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☆ ‘It’s game on’: The world’s largest iceberg is on the move. Scientists explain why it matters
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-06 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"It's just astonishingly big and it's a reminder of how much risk we're at from sea level rise." "Antarctica has historically been quite a small contributor to sea level rise, but it is growing, and it is taking up a bigger and bigger share of the sea level rise that we see every year," he added. "So, it's a symbol of the growing dominance of Antarctica in the sea level rise equation." This temperature threshold is widely recognized as crucial because so-called tipping points become more likely beyond this level. Tipping points are thresholds at which small changes can lead to dramatic shifts in Earth's entire life support system.

Persons: Robbie Mallett, A23a, Mallett, Mallet, That's, Gail Whiteman, Taalas, Hollie Adams, NASA Modis Organizations: United Arab Emirates, Continent, University of College London, CNBC, United, NASA, World Meteorological Organization, University of Exeter, WMO, Expo, Bloomberg, Getty Images Bloomberg, Getty Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, Antarctica, New York City, United Arab Emirates, South Georgia, Dubai, COP28, Green

“Each decade since the 1990s has been warmer than the previous one and we see no immediate sign of this trend reversing,” its secretary-general, Petteri Taalas, said. Experts are divided about one of the most important metrics: The rate of warming. University of Pennsylvania climate scientist Michael Mann has argued warming has been steadily increasing since 1990, but isn't speeding up. He warned that such warming is fueling increasingly dangerous extreme weather events, coastal flooding and many other “disastrous” impacts. Glaciers in Papua, Indonesia are likely to disappear altogether within the next decade,” WMO said.

Persons: Petteri Taalas, James Hansen, Michael Mann, ” Mann, ” Organizations: United Arab Emirates, United Nations, World Meteorological Organization, WMO, NASA, Warming, University of Pennsylvania, ” WMO, AP Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, Dubai, Papua, Indonesia, “, Africa, Kenya, Kilimanjaro, Greenland, Antarctica

☆ Past decade was the hottest on record as climate change ‘surged alarmingly,’ WMO reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Laura Paddison | Brandon Miller | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The decade between 2011 and 2020 was the hottest on record for the planet’s land and oceans as the rate of climate change “surged alarmingly,” according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization. This year is also expected to be the hottest year, after six straight months of record global temperatures. Scientists have said this year’s exceptional warmth is the result of the combined effects of El Niño and human-caused climate change, which is driven by planet-warming fossil fuel pollution. A separate analysis released Monday by the Global Carbon Project found that carbon pollution from fossil fuels is on track to set a new record in 2023 – 1.1% higher than 2022 levels. The WMO report comes partway through the UN-backed COP28 climate summit, on the day focused on energy and industry.

Persons: El, Petteri Taalas, ” Elena Manaenkova, Anupam Nath, –, ” Taalas, ”, Pierre Friedlingstein, Amy Cassidy Organizations: CNN, World Meteorological Organization, Global, Project, WMO, UN, EU, Copernicus, DG DEFIS, Reuters, El Niño, University of Exeter’s Global Systems Institute Locations: Dubai, India, China, US, EU, Mayong, Gauhati, Assam, Greater London, Antarctica, Paris, El, COP28

This year is “virtually certain” to be the hottest year in recorded history, the World Meteorological Organization announced on Thursday at COP28, the United Nations climate summit in Dubai where delegates from nearly 200 countries, including many heads of state and government, have gathered. The organization said 2023 has been about 1.4 degrees Celsius, or about 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit, above the global average preindustrial temperature from 1850 to 1990. The past nine years have collectively been the warmest in 174 years of recorded scientific observations, with the previous single-year records set in 2020 and 2016. This comes in addition to record greenhouse gas concentrations, sea levels and concentrations of methane. “It’s a deafening cacophony of broken records,” Petteri Taalas, the secretary general of the World Meteorological Organization, said in Dubai.

