a walk or ride a bike. Book a ski trip or attend an outdoor sporting event. Visit a big city or a cottage in the country. Chances are increasing that no matter what choice you make, you'll feel the effects of the warming climate. Fall leaf peeping happens earlier. High school football teams take special precautions to keep kids cool. Inner cities set up chill zones to help protect citizens from heat waves. How does climate change affect you?: Subscribe to the weekly Climate Point newsletter READ MORE: Latest climate change news from USA TODAY Heat waves are becoming more intense and flooding rains occur more often. Here's a summary: Climate change is real No matter what your relatives or friends say or post on social media, experts say the mountain of scientific evidence continues to build. What to know about climate change:What is global warming? Definitions explained. USA TODAY investigation:How a summer of extreme weather reveals a stunning shift in the way rain falls in America. “It is virtually certain that human activities have increased atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases,” a national panel of experts concluded in a draft of the 5th National Climate Assessment released in November. They see high confidence in forecasts for longer droughts, higher temperatures and increased flooding. JULY 28, 2022: Aerial view of homes submerged under flood waters from the North Fork of the Kentucky River in Jackson, Kentucky. Flash flooding caused by torrential rains has killed at least eight people in eastern Kentucky and left some residents stranded on rooftops and in trees, the governor of the south-central US state said. While global average temperatures continue rising around the world, the U.S. has experienced more warming than many other countries. Extreme heat waves may be our new normal:Is the globe prepared? Warming sea surface temperatures around the globe provide more fuel for tropical storms and exacerbate the melting of glaciers and ice sheets. Why is climate change important? “Every part of the U.S. is feeling the effects of climate change in some way,” said Allison Crimmins, director of that 5th National Climate Assessment. Representing the latest in climate research by a broad array of scientists, the final version of the assessment is expected in late 2023.