The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said Thursday that 2024 was on track to be the warmest year on record, with the global average near-surface temperature higher than the record reached in 2023.
Last year had been declared the warmest year on record by the WMO, with the global average near-surface temperature at about 1.45C higher than pre-industrial levels.
As the global average near-surface temperature is expected to be higher than last year, this means 2024 would be the first year that exceeds the Paris Agreement threshold of 1.5C.
The UN agency said in a statement that the WMO’s global temperature analysis covers January-September and was based on six international datasets to provide a consolidated temperature assessment.
It added that more details would be provided in the WMO’s State of the Climate 2024 Update, which will be released Monday at the COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan.
