Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Sea levels are rising faster than previously predicted, according to a new U.N. study released Wednesday. The U.N. team found that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s estimate that sea levels would rise by about two millimeters a year was “biased low.” The group, which presented its findings in a peer-reviewed study, found that sea levels are actually rising by 3.2 millimeters a year—or 60 percent faster than previously expected. The rising sea levels are expected to worsen flooding and storm surges in coastal areas, especially when storms like Hurricane Sandy make landfall.