The sun sets on a hot day in London in July 2024
Guy Corbishley/Alamy
Hopes of limiting global warming to below 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels have been dashed as new data confirms that 2024 was the first year to surpass this critical threshold.
According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), 2024 was the hottest year ever recorded in human history, signaling a dangerous trend in Earth’s climate system.
The average global temperature in 2024 exceeded 1.5°C above the pre-industrial baseline, breaching the target set by the Paris Agreement. Various temperature datasets from different agencies show slight discrepancies, but the overall trend indicates a significant temperature rise.
Leading meteorological organizations like the UK’s Met Office and the EU’s Copernicus confirm that 2024’s temperatures were well above previous records, driven by human-induced climate change and an El Niño event.
The impacts of this temperature surge were felt worldwide, with oceans experiencing record warmth, leading to disruptions in marine ecosystems. Extreme weather events like heatwaves, melting polar ice, floods, and wildfires were also prevalent throughout the year.
While the Paris Agreement technically uses a 20-year average for temperature targets, the persistent warming trend indicates that the long-term goal of staying below 1.5°C is becoming increasingly challenging.
Experts like Duo Chan from the University of Southampton suggest that the 1.5°C target may be out of reach, emphasizing the need for more ambitious emission reduction strategies to combat climate change.
Looking ahead to 2025, there are indications that sea surface temperatures are cooling, and the development of a La Niña phase could help stabilize global temperatures. However, there is concern that the world may have entered a new phase of accelerated warming, making it imperative to take decisive action to mitigate climate change.
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