By Alhaji Haruna Sani
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has confirmed that 2024 was the warmest year on record, with global temperatures surging to 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels (1850-1900 baseline).
This marks a critical milestone, with 2024 likely being the first calendar year to surpass the 1.5°C threshold set as a long-term goal in the Paris Agreement.
According to WMO’s consolidated analysis of six international datasets, 2024’s exceptional heat continues a troubling trend: the last decade (2015-2024) stands as the ten warmest years ever recorded.
“Today’s assessment proves yet again that global heating is an undeniable reality,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “Individual years exceeding the 1.5°C limit do not signify the failure of the Paris Agreement, but they emphasize the urgent need for transformative climate action.”
WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo highlighted the stark reality of climate change. “A decade of record-breaking temperatures reflects the devastating impact of human activities on our planet. Rising sea levels, melting ice, and extreme weather events are no longer anomalies—they are the new normal.”
A separate study in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences underscores the role of ocean warming in the 2024 temperature surge. The global ocean heat content reached unprecedented levels, with the upper 2,000 meters storing an additional 16 zettajoules of heat—equivalent to 140 times the world’s total electricity generation in 2023.
“About 90% of global warming’s excess heat is absorbed by the oceans,” said Prof. Lijing Cheng, lead author of the study. “This highlights the oceans’ critical role in regulating the climate and the urgent need to address their warming.”
WMO emphasized that exceeding 1.5°C in a single year does not mean the Paris Agreement’s goals are unattainable, as those are measured over decades. However, the organization warned that every fraction of a degree matters, as even minor increases in global temperatures amplify impacts on ecosystems, economies, and human lives.
The findings coincide with the ongoing recovery from an El Niño event, which likely contributed to the short-term spike in temperatures.
With global warming currently estimated at 1.3°C above pre-industrial levels, Mr. Guterres called on world leaders to deliver ambitious climate action plans in 2025. “Blazing temperatures demand trailblazing action. There’s still time to avert the worst of the climate crisis, but only if leaders act now,” he said.
The WMO said it will publish its full State of the Global Climate 2024 report in March 2025, detailing key climate indicators such as greenhouse gas concentrations, sea level rise, glacier retreat, and high-impact weather events.
The UN Secretary-General also confirmed that the World Meteorological Organization’s latest assessment is unequivocal: global heating is an undeniable reality.
For the first time, we have likely experienced a calendar year where the global mean temperature exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
Additionally, he said the milestone does not mean the long-term goal of the Paris Agreement is beyond reach. But he said it is a stark reminder that we must intensify our efforts to curb global warming. Blazing temperatures in 2024 demand equally bold and trail-blazing climate action in 2025, he said.
Nonetheless, he said governments must urgently deliver new national climate action plans to limit long-term temperature rises to 1.5°C. At the same time, we must prioritize supporting the most vulnerable communities grappling with the devastating impacts of climate change.
he concluded that there is still a window of opportunity to avert the worst of the climate crisis—but it is rapidly closing. The time to act is now.
