The year 2024 has been officially recognized as the warmest year on record, marking a grim milestone in the global climate crisis. For the first time, the average global temperature exceeded the 1.5°C threshold above pre-industrial levels, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Key Findings
According to WMO’s consolidated analysis of six climate datasets, the global average surface temperature reached 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels. Two datasets—Berkeley Earth and ECMWF—showed the average temperature surpassing 1.6°C. This breach underscores the urgent need for intensified climate action.
“Global heating is a cold, hard fact,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated, emphasizing that exceeding the threshold serves as a wake-up call rather than a definitive failure.
Contributing Factors
Scientists highlighted human-induced climate change as the primary driver of these record-breaking temperatures, with additional contributions from natural phenomena like the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
- Ocean Warming: A study in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences revealed that oceans reached their highest recorded temperatures, not just at the surface but up to 2,000 meters deep.
- Greenhouse Gas Levels: Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane hit record highs in 2024, at 422 ppm and 1,897 ppb respectively.
Global Impact
The extreme heat in 2024 resulted in unprecedented climate events:
- Deadly Heatwaves: India experienced its hottest year since 1901, with severe heatwaves in April causing numerous fatalities in the northwest and east regions.
- Intense Rainfall and Flooding: Global atmospheric water vapor levels reached record highs, exacerbating heavy rainfall events and contributing to floods in Valencia, hurricanes in the U.S., typhoons in the Philippines, and drought in the Amazon.
A Decade of Records
The past decade (2015–2024) has been the warmest on record, with each year ranking among the top ten. In 2024, the global average temperature was 15.1°C, a full 0.72°C above the 1991–2020 average. A record high daily temperature of 17.16°C was recorded on July 22.
Calls for Action
WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo stated, “Climate history is playing out before our eyes,” while Friederike Otto of Imperial College London called for urgent transitions away from fossil fuels, halting deforestation, and building resilient societies.
Guterres echoed these sentiments: “Blazing temperatures in 2024 require trail-blazing climate action in 2025.”
The 2024 data serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of inaction and the necessity for collective global efforts to mitigate the worsening climate crisis.
Sources By Agencies
