150 “unprecedented” disasters, 800,000 people without a roof over their heads

2024 turned out to be the warmest in the history of measurements. For the first time, the average global temperature increased 1.5 degrees C above the level from prequading timesi.e. the limit value determined in the Paris agreement. This was accompanied by other unflattering records, for example, regarding the maximum average temperature in Europe, which also turned out to be the highest in history.

On Wednesday, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) published the report “The Status of the World Climate in 2024”. For its assessment, scientists from around the world used seven basic criteria: greenhouse gas emissions, rainfall anomalies, heat absorption through the sea and oceans, increase in sea levels, ocean acidification, sea ice range and the occurrence of extreme phenomena.

In all of the above spheres in 2024, the same trends were observed as scientists have been concerned for years – greenhouse gas emissions, air temperature and heat content in the oceans grew, and the surfaces of glaciers and most of the landslide decreased. Although 2024 brought a slight increase in winter ice in the Arctic, it was insufficient to reduce the losses in relation to the 1980s.

Researchers devoted special attention to weather events with “unprecedented” intensity. In 2024, as many as 152 were recorded. Waves of heat, heavy rainfall and extremely strong tropical cyclones directly contributed to the death of 1700 people and caused damage to 1.1 million people. Over 842 thousand people lost their homes – this is the highest value in the history of measurements since 2008.

According to scientists, governments play a key role in slowing down climate change. Talks on insulation should be apolitical, which in practice can be impossible.

– Global warming progresses forward without any obstacles, as we predicted in the 1980s, and millions of people suffer through their effects. We can stop the tendency to increase temperature by limiting the combustion of fossil fuels – said Stefan Rahmstorf from the Institute of Climate Research in Potsdam.

Secretary General WMO Celeste Saulo said that the report is an alarm signal with a growing threat.

– WMO and the global community increase efforts to strengthen early warning systems and climate services to help society be more resistant to extreme weather conditions – she said. – Only half of the countries have appropriate early warning systems – this must change – she said. She also emphasized that investments in services related to weather, water and climate are more important than ever.