Think it’s hot now? The next five years will smash records, UN says
WASHINGTON (AP) — In the next five years, the Earth is overwhelmingly likely to surge again and again past the international climate threshold set…
The United Nations predicts that the next five years will see Earth's temperature soar beyond the internationally accepted safe limit and shatter the record for the hottest year on record multiple times. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Kingdom's Meteorological Office forecast that global temperatures will be 1.3 to 1.9 degrees Celsius higher than pre-industrial levels between now and 2030.
There is a 75% probability that the average global temperature during this period will exceed the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold set in the 2015 Paris climate agreement. Despite the relatively modest increase, the consequences will be severe, with some ecosystems, like coral reefs and glaciers, unable to withstand the additional stress.
A 91% chance exists that at least one of the next five years will surpass the 1.5 degree mark, while an 86% likelihood indicates that one year will surpass the record set in 2024. Experts emphasize that the 1.5 degree threshold is not a definitive "cliff edge" but rather a point where the severity of impacts continues to escalate with each incremental degree.
Written by urgent.news from Associated Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
