Global warming is pushing the planet to the brink. This was warned by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, quoted by "Reuters".
He urged countries to introduce disaster warning systems to protect people from extreme weather conditions.
"Each of the last ten years has been the hottest on record. Ocean heat is breaking records, while destroying ecosystems. And no country is safe from fires, floods, storms and heatwaves," Guterres told delegates at an emergency conference of the UN's World Meteorological Organization in Geneva to mark its 75th anniversary.
He urged countries to mobilize funding to enable a global monitoring system, known as Early Warning Systems, to protect people from extreme weather.
"They give farmers the power to protect their crops and livestock. They give families the ability to evacuate safely. And they protect entire communities from devastation," Guterres explained.
Receiving a warning 24 hours before a hazardous event can reduce damage by up to 30%, he added.
More than 60% of countries have implemented multi-hazard early warning systems since Guterres launched an initiative in 2022, aiming for all countries to have them in place by 2027.
According to the World Meteorological Organization, weather, water and climate-related disasters have killed more than 2 million people in the past five decades, with 90% of those deaths occurring in developing countries.