Sea levels are rising around the world as a result of the climate crisis. Even if we manage to keep global warming below 1.5°C (2.7°F), as set out in the Paris Agreement, they are set to rise by at least 10 feet (3m), according to research by non-profit Climate Central. But if the planet's temperature increases by 3°C (5.4°F), which it’s projected to do by 2100 if drastic steps aren’t undertaken, sea levels could rise by 30 feet (9m). Using photorealistic images, Climate Central has illustrated what some of the world’s at risk cities could look like in this scenario.

Click through the gallery to discover what some of the world's most famous cities could look like if sea levels continue to rise...

The British royals’ official residence since 1837, Buckingham Palace in central London would fare badly in the event of a 3°C (5.4°F) warming, due in part to its proximity to the River Thames. Its surrounding grounds would be submerged in water, as would the lower levels of the palace itself, according to imaging from Climate Central.

The Pentagon was built during the Second World War and is currently the headquarters of the US Department of Defense – the army, navy and Air Force. But in the event of a 3°C (5.4°F) temperature rise, there won’t be much left of its surroundings.

Antwerp’s position on the banks of the River Scheldt makes it especially vulnerable to sea level rise. Shown here are the 16th-century Cathedral of our Lady and the historic city centre, which could become badly flooded if climate change continues at its current rate.

Bangladesh is one of the most low-lying, flood-prone nations in the world and its seasonal monsoonal flooding is already being worsened by the climate crisis. In fact, the country saw record-breaking floods in June 2022, which affected an estimated 7.2 million people. Pictured here is Lalbagh Fort in the capital city, Dhaka, which is predicted to be half-submerged by seawater if we stay on our current path of climate change.

With its Neoclassical buildings and landscaped gardens, Aristotelous Square in Thessaloniki is one of the most-visited locations in Greece. But the square’s immaculate green spaces and covered walkways would be submerged in the event of 3°C (5.4°F) of warming.

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Its location on the banks of the Patapsco River makes Baltimore, Maryland vulnerable to rising sea levels, as you can see from this image of the Convention Center. The grass-covered stadium would be filled with water, along with swathes of downtown.

According to risk maps released by Climate Central, large parts of Hong Kong would be underwater in the future if global warming continues unchecked at the current rate. This includes the lower parts of the 70-storey Bank of China Tower, plus surrounding low-rises, roads, parks and green spaces.

Located on the western coast of São Luís Island, a narrow peninsula which is cut off from the Brazilian mainland by the Mosquito Strait, São Luís city is set to become covered in water as a result of a 3°C (5.4°F) global temperature rise. Pictured here is the old part of the city, including a sprawling historic residence called Maranhao's House.

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Significant chunks of this north Californian city, which sits on a peninsula jutting out into the North Pacific Ocean, would be underwater in the event of unchecked global warming. In this photo modelling of what San Francisco's downtown would look like, some of its smaller skyscrapers and low-rise buildings are almost completely swallowed up by the sea.

The 19th-century Royal Pavilion that graces the seaside city of Brighton is one of Britain’s most flamboyant examples of Georgian architecture, built as a pleasure palace for King George IV. But its luxurious grounds, along with the lower levels of the building, are set to be engulfed in seawater if drastic action to curb emissions is not taken.

Situated on Nigeria’s west coast bordering Lagos Lagoon, the coastal capital is headed for severe damage in the event of 3°C (5.4°F) of climate change. The streets outside Lagos Central Mosque, pictured, are usually filled with people, but this apocalyptic vision of the future will see them completely submerged in water instead.

Québec City is located on the banks of the St Lawrence River, which winds its way out to meet the North Atlantic Ocean and Labrador Sea. Due to its low-lying location, many areas of the city including the historic Place Royale – a cobbled square dating to the 17th century – would be destroyed by the predicted sea level rise.

This especially stark image shows the outdoor chairs and tables of Plaza de la Catedral – a large square in Old Havana that is usually bustling with people – completely underwater. Large swathes of the Cuban capital are set to be devastated by unchecked rising ocean levels.

