Record levels of greenhouse gases led to an unprecedented increase in temperatures in 2024, accelerating the loss of glaciers and sea ice and raising sea levels. This is stated in the annual climate report of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), quoted by "Reuters", BTA reports.
The average annual temperature in 2024 was 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels, surpassing the previous record from 2023 by 0.1°C. Countries that signed the 2015 Paris Agreement committed to limiting global warming to 1.5°C above the 1850-1900 average.
Preliminary analyses suggest that the current long-term average temperature increase is between 1.34°C and 1.41°C - values that are close to the critical threshold but not yet beyond it.
"It should be made clear that one year above 1.5°C does not mean that the threshold set in the Paris Agreement has been officially crossed," said John Kennedy, WMO scientific coordinator and lead author of the report. However, the uncertainty ranges in the data mean that the possibility of a real overshoot cannot be ruled out, he added.
The report said that in addition to greenhouse gas emissions, other factors also contributed to the rise in global temperatures in 2024, including changes in the solar cycle, a massive volcanic eruption and a reduction in cooling aerosols.
Although some regions recorded cooler temperatures, extreme weather events caused havoc around the world. Droughts led to food shortages, and floods and wildfires displaced 800,000 people - the highest level recorded since 2008.
The warmth of the world's oceans also reached a historic high, with the rate of warming accelerating. Rising concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the oceans are increasing acidification levels, which threatens marine ecosystems.
Glaciers and sea ice continue to melt at an alarming rate, contributing to rising sea levels. WMO data shows that from 2015 to 2024, sea levels rose by an average of 4.7 mm per year, compared with 2.1 mm between 1993 and 2002.
John Kennedy warned of the long-term consequences of melting ice in the Arctic and Antarctic. "Changes in these regions can have an impact on the overall circulation of the oceans, which affects climate around the world," he explained. "What happens at the poles does not stay there".