The European Commission's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) has revealed that May 2024 was the warmest May on record globally, with a global average surface air temperature 0.65C (1.17F) above the 1991-2020 average. The 12-month streak of record-breaking temperatures is a stark warning of the devastating consequences of climate change.
Carlo Buontempo, Director of C3S, described the trend as "shocking" but not surprising. "While this sequence of record-breaking months will eventually be interrupted, the overall signature of climate change remains, and there is no sign in sight of a change in such a trend," he said.
Experts predict that this summer will be hot, with many countries expected to break their temperature records. Piers Forster, Director of the Priestley Center for Climate Futures at the University of Leeds, warned that all countries need to take the threat of global warming seriously and take action.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has also warned that the planet's annual average temperature is 80% likely to temporarily exceed the 1.5C (2.7F) threshold above pre-industrial levels for at least one of the next five years. The WMO's report also predicts that the global mean near-surface temperature for each year between 2024 and 2028 is expected to be between 1.1C and 1.9C higher than the 1850-1900 baseline.
Climate researchers warn that continued global warming has severe consequences, including frequent and intense heat waves and flooding events, greater rates of ice sheet melting in Greenland and Antarctica, and increased risks of breaching tipping points. With global warming above 1.5C for a whole year, we are likely to see more of these kind of effects on our economies across the world.
Joeri Rogelj, Professor of Climate Science and Policy at Imperial College London, emphasized the need to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. "Significantly lowering greenhouse gas pollution over the next five to 10 years is the only way to ensure that the planet is not warming by another quarter of a degree by 2035," he said.
The warning signs are clear: it is imperative that we take immediate action to reduce emissions and mitigate the devastating consequences of climate change.
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