In 2024, climate change unleashed a fierce wave of extreme weather and record-breaking heat, the United Nations warned, urging the world to steer away from the “path to disaster.” The year is on track to be the hottest ever recorded, wrapping up a decade dominated by scorching temperatures. At the same time, greenhouse gas emissions reached new heights, locking in even more heat for the future, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
“Climate change is unfolding right before our eyes,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo, highlighting the daily intensification of extreme weather events. This year, the planet saw unprecedented rainfall, widespread floods, and devastating loss of life across multiple countries. Tropical cyclones, like the one that struck Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, inflicted significant human and economic damage. In addition, searing heatwaves pushed temperatures above 50°C (122°F) in several nations, while wildfires ravaged landscapes.
The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement set ambitious targets to limit global warming to below 2°C, aiming for a safer 1.5°C if possible. However, the WMO reported that from January to September, the global surface temperature was already 1.54°C above the pre-industrial average, a sobering reminder of the urgent need to act.
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