In 2024, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) predicts the year will be the hottest recorded, highlighting the severe impact of climate change fueled by human activities. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for urgent action to mitigate emissions and support a transition to renewable energy. The WMO’s initiatives aim to enhance climate services and early warnings to adapt to extreme weather conditions that have resulted in significant human loss and suffering globally.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has forecasted that 2024 will become the warmest year on record, concluding a decade marked by extreme temperatures driven by human activities. Greenhouse gas concentrations have reached an unprecedented level, resulting in a significant increase in global warming for the future. UN Secretary-General António Guterres remarked on the severity of the climate crisis, emphasizing the necessity for immediate action to mitigate emissions and invest in renewable energy solutions.
As part of the WMO’s commitment to climate adaptation, it has been actively engaged in initiatives such as the Early Warnings for All program. This aims to enhance the capacity for climate services and provide crucial warnings about extreme weather patterns. The WMO will also implement the Global Greenhouse Gas Watch, underscoring its efforts to collaborate with international organizations like the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) during the COP meetings.
The year 2024 has been fraught with extreme weather, including unprecedented rainfall, flooding, intense heatwaves exceeding 50 degrees Celsius in multiple regions, and destructive wildfires. Such climatic abnormalities have led to significant human and economic losses, highlighting the urgent need for immediate and collective actions for climate resilience and adaptation.
Understanding the context of climate change is critical as it influences all global weather patterns and impacts sustainable development. The WMO’s analysis indicates that the previous decade has seen record-breaking temperatures, consistent with human-caused greenhouse emissions. Climate change does not only alter average temperatures; it has led to an increase in extreme weather events which pose serious threats to public health and safety across the globe. The worsening climate scenario calls for enhanced international cooperation and a proactive approach to tackle the exacerbating risks associated with global warming. Various initiatives are currently being undertaken to improve the forecasting of extreme weather and to implement effective climate solutions, especially as the international community gears up for the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation in 2025, which focuses on the health of Earth’s frozen regions.
In summary, 2024 is projected to be the hottest year on record, reinforcing the urgent need for global action against climate change. The recorded extreme weather events highlight both the immediate dangers of climate change and the necessity for international cooperation in climate adaptation and mitigation efforts. Key initiatives by the WMO and other international organizations aim to address these challenges, emphasizing the need for drastic emission reductions and a collective commitment to creating a sustainable future. Ultimately, the call to action from leaders such as UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasizes that the responsibility to combat climate change lies within the global community. Effective and immediate measures are imperative to secure a safer planet for future generations.
Original Source: wmo.int
