The year 2024 is officially confirmed as the warmest year ever documented, with alarming records set across multiple months. According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), global temperatures in November averaged 14.10°C. This is 0.73°C higher than the 1991–2020 November average.
November’s temperatures were also 1.62°C above pre-industrial levels. This marks the 16th out of the last 17 months with temperatures exceeding 1.5°C above that baseline. These findings emphasize the intensifying impact of global warming on our planet.
Record-Breaking Trends Highlight Urgency for Action
Samantha Burgess, deputy director of C3S, stated that 2024 is almost certain to be the warmest year on record. “This will be the first full year with global temperatures above 1.5°C,” she confirmed.
She clarified that this milestone does not breach the Paris Agreement but underscores the urgent need for decisive climate action. From January to November 2024, global temperatures were 0.72°C higher than the 1991–2020 baseline. This is the warmest January-to-November period on record, surpassing the same timeframe in 2023 by 0.14°C.
Experts concluded in October that 2024’s record-breaking status was almost guaranteed. C3S reported that temperatures would need to drop drastically in the final months to avoid this milestone, an event deemed impossible.
Unprecedented Climate Impacts Worsen
At COP29 in Baku, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) delivered a stark warning about escalating climate impacts. Global temperatures have already risen by 1.3°C above pre-industrial levels, contributing to severe and widespread disruptions.
The planet now faces record-breaking sea surface temperatures, rapidly melting ice caps, and prolonged droughts. Increasingly destructive storms and catastrophic flooding events are devastating communities worldwide.
WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo expressed concern about the slow global response to these warnings. “Scientists have raised alarms for more than 30 years,” she stated. “What surprises me is how little action has been taken.”
The evidence is undeniable. Global warming is accelerating, and immediate, ambitious measures are essential to mitigate further damage. The time for action is now.
