2024 is projected to be the hottest year on record, with average global temperatures expected to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average. This follows a series of extreme weather events linked to human-caused climate change. Experts predict high temperatures will continue into early 2025 despite potential cooling from the La Nina pattern. Current carbon dioxide emissions are at record levels, stressing the need for aggressive climate action.
European Union scientists have reported that 2024 is projected to be the hottest year on record, with global temperatures greatly exceeding those recorded prior to the industrial period. The Copernicus Climate Change Service confirmed that average global temperatures will surpass 1.5 degrees Celsius above the 1850-1900 average for the first time. This alarming trend is accompanied by a series of extreme weather events worldwide, including severe droughts, floods, and heatwaves linked to human-induced climate change. November 2024 marked the second-warmest November on record, and researchers anticipate that the elevated temperatures will persist at least through early 2025, despite potential brief cooling from the La Nina weather pattern. Continued emissions from burning fossil fuels are the primary driver of this climate crisis, leading to unprecedented levels of greenhouse gases, which will necessitate drastic emissions reductions to mitigate future warming.
Understanding the impact of climate change is crucial in light of alarming data suggesting 2024 will be the hottest year recorded since systematic measurements commenced. The U.N. climate talks, which resulted in a significant $300 billion fund aimed at combating climate change, have been criticized for being inadequate. The findings from C3S highlight the ongoing trend of rising temperatures and its connection to extreme weather patterns, providing a stark reminder of the urgency for climate action as the effects become increasingly apparent. The current neutral climate conditions succeeding El Nino, along with the possibility of La Nina, complicate predictions about imminent temperature changes but do not alter the long-term warming trajectory.
In summary, the prospect of 2024 being the hottest year on record underscores the pressing need for comprehensive climate action. It is evidenced that anthropogenic climate change is already producing severe weather phenomena globally, with dire implications for human safety and environmental stability. Without significant reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, rising global temperatures and extreme climatic events will persist, necessitating urgent measures to mitigate their impact.
Original Source: www.bangkokpost.com
