NEWS – Annual State of the Climate report released by World Meteorological Organization

WHAT DID IT SAY

• Confirmed that 2023 was the hottest year ever recorded.
• Global temperatures exceeded previous records, indicating a trend of increasing heat.
• There is a high probability that 2024 would surpass the temperature records set in 2023.
• The warming trend suggests that 2024 will continue to be hotter, contributing to the ongoing climate crisis.
• The State of the Climate report highlighted the devastating effects of fossil fuel pollution, leading to unprecedented climate chaos.

Near-surface Temperature and Paris Agreement Threshold:

• The average near-surface temperature in 2023 was dangerously close to the critical 1.5-degree Celsius threshold set in the Paris Agreement.
• WMO chief Celeste Saulo warned that the world is nearing the lower limit of the Paris Agreement, signaling a critical need for immediate action.

Unprecedented Environmental Changes:

• Climate indicators in 2023 broke numerous records, including ocean warmth, glacier retreat, and Antarctic sea ice loss.
• Marine heatwaves affected nearly a third of the global ocean on average, with over 90% experiencing heatwave conditions at some point during the year.

Concerns for Marine Ecosystems and Glaciers:

• The rise in marine heatwaves poses significant threats to marine ecosystems and coral reefs, leading to negative repercussions.
• Key glaciers worldwide experienced the largest ice loss since records began in 1950, primarily driven by extreme melt in regions like western North America and Europe