2024 is on track to be the warmest year on record: WMO

2024 is set to be the warmest year on record, with the global average near surface temperature higher than in 2023, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

WMO’s global temperature analysis covers January to September 2024 and is based on six international datasets for a consolidated assessment. WMO provided the information to UN Secretary-General António Guterres ahead of the UN Climate Change conference, COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan.

“Today, the World Meteorological Organization and partners say 2024 is on track to be the hottest year ever recorded – almost two months before it ends,” said Mr Guterres. “Humanity’s torching the planet and paying the price.”

More details will be in the WMO’s State of the Climate 2024 Update, released on 11 November at COP29. Sea level rise, ocean heat, sea ice, glaciers, and the average global near-surface temperature are some of the important climate indicators that will be covered. It will also provide information on extreme weather and climate events and impacts on sustainable development.

WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo will present the State of the Climate Update highlights at a press conference at 1400 Baku time (1000 GMT). It will be webcast by UNFCCC. The update will also be presented at COP29 on Earth Information Day.

Before the State of the Climate 2024 Update, WMO issued a State of Global Climate Services report on progress over the past five years in providing climate information and services to support adaptation to extreme weather.

International Datasets

WMO uses datasets from observing sites and ships and buoys in global marine networks, developed and maintained by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, the United Kingdom’s Met Office Hadley Centre, the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit, and the Berkeley Earth group.

WMO uses reanalysis datasets from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, its Copernicus Climate Change Service, and the Japan Meteorological Agency. Reanalysis combines millions of meteorological and marine observations, including from satellites, using a weather model to produce a complete atmospheric analysis. The combination of observations with modelled values estimates temperatures globally, even in observationally sparse areas like polar regions and oceans.

According to the ERA5 dataset from Copernicus Climate Change Service, October 2024 was the second warmest October on record, after October 2023. Data from other international datasets will be available soon.

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