If the average temperature predicted in the report rises, it will be the first time in human history that such a sharp increase will be observed. It’s also worth noting that before there were repeated warnings that crossing the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold would do significant harm. increases the risks of triggering irreversible climate change.

This can lead to potentially catastrophic events such as:

• Destruction of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets,
• extreme heat,
• severe droughts,
• water stress and extreme weather events in large parts of the world.

What does the World Meteorological Organization say?

WMO Secretary General Petteri Taalas expressed concern Future combination of El Niño warming and anthropogenic climate change. El Niño occurs when the trade winds, which normally push warm waters westward across the Pacific Ocean, weaken, causing warmer waters to stay in place and disrupt climate patterns around the world.

Taalas called for preparedness, emphasizing that the unprecedented rise in global temperatures will have far-reaching consequences for health, food security, water management and the environment.

What is the report about?

The latest WMO report covers the period 2023-2027 and predicts that one of the next five years will happen with a 98 percent probability. A new record for highest global temperatureIt surpassed the previous record increase of 1.28 degrees Celsius in 2016.

Furthermore, the report highlights that temperature fluctuations are more likely to exceed the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold. While the chance of exceeding this limit was close to zero in 2015, the probability increased to 48% in 2022. The current assessment shows that the threshold is even more likely to be crossed. increased to 66% in just one year.

How will it affect our planet?

The researchers stress that this warming trend will not be evenly distributed across the globe. For example, the Arctic is predicted to experience temperature fluctuations three times greater than the rest of the world, which will accelerate the melting of ice and significantly affect key weather systems such as the jet stream and the North Atlantic Current that regulate temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere. .

In addition, a decrease in precipitation is expected in Central America, Australia, Indonesia and the Amazon region. Deforestation, climate change and wildfires have already undermined the resilience of vast rainforests since the early 2000s, leading scientists to worry that it could reach a tipping point and transform it into a savanna-like ecosystem.

Secretary-General Taalas explained in the report It’s not about a permanent excess of 1.5 degrees Celsius was defined by the Paris Agreement because it’s about long-term warming over several years. However, the WMO underlines the urgent need to address the alarming trend towards more frequent temporary violations of the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold.