Latest news with #WorldMeteorologicalOrganization
Sustainability Times
2 days ago
- Science
- Sustainability Times
'Code Red for Humanity': World Set to Explode Past 1.5°C Heat Limit by 2030, UN Warns of Irreversible Chaos
IN A NUTSHELL 🔥 The World Meteorological Organization warns that the global temperature is likely to exceed the critical 1.5°C threshold in the next five years. warns that the global temperature is likely to exceed the critical in the next five years. 🌡️ The 1.5°C target, set in the Paris Agreement , is at risk due to continued increases in CO2 emissions . , is at risk due to continued increases in . 📈 There's a possibility of reaching 2°C warming , with serious implications for ecosystems and human health worldwide. , with serious implications for ecosystems and human health worldwide. 🌍 Urgent global action is required to mitigate climate change, focusing on reducing fossil fuel dependence and enhancing renewable energy sources. The recent report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) highlights a concerning trajectory for our planet's climate. The possibility of exceeding the symbolic threshold of 1.5°C (2.7°F) of warming within the next five years is alarmingly high. This projection, covering the period from 2025 to 2029, underscores the urgent need for global action. As we delve deeper into the implications of this report, it becomes clear that the climate challenges we face are not only imminent but also increasingly severe. What does this mean for our future, and how can we respond effectively? Understanding the 1.5°C Threshold The significance of the 1.5°C (2.7°F) warming threshold cannot be overstated. According to the WMO report, the years 2023 and 2024 were the hottest on record globally. This warming is measured against a baseline from the pre-industrial era, specifically 1850-1900, a time before widespread industrialization. This period marks a time when humans had not yet begun burning fossil fuels on an industrial scale, which emits greenhouse gases that are the primary drivers of climate change. The 1.5°C target was set optimistically by many nations in the 2015 Paris Agreement. However, as the years have passed, it has become increasingly clear that achieving this goal is challenging. The primary reason is the continued increase in CO2 emissions. Despite global awareness and agreements, emissions have not decreased as needed. Instead, they have continued to rise, casting doubt on our ability to limit warming effectively. The WMO report now suggests a 70% chance that the 1.5°C threshold will be exceeded by the late 2020s or early 2030s. This prediction is a stark reminder of the urgency of addressing climate change and highlights the need for immediate action to mitigate its impacts. The European CBAM : an attempt to regulate carbon imports The Possibility of 2°C Warming The WMO report offers a sobering outlook on the potential for even greater warming. It highlights a 1% chance that at least one of the next five years could see a temperature increase exceeding 2°C (3.6°F). This is a significant development, as it is the first time scientists have considered this possibility in their relatively short-term forecasts. While this probability may seem small, it represents a significant shift in climate science projections. Just a decade ago, the idea of surpassing the 1.5°C threshold was considered a distant concern. However, in 2024, this threshold was temporarily breached. Although this does not violate the Paris Agreement, which focuses on long-term averages, the trend suggests that permanent exceedance of this threshold is likely in the coming decades. Climate models, such as those from the European Copernicus program, estimate that the current average warming from 2015 to 2034 is about 1.44°C (2.59°F) above pre-industrial levels. This proximity to the 1.5°C mark indicates that further exceedances are imminent, and 2024 may have been a precursor to what we can expect in the next decade. 'Jurassic Tree Lives Again': 200-Million-Year-Old 'Dinosaur Tree' Successfully Bred in Stunning Scientific Breakthrough Implications of Increased Warming The potential for increased global warming carries significant implications for the planet. Each fraction of a degree of warming brings more intense heatwaves, droughts, extreme rainfall, and the accelerated melting of polar ice. These changes have far-reaching consequences for ecosystems, economies, and human health. The reliance on fossil fuels like oil, gas, and coal continues to be a major barrier to reducing emissions. The WMO report criticizes this continued dependence, labeling it as an absolute folly. Despite advances in renewable energy technologies, the transition away from fossil fuels has been slow, driven by economic and political interests. As climate change intensifies, vulnerable communities are particularly at risk. The impacts of increased warming are disproportionately felt by those with the fewest resources to adapt. Addressing these disparities is essential in global