2023 was . Last year is on track to surpass it, and it caused more problems last year than just raising the thermometers.
(WWA) released its annual Extreme Weather report showing how last year’s record-breaking 34.34 Fahrenheit increase in human-caused warming led to “unrelenting heat waves, droughts, wildfires, storms and floods.” The WWA estimates that climate change was responsible for at least 3,700 deaths and 26 weather events in 2024, leading to the “displacement of millions.”
The report captured a total of 219 events from 2024 that met its “trigger criteria” for identifying influential weather events. Many of the events were influenced by the natural climate pattern known as El Niño under the effects of climate change), but the WWA studies “found that climate change played a larger role than El Niño in fueling these events, including the historic drought in the Amazon.”
Climate change has caused an average of 41 additional dangerously hot days and led to record-breaking rainfall and flooding worldwide. A study of 16 floods found that all but one were caused by warming of the atmosphere, which retained more moisture, leading to heavier rainfall. These climate conditions can also lead to larger and deadlier hurricanes and typhoons, such as Helene, the Category 4 hurricane that struck America in September. North Carolina It is estimated that Helene caused $53.8 billion in damage in her state alone.
Two of the world’s most important ecosystems will also be “severely affected by climate change in 2024,” the WWA report says. The Amazon rainforest and Pantanal wetland, the world’s largest tropical wetland, experienced severe droughts and wildfires last year, resulting in “major biodiversity loss.”
Both areas are critical to maintaining the strength of the Earth’s ecosystems, climate and economy. Removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and releases water into the atmosphere, which helps control the climate and circulate ocean currents. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), it supports tens of thousands of wildlife species, provides much-needed flood protection in the region, and generates global economic activity for livestock and soy production.
The WWA report sets out some key resolutions for 2025 to combat the increasing impact of climate change. The report calls for a “faster transition” away from fossil fuel use, improvements to early warning systems for extreme weather events, a greater focus on reporting heat-related deaths and funding for developing countries and regions most affected by the impacts of climate change.
