A number of world temperature records have been beaten, and in some cases completely shattered, according to the WMO, the meteorological observation agency of the United Nations. The organization issued a warning, citing sea ice loss as a major worry.
2023 was the warmest year on record, according to a World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report released on Tuesday. The average surface temperature worldwide was 1.45 degrees Celsius higher than pre-industrial levels.The UN agency issued a warning, stating that population dislocation and rising food shortages were closely linked to the developments.
The WMO investigation revealed records breaking in a number of areas, such as temperature and greenhouse gas concentrations.The organization observed very concerning changes in the ocean, including an unsettling increase in surface levels and acidity.According to its study, the disappearance of glaciers, increasing ocean temperatures, and Antarctic sea ice were of special concern.The extent of Antarctic sea ice was “by far the lowest on record,” reaching a high at the end of winter that was one million kilometers squared less than the previous record year, or the combined area of Germany and France.
Glaciers suffered the largest loss of ice on record, driven by “extreme melt” in both western North America and Europe.
The authors also pointed out increasingly frequent heatwaves, floods, droughts, wildfires, and intensifying tropical cyclones.
They caused “misery and mayhem, upending everyday life for millions and inflicting many billions of dollars in economic losses.”