climate strategies to ensure a just and equitable transition to a more sustainable future. '268 Olympic Pools Below Ground': World's Largest Hidden Reservoir Discovered in Shocking Subterranean Water Breakthrough Steps Toward a Sustainable Future In light of these predictions, it is clear that urgent action is required to curb emissions and mitigate climate change. Policymakers, businesses, and individuals must work together to implement solutions that reduce reliance on fossil fuels and promote sustainable practices. Investing in renewable energy, improving energy efficiency, and protecting natural carbon sinks such as forests are critical steps in this process. International cooperation remains vital. Climate change knows no borders, and global challenges require global solutions. The Paris Agreement laid the groundwork for such cooperation, but more ambitious commitments and follow-through are needed to meet the challenges ahead. As we confront these climate challenges, we must ask ourselves: how can we accelerate the transition to a sustainable future, and what role can each of us play in making this vision a reality? Our author used artificial intelligence to enhance this article. Did you like it? 4.6/5 (23)
MTV Lebanon
3 days ago
- Climate
- MTV Lebanon
UN: Southwest Pacific Endured Unprecedented Marine Heatwaves in 2024
Unprecedented heat waves in the Southwest Pacific affected more than 10% of the global ocean surface in 2024, damaging coral reefs and putting the region's last remaining tropical glacier at risk of extinction, the UN's weather body said on Thursday. Average 2024 temperatures in the region - which covers Australia and New Zealand as well as southeast Asian island states like Indonesia and the Philippines - were nearly half a degree Celsius (0.9 Fahrenheit) higher than the 1991-2020 mean, the World Meteorological Organization said in an annual report. "Much of the region saw at least severe marine heat wave conditions at some point during the course of 2024, particularly in areas near and south of the equator," said the WMO's Blair Trewin, one of the report's authors. Extreme heat over the year affected 40 million square kilometres (15.4 million square miles) of ocean, and new temperature highs were set in the Philippines and Australia, the report said. Ocean surface temperatures also broke records, while total ocean heat content was the second-highest annual average, behind 2022. An unprecedented number of cyclones, which experts have attributed to climate change, also caused havoc in the Philippines in October and November. Sea levels continue to rise more quickly than the global average, an urgent problem in a region where more than half the population live within 500 metres (547 yards) of the coast, the report added. The report also cited satellite data showing that the region's sole tropical glacier, located in Indonesia on the western part of the island of New Guinea, shrank by up to 50% last year. "Unfortunately, if this rate of loss continues, this glacier could be gone by 2026 or shortly thereafter," said the WMO's Thea Turkington, another of the report's authors.
NDTV
3 days ago
- Climate
- NDTV
Southwest Pacific Hit By Unprecedented Marine Heat Waves In 2024: United Nations
Unprecedented heat waves in the Southwest Pacific affected more than 10% of the global ocean surface in 2024, damaging coral reefs and putting the region's last remaining tropical glacier at risk of extinction, the UN's weather body said on Thursday. Average 2024 temperatures in the region - which covers Australia and New Zealand as well as southeast Asian island states like Indonesia and the Philippines - were nearly half a degree Celsius (0.9 Fahrenheit) higher than the 1991-2020 mean, the World Meteorological Organization said in an annual report. "Much of the region saw at least severe marine heat wave conditions at some point during the course of 2024, particularly in areas near and south of the equator," said the WMO's Blair Trewin, one of the report's authors. Extreme heat over the year affected 40 million square kilometres (15.4 million square miles) of ocean, and new temperature highs were set in the Philippines and Australia, the report said. Ocean surface temperatures also broke records, while total ocean heat content was the second-highest annual average, behind 2022. An unprecedented number of cyclones, which experts have attributed to climate change, also caused havoc in the Philippines in October and November. Sea levels continue to rise more quickly than the global average, an urgent problem in a region where more than half the population live within 500 metres (547 yards) of the coast, the report added. The report also cited satellite data showing that the region's sole tropical glacier, located in Indonesia on the western part of the island of New Guinea, shrank by up to 50% last year. "Unfortunately, if this rate of loss continues, this glacier could be gone by 2026 or shortly thereafter," said the WMO's Thea Turkington, another of the report's authors.
