The World Continues to Break Temperature Records
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has confirmed that 2023 was the hottest year on record, with global average temperatures reaching approximately 1.45°C above pre-industrial levels.
According to the United Nations' report titled "The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024", the 10 hottest years of the 174-year record have all occurred in the last decade. Extreme weather events, including heatwaves, major floods, droughts, forest fires, and tropical cyclones, have disrupted the lives of millions of people and caused economic losses of several billion dollars.
In June 2024, a climate update from the WMO highlighted an 80% probability that at least one year will temporarily exceed 1.5°C between 2024 and 2028. In 2015, the probability of such a temperature increase was close to zero. The global average temperature near the surface for each year from 2024 to 2028 is expected to be 1.1°C to 1.9°C higher than the 1850-1900 reference. At least one of the next five years will likely surpass 2023 as the hottest year on record.