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2024 Confirmed as Hottest Year on Record, Global Temperatures Exceed Critical Threshold

November 2024 marked yet another alarming milestone in global warming. According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), the planet experienced its second-warmest November on record, with global average temperatures reaching 14.10°C, a significant 0.73°C above the 1991–2020 average. More concerningly, the month was 1.62°C above pre-industrial levels, making it the 16th of the past 17 months where temperatures exceeded the 1.5°C threshold set by the Paris Agreement.


Global temperature trends showing record-breaking heat levels for November 2024 and the year as a whole.
2024: The yeah we reacnhed alarming global head level. That does this mean for our future? Photo: Unsplash

A New Global Record

  • Hottest year on record: C3S data confirms with near certainty that 2024 will be the warmest year in recorded history.

  • Sustained heat levels: From January to November, global average temperatures were 0.72°C above the 1991–2020 average, breaking the previous record set in 2023 by 0.14°C.

Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of C3S, stated, "This does not mean the Paris Agreement has been breached, but it underscores the urgent need for ambitious climate action."


Alarming Climate Signals

At the COP29 summit in Baku, a report by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) emphasized the severity of the situation:

  • Unprecedented warming: Global temperatures have already risen by 1.3°C since the pre-industrial era.

  • Extreme weather events: The planet faces record-high sea surface temperatures, melting ice caps, droughts, deadly storms, and severe flooding.

WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo remarked, "What is surprising is not the warming itself but the slowness to react, despite decades of scientific warnings."



Why This Matters

The repeated breach of the 1.5°C threshold signals that the Earth is dangerously overheated, pushing ecosystems and human societies into uncharted territories. Experts warn that crossing this critical marker increases the likelihood of:

  • Irreversible climate impacts

  • Greater frequency of extreme weather events

  • Loss of biodiversity and ecosystem collapse


Looking Ahead

With December yet to unfold, scientists predict 2024 will be the first full calendar year above 1.5°C. This stark reality demands accelerated global action, particularly as the window to mitigate climate change narrows.


Source: Euronews

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