2024 Likely to be the Hottest Year in 100,000 Years, Warns Climate Expert

Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, has reported that 2024 is likely to be the hottest year recorded in over 100,000 years. This assessment comes as several prominent climate monitoring organizations, including NASA and the World Meteorological Organization, released their annual data indicating that the last decade has consistently included the ten warmest years on Earth.

Buontempo highlighted the significance of reaching an average global temperature that exceeds 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels for the first time in recorded history. This threshold aligns with the goals set forth in the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit temperature rises to well below 2 degrees Celsius. However, he notes that this milestone should be viewed in context, as it reflects long-term averages rather than annual fluctuations.

Despite the alarming data, Buontempo expressed concerns over society’s inability to effectively utilize the vast amounts of climate data available to address the ongoing climate crisis. He emphasized the need for urgent action to curb greenhouse gas emissions to manage this unprecedented warming trend.

Additionally, he warned that the rising humidity levels associated with increasing temperatures may lead to more extreme weather events, a pattern already evident in catastrophic incidents like the flooding in Valencia and recent weather disruptions in several European countries.

Buontempo concluded by urging collective action, stressing that while the future of climate change is ultimately society’s decision, the need for proactive measures has never been more critical.