The impacts of human-caused climate change reached a new peak in 2024. Some of the consequences are irreversible over hundreds or even thousands of years, according to a new report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The report also highlights the massive economic and social disruptions caused by extreme weather events. 

Key messages

• Key climate change indicators are once again hitting record levels
• Long-term warming (averaged over decades) remains below 1.5 °C
• Sea level rise and ocean warming are irreversible for hundreds of years
• Record concentrations of greenhouse gases, combined with El Niño and other factors, led to record heat in 2024
• Early warnings and climate services are essential for protecting communities and economies

The WMO's "State of the Global Climate" report confirms that 2024 was likely the first calendar year in which the global average temperature exceeded 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels. The global mean near-surface temperature was 1.55 ± 0.13 °C above the 1850–1900 average. It was the warmest year in the 175-year observation period.

Read the article by Martin Auer on scientists4future.org