2024 Projected to Surpass 2023 as Warmest Year on Record

2024 Breaks Global Temperature Records

“The fundamental, underpinning cause of this year's record is climate change is that the...”

Copernicus Climate Change Service predicts global temperatures will exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels by 2030.

The European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) has made a striking declaration: 2024 will “virtually certainly” surpass 2023 as the hottest year on record. This announcement comes ahead of the United Nations' COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan, underscoring the urgency of global climate concerns.

Highlights of the Report

Record-Breaking Temperatures: The global average temperature from January to October 2024 has been exceptionally high, securing 2024's place as the warmest year unless temperatures drop dramatically in the remaining months.

Previous Records: Notably, 2023 held the previous record, with a global average temperature of 14.98°C, 0.17°C higher than the previous record in 2016.

Climate Implications: This trend emphasizes the pressing need for climate action, with global temperatures reaching alarmingly close to the 1.5°C limit above pre-industrial levels.

“The fundamental, underpinning cause of this year's record is climate change is that the climate is warming, generally.” It's warming in all continents, in all ocean basins.

“So we are bound to see those records being broken,” C3S Director Carlo Buontempo said.

Scientists predict that 2024 will be the first year the Earth's temperature exceeds 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, driven primarily by carbon dioxide emissions from burning coal, oil, and gas. This milestone underscores the urgent need for climate action.

Climate scientist Sonia Seneviratne from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology expressed no surprise, instead emphasizing the necessity for governments to take decisive action at COP29 to reduce fossil fuel reliance.

The World Meteorological Organization reports an 80% likelihood of global temperatures temporarily exceeding 1.5°C between 2024-2028, with a 47% chance of exceeding 1.5°C over the entire five-year period.

“The limits that were set in the Paris agreement are starting to crumble given the too-slow pace of climate action across the world,” She said.

The 2015 Paris Agreement aims to limit global warming to 1.5°C (2.7°F) to mitigate severe climate impacts. Although the long-term average global temperature hasn't exceeded this threshold, Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) predicts the target will be breached by 2030.

Extreme weather events intensify with minimal temperature increases. Recent devastating examples include:

2024 Disasters

1. Spain's Flash Floods: Hundreds killed in October's catastrophic flooding.
2. Peru's Wildfires: Record-breaking blazes ravaged the country.
3. Bangladesh Floods: 1 million tons of rice lost, triggering food price hikes.