2024 Predicted as Hottest Year in 100,000 Years: Climate Experts Sound Alarm

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Carlo Buontempo, the director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, revealed this week that 2024 is likely on track to be the hottest year in the last 100,000 years. This alarming declaration came as multiple global climate monitoring agencies, including NASA and the World Meteorological Organization, released their assessments which showed consistent results, indicating that each of the past ten years has ranked among the warmest on record.

Buontempo emphasized that while it is too early to confirm an acceleration of climate warming, the data strongly points towards unprecedented levels of heat. The recent assessments highlighted that 2024 marks the first year global temperatures have reached 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Highlighting the need for society to take advantage of the scientific data available, Buontempo expressed his concern that the wealth of information is not being utilized effectively in addressing climate issues. He noted that with an increase in atmospheric humidity due to rising temperatures, the potential for extreme weather events is heightened, as evidenced by recent catastrophic incidents in various countries, including Spain.

Buontempo reinforced the significance of aiming to maintain the temperature increase below 1.5 degrees Celsius as specified in the Paris Agreement. However, he acknowledged that if the current trends continue without significant intervention, crossing the 2-degree threshold becomes increasingly likely.

Looking toward the future, Buontempo stressed the importance of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions to counteract the climate crisis, urging society to prioritize actionable measures informed by the scientific community.

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