UN Officially Confirms “A Decade of Deadly Heat”
The world has just endured its hottest decade ever. António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, in his annual new year message said that 2024 was among the top ten hottest years on record. All ten of these years have occurred in the past decade.
“This is climate breakdown in real time,” Guterres said.
“I can officially report that we have just endured a decade of deadly heat. The top 10 hottest years on record have happened in the last 10 years, including 2024,” he said calling for immediate action to combat the climate crisis.
“We must exit this road to ruin and we have no time to lose.”
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has confirmed the ever rising global warming trend. It noted that human activity has fueled this decade of extreme heat with 2024 almost certain to be the hottest ever year on record.
The Organization has said that the official release of the data for 2024 will be published in January, but early findings are clear that 2024 has topped 2023 as the warmest year on record. This is also the first year to breach the 1.5 degree Celsius Paris Agreement threshold. These rising mean global temperatures are driving deadly weather events worldwide.
Celeste Saulo, the WMO Secretary-General, highlighted the broader consequences of global warming and climate change, saying “This year we saw record-breaking rainfall and flooding events and terrible loss of life in so many countries, causing heartbreak to communities on every continent.”
A recent report by World Weather Attribution (WWA) and the Climate Central found that climate change intensified 26 out of 29 extreme weather events studied in 2024. These events killed over 3,700 people and displaced millions.
Dangerous heat days increased by 41 days last year, the report stated. Higher temperatures lead to more extreme weather events globally.
Guterres called world nations to curb their greenhouse gas emissions and transition away from fossil fuel consumption.
“In 2025, countries must put the world on a safer path by dramatically slashing emissions and supporting the transition to a renewable future.”
