2024 Set to Break Global Heat Records: Climate Monitor

2024 is on track to become the hottest year in recorded history, with global temperatures surpassing the critical 1.5°C threshold, according to EU climate monitor Copernicus. The announcement comes just days before the UN Climate Conference in Azerbaijan, where world leaders are urged to ramp up efforts to cut emissions.

Last month, marked by extreme weather events such as severe flooding in Spain and Hurricane Milton in the U.S., was the second-hottest October on record, trailing only behind 2023. "Humanity is torching the planet and paying the price," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres remarked, highlighting the mounting toll of floods, fires, and heatwaves worldwide.

Copernicus reports that 2024 is virtually certain to exceed 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels, a significant warning signal though not an outright breach of the Paris Agreement’s long-term temperature targets. However, this milestone underscores the urgent need for decisive climate action at COP29.

As temperatures climb and greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere continue to reach new highs, the feasibility of limiting warming to the safer 1.5°C target is slipping away. Recent UN reports project a potential 3.1°C rise this century if current trends persist, with even the most optimistic climate pledges leading to a 2.6°C increase.

Adding to the concern, UN findings reveal that funding for climate adaptation in developing countries is only a fraction of what's needed, leaving many vulnerable to escalating disasters. October’s extreme weather brought record rainfall in parts of Europe, China, and the Americas, alongside droughts in the United States, illustrating the broad impacts of a warming world.

The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) Deputy Director Samantha Burgess urged world leaders to seize this opportunity: "This new milestone in global temperatures should serve as a wake-up call to increase ambition at the Climate Change Conference."

Copernicus uses comprehensive data from satellites, weather stations, and more, drawing on decades of climate records and analysis to track these alarming trends. Experts warn that the current warming levels may make this period the hottest Earth has experienced in the last 100,000 years.