Climate Change Brought Extreme Weather, Heat in 2024: UN
AFP/APP
Geneva: Climate change triggered a series of extreme weather events and record-breaking heat in 2024, the United Nations reported on Monday, urging global action to avert the “road to ruin.”
The outgoing year is set to be the warmest ever recorded, according to the UN’s weather and climate agency, capping a decade of unprecedented heat.
Greenhouse gas emissions reached new record highs, locking in further warming for the future, said the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
“Climate change plays out before our eyes on an almost daily basis in the form of increased occurrence and impact of extreme weather events,” WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo stated.
“This year, we saw record-breaking rainfall, devastating floods, and significant loss of life across continents. Tropical cyclones and intense heat waves wreaked havoc, with temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius on multiple occasions. Wildfires added to the devastation.”
‘Climate Breakdown’
The 2015 Paris Agreement aimed to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, ideally 1.5°C. In November, the WMO reported that the January-September global mean surface air temperature was 1.54°C above the pre-industrial average of 1850-1900, setting 2024 on track to surpass 2023 as the warmest year on record.
Last year’s temperature was 1.45°C higher than pre-industrial levels. The WMO will release the consolidated 2024 global temperature figure in January, followed by its State of the Global Climate 2024 report in March.
In his New Year’s message, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reflected on the record temperatures of the past decade.
“We have just endured a decade of deadly heat. The top 10 hottest years on record have occurred in the last 10 years, including 2024,” he said.
“This is climate breakdown in real time. We must exit this road to ruin. In 2025, countries must take decisive steps to slash emissions and support a transition to renewable energy. It is essential—and possible.”
2025 Focus on Frozen World
Saulo emphasized the urgency of action throughout 2024, warning that delays would exacerbate the challenges.
“If we want a safer planet, we must act now,” she stressed.
Experts from 15 international organizations, 12 countries, and leading NGOs convened at the WMO’s Geneva headquarters from December 17-19 to design a coordinated framework to address the rising threats from extreme heat.
As the WMO marks its 75th anniversary in 2025, the agency plans to focus on the cryosphere—the Earth’s frozen regions, including sea ice, glaciers, and permafrost.
The WMO is also spearheading efforts to enhance climate services and early warning systems to mitigate the impacts of extreme weather.