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Thanks to its proximity to the River Cam, the historic city of Cambridge in the east of England faces catastrophic destruction at the hands of climate change. In fact, even in the event of just 1.5°C (2.7°F) of global warming (the minimum that will occur no matter what actions humanity takes to stop it), a significant chunk of England’s east coast will be gobbled up by the sea.

The coastal city of Cape Town lies on South Africa's southwest coast and is the country's oldest city. It will be all but completely flooded if climate change causes a 3°C (5.4°F) rise in temperature, with roads, train tracks and the lower storeys of buildings all set to be inundated with water.

Huge areas of Cardiff, which faces onto the Bristol Channel, would be underwater in the event of unchecked global warming – as you can see from this shocking image of the Wales Millennium Centre. In fact, if you look closely in the left-hand corner, only the rooftops of some houses are visible above the water.

Dublin is sliced apart by the River Liffey, which empties out into Dublin Bay. But large areas of this historic coastal city are set to be wiped out by rising sea levels, as you can see from this image, depicting flooded roads and submerged castle grounds.

The Norwegian capital is known for its tranquil location on the banks of the Oslofjord, providing stunning scenery year-round. Yet 3°C (5.4°F) of warming is set to bring chaos to the city, as this shocking image of a flooded Grev Wedels Plass (a square near the water's edge) shows.

Swathes of the coastal city of Vancouver will be plunged underwater due to global warming, with suburbs including Richmond, Ladner and Surrey set to be badly hit. The H. R. MacMillan Space Centre, pictured, will be all but lost as water sweeps in from English Bay in the west.

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A long-time favourite with well-heeled travellers, the glamorous beach city of Nice is set to be devastated by sea level rise, with historic buildings such as the 17th-century Cathédrale Sainte Reparate (pictured) looking highly likely to flood.

If we continue on our current carbon path, there won’t be much left of Elizabeth Quay in Perth, capital of Western Australia, which sits on the country's Indian Ocean coastline. In fact pretty much the entire harbour area is set to be underwater – you can just make out the rooftops poking out in the foreground of this image.

Also known as Martyr’s Square, the historic Piazza dei Martiri in the southern Italian city of Naples looks like it might just about remain unscathed even if warming hits 3°C (5.4°F), but nearby streets and coastal areas are set to be flooded.

More than 3,600 square miles (9,324sq km) of Florida are within the 100-year coastal floodplain. It is the US state with the largest coastal flooding threat and the south is set to be worst affected. Cities including West Palm Beach, Fort Myers and Miami face devastation if global warming continues at the current rate.

Swathes of Texas’ 3,359-mile (5,406km) coastline would be ravaged by 3°C (5.4°F) of warming, and large parts will be flooded even if warming is curtailed to 1.5°C (2.7°F). The Space Center Houston looks in a sorry state in this image.

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Floralis Genérica is a large silver flower sculpture created by Argentinian architect Eduardo Catalano, located in the Plaza de las Naciones Unidas in Buenos Aires. Although the sculpture itself will be safe in the event of a 3°C (5.4°F) temperature rise, surrounding parks, roads and other low-lying areas will be severely threatened.

Around one-fifth of Vietnam’s population lives along the Mekong Delta, making them more vulnerable to the effects of climate change-induced sea level rise. According to maps created by Climate Central, almost all of Hanoi will be devastated if temperature increases by 3°C (5.4°F), while even a 1.5°C (2.7°F) rise will badly impact huge areas of coastline.

Sitting on the banks of the Hudson River, Hoboken, New Jersey will suffer severely when sea levels rise, as you can see from this image of a drowned-out Washington Street. In fact, even if climate change is curbed at 1.5°C (2.7°F), mapping tools suggest large areas of the New Jersey coastline will be underwater.

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A world-famous landmark on the stunning Sydney Harbour, the Sydney Opera House looks a sorry state in this image. The lower levels of the building are subsumed underwater and it's cut adrift from the rest of Circular Quay. But that’s what is likely to happen if climate change continues along its current trajectory.

