The planet is on fire, and 2024 may be the hottest year yet. 

With global temperatures soaring 1.54°C above pre-industrial levels from January to September, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warns that climate change is accelerating. 

The WMO’s annual State of the Climate update, released as COP29 kicks off in Baku, Azerbaijan, shows a grim reality: extreme weather, fueled by greenhouse gas emissions and El Niño, has become routine, devastating communities and economies.

“This year’s record-breaking rainfall, deadly heat, drought, and wildfires are unfortunately our new reality and a foretaste of our future,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo. 

Over the past decade, the planet has experienced unprecedented heat levels, with the period from 2015 to 2024 set to be the warmest on record. 

Ocean heat content reached a record high in 2023, and data for 2024 indicate that ocean warming has continued at similar levels. 

This warming trend locks in a long-term change, as about 90 per cent of the excess heat energy in the Earth’s system is stored in the ocean and will persist for centuries.

The WMO report highlights a series of concerning climate indicators. 

Carbon dioxide levels have risen by 51 per cent since 1750, reaching 420 parts per million in 2023. 

Ocean warming accelerated between 2005 and 2023, with oceans absorbing an annual average of 3.1 million terawatt-hours (TWh) of heat, more than 18 times the world’s yearly energy consumption. 

Sea levels, driven up by thermal expansion and glacier melt, rose by 4.77 mm annually from 2014 to 2023 - more than double the rate of previous decades. In 2023 alone, glaciers lost 1.2 metres of ice, the highest loss recorded since measurements began in 1953.

Though these soaring temperatures surpass the critical 1.5°C benchmark at times, WMO experts stress that short-term spikes do not mean long-term targets are unattainable. “Whether it is at a level below or above 1.5°C, every additional increment of global warming increases climate extremes, impacts, and risks,” Saulo noted. 

The WMO has called for swift action to cut emissions and for greater investment in Early Warnings for All (EW4All) systems to protect communities from climate hazards. 

While global adaptation efforts have made headway, especially in energy resilience and warning systems, climate challenges are no longer hypothetical but rather an unavoidable reality for policymakers and communities worldwide. 

The WMO’s full report on the State of the Climate 2024, due in March 2025, will expand on these findings and support efforts to prepare for a future where extreme weather events and warming temperatures are the norm.

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