Earth records hottest year ever in 2024, passing major symbolic climate threshold: "It's a red flag"

In 2024, global temperatures experienced a significant increase, soaring to 1.6 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, marking an alarming milestone in climate change. This unprecedented rise has surpassed the long-term warming limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius stipulated by the 2015 Paris Agreement, highlighting the urgent need for immediate action to address greenhouse gas emissions. Following an already concerning temperature trend in 2023, the new record indicates that the past decade has been the hottest in over 125,000 years, with forecasts suggesting that record-breaking temperatures will persist in the coming years without substantial emissions reductions. Researchers from various climate organizations noted this temperature spike coincided with a short-term El Niño phenomenon. Although the El Niño is a natural climate cycle, it combined with the ongoing long-term warming primarily driven by human activities, including fossil fuel combustion. July 10, 2024, was recorded as the hottest day in history, with global average temperatures reaching 17.16 degrees Celsius. Indicators point to an ongoing trend of escalating temperatures, further exacerbating weather-related crises worldwide, including hurricanes, floods, and droughts. Scientists emphasized that while short-term temperature increases may not drastically change the climate narrative, they serve as critical warnings about the world's growing vulnerability to climate-induced disasters. With forecasts for 2025 to have slightly cooler temperatures due to the absence of a strong El Niño, concerns persist regarding the future trajectory of global warming. Climate experts noted that surpassing the 1.5-degree threshold for an entire year symbolizes the urgent reality of climate change and the intensifying effects it has on ecosystems and human health. With record-high carbon emissions from fossil fuels and rising ocean temperatures, the planet is experiencing unprecedented alterations that could threaten the survival of numerous species and dramatically alter weather patterns in the near future.