It is now “virtually certain” that 2024 will be recorded as the world’s hottest year, marked by extreme heatwaves, deadly storms, and significant climate disruptions, according to recent projections by the European climate service. Global average temperatures are on track to exceed pre-industrial levels by more than 1.5°C, making this year the first to breach this pivotal threshold.

 

 

The main driver behind this historic warming is human-induced climate change, with additional contributions from natural events like the El Niño weather pattern. Scientists see this milestone as a clear signal to address climate action at the upcoming UN climate conference, COP29, in Azerbaijan. "This latest record sends another stark warning to governments at COP29 of the urgent need for action to limit any further warming," cautioned Liz Bentley, chief executive of the Royal Meteorological Society. Global temperatures have risen so sharply in the first 10 months of the year that only an extraordinarily steep decline in November and December could prevent this new record from being set.

 

Current data from the European Copernicus Climate Change Service suggests that 2024 will close with temperatures at least 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels. The period between 1850 and 1900, known as the “pre-industrial” era, serves as a benchmark for assessing the influence of human activities on the climate. This year’s temperatures are poised to eclipse the previous record of 1.48°C, set just last year, signaling an accelerating trend in global warming.

 

"This marks a new milestone in global temperature records," said Samantha Burgess, deputy director of Copernicus. The United Nations recently warned that, based on current policies, global temperatures could rise by more than 3°C by the end of this century, underscoring the urgency of enacting meaningful climate policies.

 

The trends seen in 2024 also raise questions about the future. "We will watch with interest what happens going into 2025 and beyond," commented Ed Hawkins, professor of climate science at the University of Reading. With greenhouse gases in the atmosphere continuing to increase rapidly, scientists caution that breaking temperature records could become a regular occurrence if significant changes are not made.

 

"The warmer temperatures [are making] storms more intense, heatwaves hotter and heavy rainfall more extreme, with clearly seen consequences for people all around the world," explained Prof. Hawkins. He emphasized that stabilizing global temperatures through achieving net zero emissions is the only way to mitigate the increasing economic and human costs of these escalating climate disasters.

 

Based on a report by BBC 2024-11-08

 

 

 

 

Greenland , Iceland , Norway , Canada , Siberia etc ... the new holiday destinations .

Tell it to China and India.

41 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

Tell it to China and India.

Don't see India doing anything to fix their pollution, but China has invested enormous amounts into green technologies and is probably leading initiative globally, although their hunger for power is increasing at a pace renewable technologies can't match, so the fossil fuel use is still increasing.

 

US, on the other hand... "Drill, baby, drill!"

 

We can expect things to get worse before they get... Worse.

So what, it's warmer. Big deal.

Trump and his denial policy is that of a dangerous idiot with ignorant followers who haven't learned how to think critically.

USA is biggest petroleum producer in world, full stop. There are 9000 oil leases not being drilled, drilled, drilled. Why? Oil companies are there to make profits for shareholders and that's it. If supply is too large, prices and profits will fall. They produce just enough at the sweet spot to rake in record profits. Oil prices are set as an international commodity: if Europe is willing to pay $70 a barrel and US only $60, guess who gets the oil. That's capitalism.

Trump will do all he can to eliminate alternatives to fossil fuels... remember "beautiful clean coal"?

We are already seeing some of the early disasters arising from that hoax known as climate change. I think I may be lucky and die before the worst of climate change and neo fascism take full effect. But lately it seems all that is running ahead of predictions.