Persons: ” Petteri Taalas Organizations: World Meteorological Organization Locations: COP28, United Nations, Dubai

WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE THE LAST ONEThe world has gotten hotter since last year’s conference in Egypt. Burning fossil fuels that sends carbon into the atmosphere remains the main cause of global warming, and production continues to grow. Climate campaigners say efforts to develop wind, solar and other alternative energies are not going fast enough. Global warming has vast implications: It can upend local economies, worsen weather patterns, drive people to migrate, and cause havoc for Indigenous peoples who want to retain their traditional cultures, among many other impacts. Many want to know if oil-rich Gulf states will pony up more money to help developing countries adapt to climate change and switch to greener technologies.

Persons: ”, Petteri Taalas, Daniel, Hurricane Otis pummeled, King Charles, Narendra Modi, John Kerry, Olaf Scholz, Pope Francis, Sultan al, Jaber, Antonio Guterres Organizations: United Arab Emirates, Hamas, United, 28th “ Conference, Hurricane Otis, Indian, Cargill, AP Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, Israel, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, COP28, WHAT'S, Egypt, Brazil, India, Libya, Hurricane Otis pummeled Mexico, Europe, Paris, Abu Dhabi, Tokyo, Tegucigalpa, Timbuktu, Ukraine, Gaza, Antarctica, Argentina, Uruguay, ___

☆ 'They knew' - Libyans express fury that warnings went unheeded before catastrophic flood
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

"The Libyan government knew what was going on in the Derna River Valley and the danger of the situation for a very long time." In his report, hydrologist Ashour cites an unpublished 2006 study from the Water Resources Ministry on "the danger of the situation." The Turkish company, Arsel, lists a project on its website to repair the Derna dams as having begun in 2007 and been completed in 2012. Even as the catastrophe was unfolding on Sunday night, the Water Resources Ministry issued a post on its Facebook page telling residents not to worry. "When the water started flowing into the house, me and my two sons with their wives escaped to the roof.

Persons: hydrologist Abdul Wanis Ashour, Ashour, Abdulqader Mohamed Alfakhakhri, Alwad Alshawly, hydrologist Ashour, Muammar Gaddafi, Derna, Al Qaeda, Omar al, Moghairbi, Marwan Alfaituri, Abdulmenam, Ghaithi, Petteri Taalas, Gaddafi, Khalifa Hafter, Abdulhamid, Aguila Saleh, Yousef Alfkakhri, Tom Perry, Angus McDowall, Maya Gebeily, Laila Bassam, Tarek Amara, Emma Farge, Mariana Sandoval, Peter Graff, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: Reuters, Public Water Commission, Sebha University, of, Applied Sciences, Water Resources Ministry, NATO, Islamic, Gaddafi's, Libya's, Derna, Sunday, World Meteorological Organization, Libyan National Army, Thomson Locations: Libya, Derna, Tripoli, Turkish, Islamic State, Geneva, Libyan, Benghazi

☆ Libya flood: fury that warnings went unheeded
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

[1/4] A view shows the damaged areas, in the aftermath of the floods in Derna, Libya, September 13, 2023, in this picture obtained from social media. In his report, hydrologist Ashour cites an unpublished 2006 study from the Water Resources Ministry on "the danger of the situation." The Turkish company, Arsel, lists a project on its website to repair the Derna dams as having begun in 2007 and been completed in 2012. Even as the catastrophe was unfolding on Sunday night, the Water Resources Ministry issued a post on its Facebook page telling residents not to worry. "When the water started flowing into the house, me and my two sons with their wives escaped to the roof.

