Climate change added 41 days of dangerous heat in 2024, threatening health, economy: Report

Human-caused climate change added an average of 41 days of dangerous heat in 2024, harming human health and ecosystems, an analysis for a year-in-review has found.

Previous reports have established a link between heat stress and reduced workforce productivity, which has economic implications. A Lancet study released in October 2024 pegged potential income loss in India from labour capacity reduction due to heat in 2023 at $141 billion.

World Weather Attribution and Climate Central report highlight that a much faster transition away from fossil fuels is needed to avoid a future of relentless heatwaves, drought, wildfires, storms and floods.

According to the report, due to human-caused warming, the world experienced an average of 41 extra days of dangerous heat in 2024.

“Climate change intensified 26 of the 29 weather events studied by World Weather Attribution that killed at least 3,700 people and displaced millions. Climate change had a stronger influence than El Niño on many extreme weather events,” the report said.

Dr Friederike Otto, lead of WWA and Senior Lecturer in Climate Science at Imperial College London, said: “Extreme weather killed thousands of people, forced millions from their homes this year and caused unrelenting suffering. The floods in Spain, hurricanes in the US, drought in the Amazon, and floods across Africa are just a few examples.”

This year is set to be the hottest on record. The first six months saw record-breaking temperatures, extending the streak that started in 2023 to 13 months, with the world’s hottest day in history recorded on July 22.

Globally, there were 41 extra days of dangerous heat in 2024 due to human-caused warming, the scientists found. These days represent the top 10% warmest temperatures from 1991-2020 for locations around the world.

The heat also fuelled heatwaves, droughts, fire weather, storms, and heavy rainfall causing floods throughout the year. In total, 219 events met World Weather Attribution’s trigger criteria used to identify the most impactful weather events. Many extreme events at the start of 2024 were influenced by El Niño, a phenomenon linked with the warming of sea temperatures inducing storms and drought.

However, most WWA analyses found climate change had a larger impact than El Niño in driving these events, including the historic drought in the Amazon.