The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world at more than 2,716.5 feet (828m) high, but its mighty size won’t stop it being ravaged by climate change. As well as consuming the lower storeys of the skyscraper, surrounding roads, green spaces and low-rise buildings in downtown Dubai would be swallowed up by rising water.

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Built to commemorate America's centennial anniversary of independence, the Statue of Liberty has stood over New York Bay for more than 130 years. As you can see here, however, its star-shaped base and the island on which it stands would be mostly submerged due to the climate crisis.

This 19th-century art gallery is one of the wonders of Bremen, a city in northwest Germany built either side of the Weser River. The historic building and its treasures, along with other parts of the city, will be devastated by flooding if global warming continues unchecked at the current rate.

The Rothenburgsort area of Hamburg, Germany’s largest port which is connected to the North Sea by the River Elbe, is facing a worrying future if global warming isn’t curbed and the planet's temperature increases by 3°C (5.4°F). The bustling urban district, which sits right on the Elbe’s waterfront, will be completely inundated and uninhabitable as rising sea levels cause major flooding.

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A wonder of the classical age built by the emperor Diocletian between AD 295–305 as an imperial palace and sea fortress on Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast, the complex has stood the test of time. However, the UNESCO World Heritage site and wider city of Split faces a troubling future. If the 3°C (5.4°F) rise continues unabated the fortress and port city will be flooded by the Adriatic Sea.

Copenhagen’s Christiansborg Palace has been Denmark's centre of power for 800 years but in less than 100 it could be devastated by a deluge if we keep our current carbon path of 3°C (5.4°F) global warming. The handsome complex dates back to 1928, but this historic part of the city is where Danish kings and queens have ruled for centuries.

Also known as Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, this Gothic masterpiece in Barcelona was built over six centuries but faces a precarious future. While it looks to be safe from rising waters in this image, if climate change continues at its current rate, nearby parts of the coastal city will be submerged, including districts along its seafront.

A coastal city in Mexico’s northwestern state of Sinaloa, Mazatlán's restored old town is peppered with pretty 19th century buildings, including the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. When we reach 1.5°C (2.7°F) of global warming, the streets close to this place of worship will see flooding. This image shows the dire situation the city will face with a 3°C (5.4°F) rise.

Home to The Netherland’s government, The Hague is the largest Dutch city on the North Sea, located in a notoriously low-lying part of Europe. Pictured here is how the city’s famous Peace Palace will fare when the world experiences the projected 3°C (5.4°F) rise. Home to the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the United Nations International Court of Justice and The Hague Academy of International Law, the handsome building is a worldwide symbol of peace.

One of Poland’s oldest cities, this Baltic port is strewn with historic buildings and monuments, many lining the Ulica Długa, also known as the Long Market. This medieval thoroughfare was the procession route of Polish kings and queens and extends from the Golden Gate down to the Motława River. If we manage to dramatically cut our carbon and keep global warming to 1.5°C (2.7°F), it’ll remain above water but a 3°C (5.4°F) rise will see it completely submerged along with neighbouring streets.

With a history dating back to the mid-18th century, the Real Felipe Fortress lies on Peru’s Pacific coastline, just outside of Lima’s historic centre. The UNESCO-listed structure has already been hit by numerous natural disasters, with earthquakes and tidal waves wreaking havoc on it over the centuries. These images show that if we do not halt our current carbon path and the Earth warms by 3°C (5.4°F), the beleaguered fort will be swallowed by the ocean.

Sweden’s capital is built over 14 islands, with many of its historic sites – including the magnificent Royal Palace of Stockholm (one of Europe's largest) – found on Gamla Stan, its oldest district. According to the photorealistic images released by Climate Central, the palace and its surroundings will be deluged with water in the future, even if global warming is limited to 1.5°C (2.7°F). Pictured here is how the palace will look with a rise of 3°C (5.4°F).

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