Persons: Marwan Alfaituri, hydrologist Abdul Wanis Ashour, Ashour, Abdulqader Mohamed Alfakhakhri, Alwad Alshawly, hydrologist Ashour, Muammar Gaddafi, Derna, Al Qaeda, Omar al, Moghairbi, Abdulmenam, Ghaithi, Petteri Taalas, Gaddafi, Khalifa Hafter, Abdulhamid, Aguila Saleh, Yousef Alfkakhri, Tom Perry, Angus McDowall, Maya Gebeily, Laila Bassam, Tarek Amara, Emma Farge, Mariana Sandoval, Peter Graff, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: Reuters, Public Water Commission, Sebha University, of, Applied Sciences, Water Resources Ministry, NATO, Islamic, Gaddafi's, Libya's, Derna, Sunday, World Meteorological Organization, Libyan National Army, Thomson Locations: Derna, Libya, Tripoli, Turkish, Islamic State, Geneva, Libyan, Benghazi

CNN —The United Nations has said most of the deaths in flash floods that tore through Libya could have been “avoided,” as relief workers struggle to deliver crucial aid in a humanitarian effort stifled by political divisions and debris from the disaster. More than 5,000 people have died and thousands more are feared missing after unprecedented rainfall flushed out entire cities in the North African nation last week. “Of course, we cannot fully avoid economic losses but we could’ve also minimized those losses by having proper services in place,” Talaas added. While the Eastern parliament-backed government reported at least 5,300 people dead, the internationally recognized government in Tripoli reports more than 6,000 people have died. CNN has not been able to independently verify the number of deaths or those missing.

Persons: Petteri, ” Talaas, Talaas, ”, Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, Khalifa Haftar Organizations: CNN, United Nations, Meteorological Organization, WMO, Libyan National Army Locations: Libya, North, Derna, Geneva, Tripoli, Benghazi

The eastern Libyan city of Derna, the epicenter of the disaster, had a population of around 100,000 before the tragedy. A ferocious stormThe extreme rainfall that hit Libya on Sunday was brought by a system called Storm Daniel. The medicane strengthened as it crossed the unusually warm waters of the Mediterranean before dumping torrential rain on Libya on Sunday. The Derna dam is 75 meters (246 feet) high with a storage capacity of 18 million cubic meters (4.76 billion gallons). The Sebha University paper warned that the dams in Derna had a “high potential for flood risk” and that periodic maintenance is needed to avoid “catastrophic” flooding.

Persons: Cross, Storm Daniel, it’s, ”, Hannah Cloke, Ahmed Madroud, Al Jazeera, Liz Stephens, “, ” Stephens, ” Derna, Khalifa Haftar, Petteri Taalas, ” Taalas, Talaas, ” Cloke, “ We’re Organizations: CNN, International Committee, Storm, University of Reading, Libya’s Sebha University, University, Science Media Center, ISIS, Libyan National Army, United Nations, Meteorological Organization Locations: Derna, Libyan, Libya, Africa, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Yugoslav, Mansour, Wadi, ”, United Kingdom

☆ 20,000 people feared dead in Libyan city destroyed by floods
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Patrick Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"The situation is very large and surprising for the city of Derna. A view shows a damaged car, following a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hitting the country, in Derna, Libya September 13, 2023. A government official estimated Wednesday that 25% of the city was completely destroyed or washed away. People look at the dead bodies outside the hospital, after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit Libya, in Derna, Libya September 12, 2023. A view of devastation in disaster zones after the floods caused by the Storm Daniel ravaged the region, on September 11, 2023, in Derna, Libya.

Persons: Hassan El Salheen, Aly, Storm Daniel, Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Daniel, Abdel Moneim Al, Ghaithi, Esam Omran, Hunter Biden, Elie Abouaoun, Reuters Othman Abduljaleel Organizations: Reuters, Sky News Arabia, fetori, United Nations, World Meteorological Organization, AFP, WMO, NBC, FBI, Social Security, International Rescue, International Organization for Migration, United Arab, Fetori, Tripoli Public Services Company, Libyan News Agency, Storm, Anadolu Agency, Getty Locations: Libya, Al Sharief, Bani Swief, Egypt, Derna, Geneva, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Tripoli, Derna's

☆ Climate change: The world has just experienced the hottest summer on record
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —As heat waves continue to bake parts of the world, scientists are reporting that this blistering, deadly summer was the hottest on record – and by a significant margin. The planet experienced its hottest June on record, followed by the hottest July – both breaking previous records by large margins. August was also the warmest such month on record, according to the new Copernicus data, and warmer than every other month this year except for July. The global average temperature for the month was 16.82 degrees Celsius – 0.31 degrees warmer than the previous record set in 2016. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty ImagesCountries in the Southern Hemisphere have also experienced startlingly warm winters, with well-above average temperatures recorded in Australia, several South American countries and Antarctica.

