The forecast from NOAA sounds concerning. With a one-in-three chance of even higher temperatures in 2024 and a 99% chance of it ranking among the top five warmest years (2016,2019,2020,2023) in history, it underscores the urgency of addressing climate change.
The confirmation from multiple scientific weather monitoring bodies like Copernicus, WMO, and NOAA about 2023 being the hottest year on record, surpassing 2016 by a significant margin, underscores the severity of climate change and the need for immediate action.
The data from CCCS and WMO revealing that 2023 was 1.48°C warmer than the pre-industrial period, nearing the 1.5°C threshold set in the Paris Climate Accords, highlights the urgency of curbing emissions. Surpassing this limit poses significant risks, including more frequent and severe storms, droughts, extreme heat, and flooding, which could have devastating consequences for communities worldwide.
The acceleration of global warming has been alarming.
In 2023, according to CBS, every day saw temperatures at least 1°C above pre-industrial levels, with half surpassing 1.5°C and two days in November hitting 2°C. Even NOAA’s more conservative estimate places the 2023 average at 1.35°C above pre-industrial levels. This rapid rise indicates a critical shift from earlier projections. With a one-in-three chance of 2024 being even hotter and a 99% likelihood of it ranking among the top five warmest years, urgent action is imperative to address climate change and prevent further escalation of its impacts.
However, last year’s record-high temperature average sparked heat waves, floods, and wildfires around the world, with 28 billion-dollar-or-more climate disasters in the U.S. alone. Climate analyses by attribution scientists showed that many of those extreme events would have been virtually impossible had it not been for global warming caused by rising carbon emissions.
The repercussions of last year’s record-high temperature average were severe, unleashing heatwaves, floods, and wildfires globally. In the U.S. alone, there were 28 billion-dollar or more climate disasters. Attribution scientists’ analyses indicate that many of these extreme events would have been nearly impossible without the influence of global warming fueled by increasing carbon emissions.
This underscores the direct link between human-induced climate change and the escalating frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, emphasizing the urgent need for mitigation and adaptation measures to curb carbon emissions and safeguard against future disasters.