The world temperature continues to break records. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has just determined that the past 11 years have been the warmest years ever measured. And the WMO fears that this will have consequences for the next 1,000 years. This is reported by the AFP news agency.
The conclusion comes from a climate report that the WMO released on Monday. It clearly states that the years between 2015 and 2025 have had the warmest temperatures since official measurements began in 1850. The WMO is part of the UN and coordinates meteorological observations worldwide.
- The global climate is in a state of emergency, and all climate indicators are flashing red. When history repeats itself 11 times, it is no longer a coincidence, says UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
For the first time, the WMO climate report also includes an overview of the Earth's energy balance as one of the key climate indicators. Here, the energy balance in 2025 was more unbalanced than ever before. The amount of heat trapped on Earth has reached record high levels.
Under a stable climate, the amount of solar energy hitting the Earth is roughly equal to the energy that is sent back into space. But due to increasing amounts of greenhouse gases, the gases trap extra heat, which forms a thick blanket around the Earth. This means, among other things, that the oceans are getting warmer, while the weather is getting wilder.
According to the WMO, the period 2023-2025 was the three warmest years and was on average 1.48 degrees above the average temperature from 1850-1900, which in the context of climate is referred to as a pre-industrial starting point. This is the period that is compared to.
The year 2024 was 1.55 degrees above the temperature in 1850-1900 and is thus measured as the warmest year ever. The heat in 2024 triggered a powerful El Niño, which is a natural weather phenomenon that disrupts normal ocean currents and the weather in the countries around the Pacific Ocean.
It also has a temporary impact on the global climate. Weather forecasts indicate that 2026 will involve neutral weather conditions. However, an El Niño could develop before the end of the year.
- If that happens, it is likely that we may see elevated temperatures in 2027, says climate scientist John Kennedy from the WMO.
WMO Deputy Director-General Ko Barrett hopes that the information based on the WMO's evidence can motivate people to act.
- You cannot deny that these indicators point in a direction that does not give much hope, she says.
António Guterres also believes that the world should sound the alarm.
- Today's report should come as a warning: climate chaos is accelerating, and delay is deadly, he says.
/ritzau/
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