The year 2024 has been officially recognized as the hottest year on record, surpassing any previous records with extreme weather conditions across the globe. This includes severe flooding in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, and record heat being experienced in Athens, Greece.

This alarming development was confirmed by the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, which declared 2024 to be the first year with a global average temperature that exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. This confirmation is based on the data collected and analyzed by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which has also identified 2024 as the warmest year ever recorded. The WMO’s confirmation is derived from six international datasets, which revealed a global average temperature that was a staggering 1.55°C above the average recorded between 1850 and 1900.

These findings are not simply statistics on a page. They signify that the ambitious objective of the Paris agreement, which aimed to limit sustained global warming to 1.5°C, was surpassed in 2024. This concerning development highlights the urgent need for intensified efforts to mitigate the devastating impacts of climate change.

The unprecedented surge in temperature in 2024 has been attributed to two main factors. Firstly, human-induced climate change, a consequence of years of unsustainable practices, has played a significant role. Secondly, an El Niño weather pattern was observed, which resulted in record sea surface temperatures and extreme weather conditions on land.

WMO Secretary-General, Celeste Saulo, emphasized the importance of these observations. She stated that each fraction of a degree of warming has a profound impact on our lives, economies, and the overall health of the planet.

In order to avoid exceeding the 1.5°C warming threshold for an extended period, Saulo stressed the pressing need for rapid and substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, she called for urgent adaptations to our infrastructure to protect people from unprecedented extremes in weather conditions.

The outlook for 2025 remains uncertain. There is potential for global sea surface temperatures to cool due to a developing La Niña phase in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. However, this potential cool down in sea surface temperatures should not diminish the urgent attention required to address the pressing issue of climate change.

Science4Data is committed to cut through greenwashing and measure real impact. Join the journey to a sustainable future. Your actions matter.