UN Warns 2024 Could Surpass Record-Breaking Heat of 2023

2024 may surpass 2023's record heat, the UN cautions, emphasizing the urgent need for emissions reductions to address climate change.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) observed continuous monthly temperature records from June to December, a trend expected to persist due to the warming effects of El Nino.

The US NOAA suggests a one in three chance that 2024 will be even warmer, with a 99 percent likelihood of it being within the top five hottest years recorded. NASA climatologist Gavin Schmidt estimates a 50 percent chance of 2024 being warmer.

The UN confirmed 2023 as the warmest year ever, with global temperatures 1.45°C above pre-industrial times, far exceeding Paris accord targets. The WMO's Celeste Saulo predicts El Nino could intensify this warming in 2024, as it typically boosts global temperatures following its peak.

The concentration of key greenhouse gases hit new highs in 2022, and continued to rise in 2023, driving further climate change.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warns of a dire future without immediate action, noting every decade since the 1980s has been hotter than the last, and the warmest years have all been since 2015.

While a single year exceeding the 1.5°C mark wouldn't signal a breach of the Paris Agreement, consecutive years would, although the agreement permits future temperature reductions after an overshoot.