Pushed by El Nino, 2024 set to become warmest year: WMO

“The January-September 2024 global mean surface air temperature was 1.54 degree Celsius above the pre-industrial average. This was boosted by a warming El Nino event,” said the WMO report.

However, long-term warming when measured over decades was found to remain below 1.5 degrees Celius, the desired temperature threshold to keep a check on global warming as per the Paris Agreement of 2015.

The primary cause for the warming, according to global experts, was the strong El Nino event that kept the global temperatures above average for 16 consecutive months between June 2023 and September 2024.

The ocean heat, too, showed a higher-than-average trend this year, with a close similarity with the trends of 2023. “The ocean warming trend will continue,” the WMO report said.

The global report further highlighted the fast depleting sea ice extent at both the poles, with the Antarctic and Arctic reporting it at below average levels in 2024.
“ The Antarctic sea ice extent had fallen to its annual minimum of 2 million sq km, the second lowest since satellite data available since 1979. The annual maximum sea ice extent, too, was the second lowest ever at 17.2 million sq km. The sea ice extent in the Arctic was relatively better during 2024 with the annual minimum recording at 4.3 million sq km and the maximum reaching as high as 15.2 million sq km,” WMO report said.