The Heat Wave Era: Climate Reaches a Crucial Threshold in 2024

In 2024, climate change led to 41 extra days of extreme heat, marking the warmest year on record. Small islands were hardest hit, facing 130 additional hot days. Scientists warn of severe impacts due to fossil fuel consumption, leading to thousands of deaths and extensive displacement.

The world faced 41 extra days of extreme heat in 2024, a stark reminder of climate change's impact, according to a report released on Friday. The European climate agency Copernicus confirmed that 2024 will likely be the hottest year ever recorded, hitting a global average temperature 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Climate scientists from World Weather Attribution (WWA) and Climate Central found that small island developing nations were the most affected, with residents enduring over 130 additional hot days this year. The study detailed 219 extreme weather events in 2024 and closely analyzed 29 of them, attributing climate change to at least 3,700 deaths and widespread displacement across 26 major incidents.

Friederike Otto, the WWA lead, emphasized that the devastating effects of fossil fuel-induced warming are now undeniable. As we enter a new phase of consistently high temperatures, global emissions must peak by 2025, demanding a swift transition from fossil fuels. Nonetheless, political, economic, and technological challenges continue to stall progress, especially for the Global South.

(With inputs from agencies.)