India, Feb. 4 -- A new study has revealed that climate change is creating the perfect conditions for a surge in rat populations in major urban centres worldwide. The research, published in the journal Science Advances, highlighted how rising temperatures and urbanisation are driving the increase in rat numbers across cities.

Rat populations grew significantly in 11 out of 16 cities (69%) during the research period, the paper said. Cities such as Washington, DC; San Francisco; Toronto; New York City and Amsterdam saw the strongest increases, while Oakland, Buffalo, Chicago, Boston, Kansas City, and Cincinnati also experienced notable growth.

However, the trends were not uniform, with some cities such as Tokyo, Louisville, and New Orlean...