Record-Breaking Temperatures in 2024: Are We Nearing the 1.5°C Threshold?
In 2024, global average temperatures reached record highs, coinciding with a significant rise in the frequency of extreme weather events.
TroibNews 
Global average temperatures reached unprecedented heights in 2024, coinciding with a significant rise in extreme weather events. The Paris Agreement, established in 2015, aimed to restrict global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The pressing question now is: can this target still be achieved?
The World Meteorological Organization reports that the decade spanning from 2015 to 2024 has been the hottest on record.
In 2024, the Philippines saw temperatures soar to 50 degrees Celsius before May, resulting in the closure of thousands of schools. In June, Mexico recorded its highest temperature ever at 52 degrees Celsius, while Egypt documented a national record of 50.9 degrees Celsius. Other countries such as Chad, Ghana, and Laos also faced unprecedented heatwave conditions.
On July 22, the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service reported that global average surface air temperature reached 17.15 degrees Celsius, marking the hottest single day in history.
The effects of extreme weather have become evident, as global warming has led to more frequent and severe weather-related events, creating widespread devastation. In 2024, incidents of floods, droughts, and wildfires proliferated alarmingly.
From Kathmandu to Dubai and Southern Appalachia, destructive flooding resulted in the displacement of millions. In April, severe storms, including tornadoes and hail, struck Guangzhou City in Guangdong Province, China, leading to five fatalities and 33 injuries. Meanwhile, the Amazon rainforest and Pantanal Wetland faced critical drought and wildfire conditions, which contributed to significant biodiversity loss.
"Our climate is collapsing, and the signs have never been clearer," noted United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. He cautioned that climate disasters are occurring with increasing frequency, impacting lives, livelihoods, and economic stability.
According to a World Weather Attribution report, climate change was directly responsible for the deaths of at least 3,700 individuals and the displacement of millions due to 26 major weather events in 2024.
The underlying causes of this crisis were addressed by Zhou Bing, chief expert of meteorological services at the China Meteorological Administration, who stated, "Human activity remains the primary driver of global warming." He pointed out that sectors such as transportation, housing, and consumption play a significant role in carbon emissions, contributing approximately 15-20 percent of overall emissions related to daily living.
The global carbon budget report indicated that 2024 saw a record-high emission of 41.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide, primarily due to fossil fuel combustion. Further exacerbating the situation were deforestation and forest fires.
On December 10, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released the 2024 Arctic Annual Report, revealing that carbon dioxide emissions from the Arctic tundra have surpassed carbon storage, transforming it into a net carbon source and worsening the climate crisis.
Zhou Bing added, "The other cause of the frequent occurrence of extreme weather around the world is the El Nino and La Nina events in the equatorial east-central Pacific." El Nino is characterized by unusually warm sea surface temperatures in the equatorial central and eastern Pacific, whereas La Nina indicates the opposite: cooler temperatures. Both phenomena disrupt atmospheric circulation, resulting in widespread climatic consequences.
Looking ahead, the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that global temperatures are expected to keep rising over the next decade, with the potential to surpass the critical 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold.
"Climate disasters are harming health, exacerbating inequality, and undermining peace," Guterres asserted during the COP29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Experts express concern that ongoing warming, combined with phenomena like La Nina, may lead to unpredictable and severe outcomes.
Data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service confirms that 2024 has been the hottest year recorded, with global temperatures exceeding the important 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold above pre-industrial levels. However, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo clarified that temporary temperature surges above this limit do not indicate a failure of the Paris Agreement.
"Even small increases in warming significantly amplify the risks of extreme weather events and their impacts," Saulo explained.
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
The World Meteorological Organization reports that the decade spanning from 2015 to 2024 has been the hottest on record.
In 2024, the Philippines saw temperatures soar to 50 degrees Celsius before May, resulting in the closure of thousands of schools. In June, Mexico recorded its highest temperature ever at 52 degrees Celsius, while Egypt documented a national record of 50.9 degrees Celsius. Other countries such as Chad, Ghana, and Laos also faced unprecedented heatwave conditions.
On July 22, the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service reported that global average surface air temperature reached 17.15 degrees Celsius, marking the hottest single day in history.
The effects of extreme weather have become evident, as global warming has led to more frequent and severe weather-related events, creating widespread devastation. In 2024, incidents of floods, droughts, and wildfires proliferated alarmingly.
From Kathmandu to Dubai and Southern Appalachia, destructive flooding resulted in the displacement of millions. In April, severe storms, including tornadoes and hail, struck Guangzhou City in Guangdong Province, China, leading to five fatalities and 33 injuries. Meanwhile, the Amazon rainforest and Pantanal Wetland faced critical drought and wildfire conditions, which contributed to significant biodiversity loss.
"Our climate is collapsing, and the signs have never been clearer," noted United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. He cautioned that climate disasters are occurring with increasing frequency, impacting lives, livelihoods, and economic stability.
According to a World Weather Attribution report, climate change was directly responsible for the deaths of at least 3,700 individuals and the displacement of millions due to 26 major weather events in 2024.
The underlying causes of this crisis were addressed by Zhou Bing, chief expert of meteorological services at the China Meteorological Administration, who stated, "Human activity remains the primary driver of global warming." He pointed out that sectors such as transportation, housing, and consumption play a significant role in carbon emissions, contributing approximately 15-20 percent of overall emissions related to daily living.
The global carbon budget report indicated that 2024 saw a record-high emission of 41.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide, primarily due to fossil fuel combustion. Further exacerbating the situation were deforestation and forest fires.
On December 10, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released the 2024 Arctic Annual Report, revealing that carbon dioxide emissions from the Arctic tundra have surpassed carbon storage, transforming it into a net carbon source and worsening the climate crisis.
Zhou Bing added, "The other cause of the frequent occurrence of extreme weather around the world is the El Nino and La Nina events in the equatorial east-central Pacific." El Nino is characterized by unusually warm sea surface temperatures in the equatorial central and eastern Pacific, whereas La Nina indicates the opposite: cooler temperatures. Both phenomena disrupt atmospheric circulation, resulting in widespread climatic consequences.
Looking ahead, the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that global temperatures are expected to keep rising over the next decade, with the potential to surpass the critical 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold.
"Climate disasters are harming health, exacerbating inequality, and undermining peace," Guterres asserted during the COP29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Experts express concern that ongoing warming, combined with phenomena like La Nina, may lead to unpredictable and severe outcomes.
Data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service confirms that 2024 has been the hottest year recorded, with global temperatures exceeding the important 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold above pre-industrial levels. However, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo clarified that temporary temperature surges above this limit do not indicate a failure of the Paris Agreement.
"Even small increases in warming significantly amplify the risks of extreme weather events and their impacts," Saulo explained.
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
