Copernicus Climate Change Service and NOAA monthly climate reports

Copernicus Confirms 2024 to Be Warmest Year Ever, First Above 1.5°C Threshold

Dec 9, 2024, 05:00 AM

European Union scientists from the Copernicus Climate Change Service have announced that 2024 is effectively certain to be the warmest year on record, surpassing the previous record set in 2023. The global average temperature is expected to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels for the first time, breaching the critical threshold set by the Paris Agreement. This projection follows the confirmation that November was the second-warmest on record, reinforcing the ongoing warming trend. Scientists attribute the increase to factors such as decreased cloud cover over the past two years, which has allowed more sunlight to heat the Earth's surface. The unprecedented heat is expected to persist into at least the first few months of 2025, raising concerns about fundamental changes in the global climate system and the acceleration of temperature rises faster than anticipated. The situation underscores the urgency of addressing climate-related risks and implementing global solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change.