Online ReporterSifelani Tsiko
Innovations Editor
Global temperatures hit record levels over the past 10 years due to rising greenhouse gas levels in a development that threatens commitments made under the 2015 Paris climate agreement, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) says.
The WMO’s State of the Global Climate report listed 2024 as the ‘warmest year in the 175-year observational record due to human-induced climate change.
It said global temperatures reached new heights in 2024 pushing temperatures to be more than 1.5°C above the pre-industrial era, with a mean near-surface temperature of 1.55 ± 0.13 °C above the 1850-1900 average.
“Our planet is issuing more distress signals — but this report shows that limiting long-term global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius is still possible. Leaders must step up to make it happen — seizing the benefits of cheap, clean renewables for their people and economies — with new national climate plans due this year,” said United Nations secretary – general António Guterres.
“While a single year above 1.5 °C of warming does not indicate that the long-term temperature goals of the Paris Agreement are out of reach, it is a wake-up call that we are increasing the risks to our lives, economies and to the planet.”
The report said that long-term global warming is currently estimated to be between 1.34 and 1.41 °C compared to the 1850-1900 baseline based on a range of methods — although it noted the uncertainty ranges in global temperature statistics.
The record global temperatures seen in 2023 and broken in 2024 were mainly due to the ongoing rise in greenhouse gas emissions, coupled with a shift from a cooling La Niña to a warming El Niño event.
Several other factors may have contributed to the unexpectedly unusual temperature jumps, including changes in the solar cycle, a massive volcanic eruption and a fall in cooling aerosols.
“Data for 2024 show that our oceans continued to warm, and sea levels continued to rise. The frozen parts of Earth’s surface, known as the cryosphere, are melting at an alarming rate: glaciers continue to retreat, and Antarctic Sea ice reached its second-lowest extent ever recorded,” said WMO secretary – general Celeste Saulo.
“Meanwhile, extreme weather continues to have devastating consequences around the world.”
Tropical cyclones, floods, droughts, and other hazards in 2024 led to the highest number of new displacements recorded for the past 16 years, contributing to worsening food crises, and caused massive economic losses.
“In response, WMO and the global community are intensifying efforts to strengthen early warning systems and climate services to help decision-makers and society at large be more resilient to extreme weather and climate. We are making progress but need to go further and need to go faster. Only half of all countries worldwide have adequate early warning systems. This must change,” said Saulo.
Investment in weather, water and climate services is more important than ever to meet the challenges and build safer, more resilient communities, she stressed.
Zimbabwe, just like most other African countries, is experiencing a rise in temperatures and changes in rainfall patterns due to climate change, leading to more frequent and intense heatwaves, droughts, and floods, impacting agriculture, livelihoods, and overall development.
