Nonetheless, the long term trend is one of net global warming. Corresponding with this warming, alpine glaciers have been retreating, sea levels have risen, and climatic zones are shifting. The 10 warmest years in global meteorological history have all occurred in the past 15 years The 20 th century has been the warmest globally in the last 600 years. Most experts agree that average global temperatures could rise by 1 to 3.5 degrees Celsius over the next century. In Canada, this could mean an increase in annual mean temperatures in some regions of between 5 and 10 degrees.
Climate change is more than a warming trend.
Increasing temperatures will lead to changes in many aspects of weather, such as wind patterns, the amount and type of precipitation, and the types and frequency of severe weather events that may be expected to occur.