Climate Change: Average global temperature almost certain to hit hottest on record in at least one of the next five years, WMO warns
- The likelihood of a record high temperature is 93 per cent, said the United Nations agency
- The number of climate and water related disasters has risen by a factor of five over the past decades, according to the WMO
It is almost certain that the global average temperature will break a record high set in 2016 in at least one of the next five years, according to a forecast by the World Meteorological Organisation.
The likelihood of a record high temperature is 93 per cent, said the United Nations agency that promotes international cooperation on climatology, in the latest edition of its annual United in Science report released on Tuesday. The average reading in 2016 was 14.83 degrees Celsius.
Between this year and 2026, there is also a 48 per cent chance that global warming from pre-industrial times will temporarily reach the 1.5 degrees threshold that global governments are seeking to put a lid on to avert adverse climate consequences.
“Without ambitious action, the physical and social-economic impacts of climate change will be devastating,” the WMO said. “Irreversible physical changes in the climate system, known as tipping points, cannot be ruled out and could have significant global and regional consequences.”
The number of climate and water related disasters has risen by a factor of five over the past decades, causing average daily losses of US$202 million, according to the WMO.
