2024 on Track to Be Hottest Year on Record: WMO
- 12 Nov 2024
On the opening day of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29, 11 November 2024), the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) revealed that 2024 may be the hottest year in recorded history, with global temperatures reaching critical levels.
Key Points
- Record Global Temperatures: A WMO report highlights an unprecedented rise in global temperatures, with the January-September mean surface temperature recorded at 1.54°C above pre-industrial levels, exceeding the 1.5°C target in the Paris Agreement.
- El Niño and Greenhouse Gases Drive Warming: This spike is largely attributed to a powerful El Niño event coupled with soaring greenhouse gas levels, which continue to accelerate climate impacts globally.
- Climate Risks and Vulnerable Communities: UN Secretary-General emphasized that climate change is worsening inequalities, harming health, and destabilizing peace, with marginalized communities bearing the brunt of these impacts.
- Ocean Heat and Rising Sea Levels: Ocean heat content reached historic levels, absorbing over 90% of excess global warming energy. Rising sea levels due to thermal expansion and glacier melt pose significant risks for coastal areas.
- Glacier Loss at Alarming Rates: The report notes a record glacier loss of 1.2 meters of water equivalent in 2023, with rapid retreat seen across polar and mountainous regions, stressing the need for adaptation measures.
- Intensifying Extreme Weather Events: Climate change has led to more frequent and intense extreme weather, including deadly heatwaves, severe floods, and cyclones, all of which contribute to economic losses and migration.
- Record Greenhouse Gas Levels: CO2 concentrations peaked at 420 ppm in 2023, marking a 51% rise from pre-industrial levels and pushing atmospheric heat retention even higher.
