According to the United Nations, more than 150 “unprecedented” climate disasters have occurred in 2024.
The 2024 WMO’S Report
The 2024 WMO report, which declares this year the hottest on record, outlines a trail of devastation caused by extreme weather events that took lives, destroyed infrastructure, and ruined crucial crops. It identifies 151 unprecedented weather events this year, including floods, heatwaves, and intense hurricanes, all unfolding in the hottest climate humanity has ever faced. As a result, more than 800,000 people were forced to flee their homes, the highest displacement number recorded since 2008.
Heatwaves: the hottest 10 Years
The WMO report stated that, for the first time, all of the 10 hottest years on record have occurred in the past decade. Despite this, global carbon emissions have continued to increase, leading to even more severe consequences in the future. For instance, during heatwaves, temperatures soared to 49.9°C in Carnarvon, Western Australia, 49.7°C in Tabas, Iran, and 48.5°C across a national heatwave in Mali.
Other Phenomena:
The record rainfall in Italy resulted in floods, landslides, and power outages, while torrents swept away thousands of homes in Senegal. Flash floods in Pakistan and Brazil caused significant crop damage. Hurricane Helen became the strongest ever recorded to strike Florida’s Bib Bend region in the US, and Super Typhoon Yagi struck Vietnam, affecting 3.6 million people.
What scientists tell us:
Dr Brenda Ekwurzel, member of the Union of Concerned Scientists, condemned the frequent practice of deleting the online climate information. “Attempts to hide climate science from the public will not stop us from feeling the dire impacts of climate change,” she said. It is undeniable that “Global warming continues unabated, exactly as predicted correctly since the 1980s, [and] millions of people are increasingly suffering the consequences”, she emphasized.
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