UN weather agency warns: temperature record is just around the corner!

UN weather agency warns: temperature record is just around the corner!

The UN Weather Organization (WMO) has published alarming news about climate change in its current forecast. A new global temperature record is expected in the next five years. The probability that global warming will exceed the critical mark of 1.5 degrees Celsius is continually increasing. The WMO estimates that on average between 2025 and 2029 there is an 80 percent chance of breaking the previous record, and 2024 has been considered the year with the highest average temperature ever recorded.

The five-year average of global warming is expected to exceed 1.5 degrees, seriously challenging the goals of the 2015 Paris climate summit to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees compared to pre-industrial times. According to the WMO, the 1.5 degree limit could have been exceeded as early as 2024, although it will only be officially recognized if it is exceeded in the long term. Every tenth of a degree of warming contributes to heat waves, intense rain, droughts and other extreme weather events.

Global trends and regional impacts

Additional findings from the Federal Environment Agency highlight human-caused climate change, which influences weather and climate extremes worldwide. Rapid warming of the lower atmosphere and oceans, decreasing snow and ice, and rising global sea levels are just some of the worrying developments. Greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere are alarmingly high: 419 ppm CO2, 1,940 ppb CH4 and 336.8 ppb N2O were recorded in 2023.

Europe in particular is described as a climate change hotspot. 2024 was the warmest year on record on the continent, with a notable increase in temperature, reaching 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels for the first time. Extreme weather events, such as the severe flooding in Valencia in October 2024, led to countless losses: over 200 lives were lost.

Adaptation strategies and challenges

The climate status report from Copernicus and the WMO documents damage of over 18 billion euros resulting from various extreme weather events in Europe. The melting of the glaciers in the Alps and the dramatic loss of ice in the Arctic region illustrate the massive consequences of the climate crisis, which are now clearly evident. The risk of flooding is predicted to increase over the next few decades, particularly in urban areas.

To limit global warming, it is crucial to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 43 percent by 2030. This requires comprehensive measures, including increased use of renewable energies such as solar and wind power, as well as targeted changes in the mobility, construction and food sectors. Positive approaches to adapting to climate change can already be seen in cities such as Paris, Milan and Bratislava, whose climate adaptation plans have increased by 26 percent over the past seven years.

The WMO, together with climate researchers and institutions worldwide, warns urgently: It is technologically and economically possible to limit global warming. However, this requires immediate and decisive action to avert catastrophic consequences in the future.

For more information see: ZVW, Federal Environment Agency, and daily news.