Pros and cons of climate change for Britain Certain fish stocks, like plaice, may increase as species move north. The melting of Arctic ice could open up new container shipping routes through the region, improving trade links with Asia and the Pacific. Flooding costs could rise from the current £1.2 billion a year to between £2.1 billion and £12 billion a year by the 2080s, with issues including insurance industry exposure to UK flood risks, the availability of insurance and provision of mortgages to at-risk properties. People hit by storms and floods, for example those who have to leave their homes for extended periods, may suffer mental health problems such as depression. Water shortages could increase, with a potential deficit of between 773 and 2,570 million litres of water a day in the Thames river basin, up from a shortfall of 59 million litres a day currently. Farmers could experience crop losses due to flooding and the forestry industry could see timber yield and quality reduced by drier weather. Timber production could also be hit by the spread of pests and diseases such as red band needle blight. Rising sea levels could hit natural assets such as beaches and buildings including tourist attractions and historical monuments, with knock-on impacts for businesses that rely on them. Higher temperatures could see around 580 to 5,900 more people dying as a result of hot summers and heatwaves by the 2050s. The number of days a year when temperatures rise above 26C is predicted to increase from 18 in London to between 27 and 121 in the 2080s. Hot days will see buildings too hot to work in and a greater demand for air conditioning. But between 3,900 and 24,000 cold-related deaths could be avoided in winter by the 2050s. Increased summer temperatures could also lead to heat-related damage and disruption to energy networks and transport infrastructure, such as buckling of rail tracks. There could be increased subsidence and landslips which hit transport and buildings, but milder winters may reduce cold weather-related damage, delays and disruption. Fish species could shift north, reducing the UK's cod fishery. Invasive species could also spread north within the UK. Native species, particularly those which depend on special habitats rather than the general countryside, may struggle to move to keep up with a changing climate, while wildlife and habitats are likely to be at increasing risk from drier soils. Wildfires are likely to become more of a serious issue.