Think of climate change, and the mind instantly tends to go to melting ice caps, arid plains, forest fires and sinking tropical islands. But the impact of rising temperatures will not only be felt in the hinterlands. A report, commissioned by London’s mayor, this week highlighted the possibility of “more intense and frequent heatwaves, more intense rainfall, flash flooding and sea level rise” in the British capital. It is a reminder that cities across the world — where over 80 per cent of global gross domestic product and the majority of the planet’s population live — are also under significant threat.

Major urban ports — including those on America’s eastern and western coastlines — risk becoming increasingly swamped in the coming decades. The 2050 Climate Change City Index, produced by Nestpick, a rentals platform, places a range of high and low-income cities at risk of rising sea-level damage. This includes Bangkok in top place, where the OECD has projected over 5mn of its inhabitants could be exposed to flooding by the 2070s. Amsterdam, Shenzhen and Dubai also rank in the top 10.

It is not only coastal cities that face challenges. Many riverside cities including Paris, Cairo and New Delhi are at risk of flooding too, while those farther from flowing water are under threat from drought, such as Phoenix, Brasília and Mexico City. The number of cities exposed to extreme heat is expected to almost triple by 2030. Extreme weather events are also expected to become more intense and frequent.