unsaveSave
expand-left
full screen
chevron-rightnext
Heat waves and periods of drought increase the risk of extensive fires such as the one currently underway in California, the picture is from January 8.
1 / 2Photo: Ethan Swope/AP/TT
The global heat record for 2024 is now a fact. According to the EU’s climate service Copernicus, last year is the first year where the average temperature is above 1.5 degrees.
– I have run out of metaphors about how serious the situation is, says Carlo Buontempo, director at Copernicus.
Already in December, it was established that 2024 was the warmest year measured so far. When Copernicus now presents its combined annual report on temperatures both on land and in water, it is also clear that the temperatures at the sea surface were also the highest at 0.5 degrees Celsius above the average temperature between 1991 and 2020.
During 2024, extreme weather events such as extensive fires, floods and droughts occurred, which strongly affect both people, animals and nature. These events become more common as temperatures rise.
July 22 was the day with the highest average temperature, globally it was 17.2 degrees. The report also shows that 2024 is the first calendar year with an average temperature that is 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.
Not dead
– But that does not mean that the goal of the Paris Agreement is dead. It refers to the 1.5 degree increase being exceeded over a longer period of time, around 20 years, said Samantha Burgess, deputy director of Copernicus at a press conference before the release of the report.
According to the Paris Agreement, global warming must be kept well below 2 degrees compared to pre-industrial levels, with the ambition to limit it to 1.5 degrees.
– But the probability that we will exceed the target is high and it is of the utmost importance that we reach net zero emissions as quickly as possible, continues Samantha Burgess.
Hardest hit
Europe is one of the parts of the world where the heat has hit the hardest. Here, the average temperature during the year was 10.7 degrees, which is 1.5 degrees more than the average temperature between the years 1991 and 2020.
At the same time, emissions of greenhouse gases are increasing to record levels, further impeding global warming. Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere ended up at 422 ppm (parts per million) and methane at 1897 ppb (parts per billion), both of which are above 2023 levels.
– The temperature increases we see are not our personal opinions or forecasts. These are facts and observations and are related to increased amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, says Carlo Buontempo.