2024 Sets Record as Hottest Year on Earth, Surpassing Critical Climate Threshold

The year 2024 has officially been recorded as the hottest year globally, with an average temperature that exceeded the critical threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels for the first time. The data, released by major climate monitoring organizations including the World Meteorological Organization and NASA, confirms that the average global temperature reached 15.10°C, surpassing the previous record set in 2023.

This milestone marks a troubling development in the ongoing climate crisis, as every year from 2015 to 2024 has now been among the ten warmest on record. The warming has resulted in a string of extreme weather events, including heatwaves and devastating storms, particularly affecting areas around the Mediterranean and the North Atlantic.

Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, emphasized that immediate action is essential to alter our climate's trajectory. He stated, "The future is in our hands," underscoring the need for a collective response to combat climate change. He noted that high temperatures, coupled with record levels of atmospheric water vapor, have aggravated thermal stress globally, affecting millions of people.

While the Paris Agreement set the 1.5-degree limit to mitigate climate impacts, climatologists caution that sustained efforts over decades are necessary to stabilize global temperatures. Current commitments to emissions reductions are insufficient, with projections indicating a likelihood of exceeding the 2-degree threshold by the century's end if decisive action is not taken.

The year 2024 not only set annual records but also included a new daily high of 17.16°C on July 22. As El Niño effects have recently tapered off, experts remain concerned about the long-term impacts of greenhouse gas emissions, with concentrations of carbon dioxide reaching 422 parts per million last year.