Every major global climate record was broken last year, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Tuesday, with rising temperatures and shrinking sea ice.
The U.N. weather agency said in its annual State of the Global Climate report that average temperatures hit the highest level in 174 years of record-keeping by a clear margin, reaching 1.45 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Ocean temperatures also reached the warmest in 65 years of data with over 90% of the seas having experienced heatwave conditions during the year, the WMO said, harming food systems.
“Earth is issuing a distress call. The latest State of the Global Climate report shows a planet on the brink,” said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a video message released after the report.
“Fossil fuel pollution is sending climate chaos off the charts. Sirens are blaring across all major indicators. Last year saw record heat, record sea levels, and record ocean surface temperatures. Glaciers likely lost more ice than ever before. Some records aren’t just chart-topping, they’re chart-busting,” added Guterres.
Climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, coupled with the emergence of the natural El Nino climate pattern pushed the world into record territory in 2023. Scientists have warned that 2024 could be even worse, with El Nino fuelling temperatures in the first few months of the year.
“The impact of all this is stark, brutal and accelerating with a deadly force. The report from the World Meteorological Organization details extreme weather around the world in 2023, and the trail of destruction left in its wake – thousands killed, millions displaced, crops failing, and vast economic losses. The impact on sustainable development is devastating. Every fraction of a degree of global heating impacts the future of life on Earth,” said Guterres.
Tuesday’s report showed a big plunge in Antarctic sea ice, with the peak level measured at 1 million km2 below the previous record – an area roughly equivalent to the size of Egypt.
That trend, combined with ocean warming which causes water to expand, has contributed to a more than doubling of the rate of sea-level rise over the past decade compared with the 1993-2002 period, it said.
Ocean heat was concentrated in the North Atlantic with temperatures an average 3 degrees Celsius above average in late 2023, the report said. Warmer ocean temperatures affect delicate marine ecosystems and many fish species have fled north from this area seeking cooler temperatures.
“The good news is that we can still keep our planet’s long-term temperature rise below that limit, and avoid the worst of climate chaos. And we know how to do it, by matching the speed of climate change with radical climate action,” said Guterres.
“There’s still time to throw out a lifeline to people and planet. But leaders must step up and act – now,” he added.
(Reuters)