Reports from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and international disaster databases

Earth Records Hottest Year in 2024, WMO Confirms Exceeding 1.5°C Threshold

Jan 10, 2025, 11:43 AM

Earth experienced its hottest year on record in 2024, with the global average temperature reaching 15.10°C, exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels for the first time, according to data from multiple agencies including the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and NASA. The global temperature in 2024 was approximately 1.6°C higher than the pre-industrial average, surpassing the previous record set in 2023 by 0.12°C. This significant increase marks the first time a calendar year has exceeded the 1.5°C threshold established by the Paris Agreement, underscoring the accelerating impact of human-induced climate change. WMO spokesperson Clare Nullis confirmed that 2024 was the warmest year on record. Notably, the ten warmest years since records began in 1850 have all occurred in the past decade, highlighting a worrying trend. The unprecedented warmth contributed to extreme weather events worldwide, including heatwaves, floods, droughts, and wildfires, emphasizing the urgent need for decisive global climate action.