1News
4 days ago
- Climate
- 1News
Australia, Pacific rocked by ocean heatwaves last year
Ocean temperatures in the south-west Pacific reached fresh highs last year as heatwaves struck more than 10% of the world's marine waters. Long stints of extreme ocean heat were experienced by nearly 40 million square kilometres of the region in 2024, including the waters surrounding Australia, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has revealed. WMO secretary-general Celeste Saulo said ocean heat and acidification were together inflicting long-lasting damage on marine ecosystems and economies "It is increasingly evident that we are fast running out of time to turn the tide," she said. High ocean temperatures have been wreaking havoc on heat-sensitive coral reefs worldwide, with Australian authorities reporting the sixth mass bleaching event at the Great Barrier Reef in less than a decade. ADVERTISEMENT Warming on land was also higher than it had ever been last year, with Thursday's report from the United Nations weather and climate agency identifying temperatures roughly 0.48°C above the 1991–2020 average across the region. Heatwaves were particularly acute in Western Australia, with the coastal town of Carnarvon reaching 49.9°C in February and breaking existing temperature records by more than two degrees. The south-west Pacific assessment aligns with global temperature records being consistently broken as concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reach fresh highs. Last year was the hottest on record and the first to surpass 1.5°C warmer than pre-industrial times, the benchmark temperature under the Paris climate agreement. The global pact has not yet been breached as it refers to long-term trends but more warming is expected, with a separate WMO report predicting a 70% chance the average temperature over the next five years will exceed 1.5 degrees. The WMO regional report pre-dated Cyclone Alfred and the devastating flooding events Australia experienced in the first half of 2025, but captured above-average rainfall for the northern states last year. A sea level rise in the Pacific region that exceeds global averages was also recorded, threatening island communities living near the coast. ADVERTISEMENT Elsewhere in the region, Indonesia's glacier ice degraded 30-50% compared to 2022. If melting continues at the same rate, the ice is on track to disappear entirely by 2026 or soon after. The Philippines was struck by twice as many cyclones as normal, with 12 storms hitting the country between September and November. Climate patterns also influenced the year's weather events, including El Nino conditions at the start of 2024 in the tropical Pacific Ocean that weakened to neutral conditions by the middle of the year. Head of the federal Climate Change Authority Matt Kean said there was still "time to arrest this direction of travel to a hothouse destination" at an event in Sydney on Wednesday. "First, we should ignore the doubters whose main mission seems to be to prolong the life of fossil fuel industries," he said while delivering the Talbot Oration at the Australian Museum.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Australia, Pacific rocked by ocean heatwaves in 2024
Ocean temperatures in the southwest Pacific reached fresh highs in 2024 as heatwaves struck more than 10 per cent of the world's marine waters. Long stints of extreme ocean heat were experienced by nearly 40 million square kilometres of the region last year, including the waters surrounding Australia, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has revealed. WMO secretary-general Celeste Saulo said ocean heat and acidification were together inflicting long-lasting damage on marine ecosystems and economies "It is increasingly evident that we are fast running out of time to turn the tide," she said. High ocean temperatures have been wreaking havoc on heat-sensitive coral reefs worldwide, with Australian authorities reporting the sixth mass bleaching event at the Great Barrier Reef in less than a decade. Warming on land was also higher than it had ever been in 2024, with Thursday's report from the United Nations weather and climate agency identifying temperatures around 0.48C above the 1991–2020 average across the region. Heatwaves were particularly acute in Western Australia, with the coastal town of Carnarvon reaching 49.9C in February and breaking existing temperature records by more than two degrees. The southwest Pacific assessment aligns with global temperature records being consistently broken as concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reach fresh highs. Last year was the hottest on record and the first to surpass 1.5C warmer than pre-industrial times, the benchmark temperature under the Paris climate agreement. The global pact has not yet been breached as it refers to long-term trends but more warming is expected, with a separate WMO report predicting a 70 per cent chance the average temperature over the next five years will exceed 1.5C. The WMO regional report pre-dated Cyclone Alfred and the devastating flooding events Australia experienced in the first half of 2025 but captured above-average rainfall for the northern states in 2024. A sea level rise in the Pacific region that exceeds global averages was also recorded, threatening island communities living near the coast. Elsewhere in the region, Indonesia's glacier ice degraded 30 to 50 per cent compared to 2022. If melting continues at the same rate, the ice is on track to disappear entirely by 2026 or soon after. The Philippines was struck by twice as many cyclones as normal, with 12 storms hitting the country between September and November. Climate patterns also influenced the year's weather events, including El Nino conditions at the start of 2024 in the tropical Pacific ocean that weakened to neutral conditions by the middle of the year. Head of the federal Climate Change Authority Matt Kean said there was still "time to arrest this direction of travel to a hothouse destination" at an event in Sydney on Wednesday. "First, we should ignore the doubters whose main mission seems to be to prolong the life of fossil fuel industries," he said while delivering the Talbot Oration at the Australian Museum.
