Greenhouse gases keep the Earth warm, but adding more of them is a problem. An increase in the average global temperature is a major cause of climate change. Climate change means long-term changes in weather patterns around the world, not just a single hot day.
There are several potential effects. Rising temperatures melt ice at the poles and on mountains, and water also expands as it warms, so the sea level rises. This can cause flooding in low-lying coastal areas and loss of habitats. Weather patterns change, which can mean more frequent and more extreme weather such as storms, droughts and heatwaves. The amount of rainfall and where it falls change, so some areas may struggle to grow enough food. Species may be unable to cope with the new conditions, so the distribution and numbers of wildlife change as animals move to new areas or die out and become extinct.
The scale of climate change is global, so it affects everyone, but the risks are not the same in every place. Scientists cannot predict every effect with certainty, which is why the effects are described as potential.