This year is on track to be the world’s hottest on record, with UN boss Antonio Guterres warning humanity was paying the price for “torching the planet”.
The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said data from six global datasets from January to September show 2024 is on track to be the warmest year on record, with the global average near surface temperature even higher than 2023’s record heat.
UN secretary general Mr Guterres said: “Today, the World Meteorological Organisation and partners tell us that 2024 is on track to be the hottest year ever recorded – almost two months before it ends.
“Humanity’s torching the planet and paying the price.”
🌡️The year 2024 is on track to be the warmest year on record, with the global average near surface temperature even higher than in 2023, according to the World Meteorological Organization (@WMOFull).
🔗Full story: https://t.co/94geuImb4e pic.twitter.com/9zhZP0fItUAdvertisement— World Meteorological Organization (@WMO) November 7, 2024
And EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said its data to October showed this year is “virtually certain” to be the world’s hottest on record, with temperatures more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times for the first time.
The latest data from C3S that global temperatures from January to October were 0.71 degrees more than the average from 1991-2020, the highest on record for the period, and 0.16 degrees higher than the same period for 2023 – the world’s hottest year to date.
As a result, it is now virtually certain that 2024 will be the warmest year on record, the scientists said.
And as 2023 was 1.48 degrees above pre-industrial levels, according to the European dataset, it is also virtually certain 2024 will be more than 1.5 degrees higher than before the industrial revolution, and likely more than 1.55 degrees higher.
That would mean the world has breached – temporarily at least – a key threshold in the fight against dangerous climate change.
Under the Paris climate agreement, countries committed to action to limit temperature rises to “well below” 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to keep them to 1.5 degrees, beyond which the most devastating impacts of storms, floods, droughts, heatwaves, nature loss and rising seas are expected.
The data also shows that October 2024 was the second-warmest month globally, second only to October 2023, and was 1.65 degrees above pre-industrial levels.
It was the 15th month in a 16-month period that the global average air temperature was more than 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.
October #Temperature highlights from the #CopernicusClimate Change Service (#C3S).
Last month
🌡 was the 2nd-warmest October globally, after '23, 0.80°C above the 1991-2020 average
🌡 1.65°C above the pre-industrial level
For more 👉https://t.co/n3oJelJdDa pic.twitter.com/3DnKDscMUU— Copernicus ECMWF (@CopernicusECMWF) November 7, 2024
The figures, which are based on computer-generated analyses and the “ERA5” dataset, which uses billions of measurements from satellites, ships, aircraft and weather stations around the world, come as countries prepare to meet for the latest round of UN climate talks, Cop29, in Azerbaijan.
Samantha Burgess, deputy director of C3S, said: “After 10 months of 2024 it is now virtually certain that 2024 will be the warmest year on record and the first year of more than 1.5C above pre-industrial levels according to the ERA5 dataset.
“This marks a new milestone in global temperature records and should serve as a catalyst to raise ambition for the upcoming climate change conference, Cop29.”
As Cop29 begins next week, the WMO is due to publish its full analysis of global temperatures in 2024, drawing on a series of datasets including the ERA5 data.
Responding to the figures, Mike Childs, head of science, policy and research at Friends of the Earth, said: “Our ailing planet is sending us every signal that it is in crisis – the latest being the deadly floods in Spain which have claimed the lives of so many and wreaked colossal damage.
“The time for dither and delay is long gone. We need global leaders to smash the emergency glass now and do everything in their power to prevent further harm.
“As well as accelerating a fair transition to green, low carbon economies, that means putting the measures in place that will protect people, properties and infrastructure from current and future impacts of climate change.”
Mr Childs also called for the UK to bring in stronger plans for the delivering on its nature and climate targets, and a “credible strategy” to prepare for extreme weather, as well as supporting countries on the front line of the climate crisis”.
