The year 2024 has officially claimed the title of the hottest year on record, with global temperatures soaring to an unprecedented average of 1.53°C above pre-industrial levels.
This marks the first time in history that a calendar year is likely to have exceeded the critical 1.5°C threshold, a stark warning of the accelerating pace of climate change.
The data, compiled by the Met Office, the University of East Anglia, and the National Centre for Atmospheric Science, confirms that 2024 not only surpassed the previous record set by 2016 but also outpaced 2023, making these the two hottest years ever documented.
Since 1850, no year has recorded higher temperatures, and 2024 is now the eleventh consecutive year where global temperatures have remained more than 1.0°C above the pre-industrial average.
Experts have highlighted that while exceeding 1.5°C in a single year does not yet breach the Paris Agreement, which focuses on long-term averages, it signals just how perilously close the world is to this critical threshold.
Kerry McCarthy, Minister for Climate, underscored the gravity of the situation, stating:
“The challenge is immense, but collective action can still deliver the scale and pace of change we need to keep 1.5°C within reach.”
Colin Morice of the Met Office clarified that this milestone does not yet represent a breach of the Paris Agreement but warned that “the margin to avoid sustained exceedance of 1.5°C is now wafer-thin.”
Climate scientists stress that even small increases in global temperature intensify extreme weather events, accelerate sea level rise, and push the planet closer to tipping points such as the collapse of ice sheets or the Amazon rainforest.
Professor Rowan Sutton from the Met Office Hadley Centre described the situation as a “notable landmark” that underscores the urgency of reducing emissions to prevent further warming.
The figures for 2024 also reflect the influence of natural climate patterns like El Niño, which added approximately 0.2°C to the global average temperature.
However, experts emphasise that the primary driver of the ongoing warming trend remains human activity.
Professor Tim Osborn, Director of the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia, pointed out that the continued reliance on fossil fuels has prevented global emissions from peaking, causing temperatures to climb in line with scientific predictions.
Despite temporary cooling effects from La Niña events in 2021 and 2022, the surface temperature of the oceans reached record-breaking levels in 2024, amplifying the impact of global warming.
Looking ahead, the Met Office predicts that 2025 is likely to rank among the three hottest years ever recorded, following closely behind 2024 and 2023.
As the world inches closer to breaching the 1.5°C threshold on a sustained basis, the message from climate experts is clear: urgent action is required to curb greenhouse gas emissions and prevent further environmental and societal consequences.