Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has issued a warning, stating that 2023 is on course to become the hottest year ever recorded.
Global temperatures have risen by approximately 1.4 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, surpassing the previous record set in 2016.
The WMO's provisional State of the Global Climate report highlighted a concerning trend of escalating climate change, with significant implications for the planet.
The current temperature increase signals a substantial deviation from the 2016 record, creating what the WMO describes as a "deafening cacophony" of shattered climate records.
WMO Secretary General Petteri Taalas emphasised the severity, noting unprecedented highs in greenhouse gas concentrations, global temperatures, sea level rise, and the decline of Antarctic sea ice.
Despite the alarming temperature increase, scientists have clarified that the world has not yet crossed the long-term warming threshold of 1.5C, as outlined in the 2015 Paris Agreement.
The effects of a single year at 1.4C are already profound, with the Antarctic sea ice reaching its lowest winter maximum extent ever recorded and glaciers in Switzerland losing about 10% of their volume in just two years.
Canada experienced distressing temperature record as wildfires consumed an area equivalent to 5% off its woodlands.
Scientists have warned that the situation may worsen, with the El Niño climate pattern in the Eastern Pacific expected to intensify in the coming winter, potentially leading to even higher temperatures in 2024.
The surge in global warming has intensified discussions at the United Nations annual climate summit, COP28, where world leaders are grappling with the urgent task of phasing out fossil fuels.