WMO sounds climate alarm: Global temperatures could shatter heat records

The World Meteorological Organisation WMO has issued a warning predicting that global temperatures will continue to soar over the next five years WMO in their latest Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update for 20252029 predicts hot temperatures for the coming five yearsThe Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update is issued annually by the WMO It provides a synthesis of the global annualtodecadal predictions produced by the WMOdesignated Global Producing Centres and other contributing centresThe report from WMO highlights that there is an 8037 chance that at least one of the next five years will exceed 2024 as the warmest on record yet The annual report also indicated that the temperature is expected to be 12 degrees Celsius to 19 degrees Celsius warmer than the preindustrial averageFurthermore there is a 70 per cent chance that the 5year average warming for 2025ndash2029 will be more than 15 degrees Celsius While the longterm warming averaged over decades is expected to remain below 15 degrees Celsius the report saidKey messages by WMO from the report8037 chance that at least one of the next five years will exceed 2024 as the warmest on record8637 chance that at least one of next five years will be more than 15degC above the 18501900 average7037 chance that 5year average warming for 20252029 will be more than 15 degCLongterm warming averaged over decades remains below 15degCArctic warming predicted to continue to outstrip global averagePrecipitation patterns have big regional variationsIn a press release on Wednesday the WMO said The World Meteorological Organisation Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update 20252029 projects that global temperatures are expected to continue at or near record levels in the next five years increasing climate risks and impacts on societies economies and sustainable developmentThe World Meteorological Department WMO while adding the information in their press release also stated a few points that indicated that the global temperature average will be soaring up However some of the key points shared by the WMO areArctic warming over the next five extended winters November to March is predicted to be more than three and a half times the global average at 24degC above the average temperature during the most recent 30year baseline period 19912020Predictions of sea ice for March 20252029 suggest further reductions in sea ice concentration in the Barents Sea Bering Sea and Sea of OkhotskPredicted precipitation patterns for MaySeptember 20252029 relative to the 19912020 baseline suggest wetter than average conditions in the Sahel northern Europe Alaska and northern Siberia and drier than average conditions for this season over the AmazonRecent years apart from 2023 in the South Asian region have been wetter than average and the forecast suggests this will continue for the 20252029 period This may not be the case for all individual seasons in this periodAddressing more about the report WMO Deputy SecretaryGeneral Ko Barrett said ldquoWe have just experienced the ten warmest years on record Unfortunately this WMO report provides no sign of relief over the coming years and this means that there will be a growing negative impact on our economies our daily lives our ecosystems and our planetrdquoLeon Hermanson who was the lead in producing the report from the Met Office stated that 2025 is likely to be one of the three warmest years on record Also Chris Hewitt who currently holds the position of director of climate services at the WMO said that this is really a ldquoworrying picturerdquo for heatwaves and human health in the coming few years However he also said that it is still not too late to limit warming if fossil fuel emissions are cutldquoWe must take climate actionrdquo he said ldquo15 degree Celsius is not inevitablerdquoatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params