Persons: Copernicus, It’s, ”, António Guterres, Petteri Taalas, Richard A, Brooks, Patrick T, Fallon, El, Samantha Burgess, CNN Burgess Organizations: CNN, Northern, United Nations, “, World Meteorological Organization, Getty, Southern, North Atlantic Locations: United States, Europe, Japan, Tokyo, AFP, Phoenix , Arizona, Australia, Antarctica, Atlantic, Pacific, Florida

☆ Pacific island sea levels rising faster than global average, WMO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The morning's first rays of sunlight hit the island community of Serua Village, Fiji, July 15, 2022. As the community runs out of ways to adapt to the rising Pacific Ocean, the 80 villagers face the painful decision whether to move. REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies World Meteorological Organization FollowGENEVA, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Sea levels in the South-West Pacific are rising faster than the global average, threatening low-lying islands while heat damages marine ecosystems, the U.N. meteorological agency said on Friday. In its State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific 2022 report, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said water levels were rising about 4 mm per year in some areas, slightly above the global mean rate. "This will have a big impact on the South-West Pacific region as it is frequently associated with higher temperatures, disruptive weather patterns and more marine heatwaves and coral bleaching," Taalas said in a statement.

Persons: Loren Elliott, Petteri Taalas, El, Taalas, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: REUTERS, World, GENEVA, South -, World Meteorological Organization, WMO, -, Thomson Locations: Serua Village, Fiji, South, South - West, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, Australia, Papua New Guinea, - West Pacific, Philippines

☆ Effects of climate change increasing in Asia, WMO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A view shows submerged building amid flood water, following rains and floods during the monsoon season in Talti town in Sehwan, Pakistan September 15, 2022. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro/File PhotoGENEVA, July 27 (Reuters) - Extreme weather events ranging from droughts to large-scale floods and other effects of climate change are on the rise in Asia and bound to affect food security and the continent's ecosystems, the World Meteorological Organization said. In a report published on Thursday, WMO said Asia was the world's most disaster-impacted region, with 81 weather, climate and water-related disasters recorded last year, the majority of which were floods and storms. The WMO report also highlighted that most glaciers the High-Mountain Asia region had loss significant mass as a result of warm and dry conditions in 2022. "This will have major implications for future food and water security and ecosystems," said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.

Persons: Akhtar Soomro, Petteri Taalas, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, World Meteorological Organization, WMO, Thomson Locations: Talti, Sehwan, Pakistan, GENEVA, Asia, China

☆ July is set to be the hottest month on record
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Photo: Christoph Reichwein/dpaJuly is set to be the hottest month on record. The first three weeks of July have been the hottest three-week period on record, according to a joint statement published by the Copernicus Climate Change Service and the World Meteorological Organization. This month's record-breaking heat surpasses July 2019, the previous hottest month, and comes on the heels of June setting the record for the hottest June ever. Anthropogenic emissions are ultimately the main driver of these rising temperatures," Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, said in a statement published alongside the announcement. This month has included heat waves that have baked much of North America, Asia and Europe, and wildfires that are ravaging Canada and Greece, Copernicus and the WMO said.

Persons: Christoph Reichwein, Copernicus, It's, Carlo Buontempo, El, Taalas Organizations: World Meteorological Organization, United, El, WMO, El Nino Locations: Greece, Gennadi, Rhodes, Corfu, North America, Asia, Europe, Canada

☆ This Looks Like Earth’s Warmest Month. Hotter Ones Appear to Be in Store.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Raymond Zhong | More About Raymond Zhong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Weeks of scorching summer heat in North America, Europe, Asia and elsewhere are putting July on track to be Earth’s warmest month on record, the European Union climate monitor said on Thursday, the latest milestone in what is emerging as an extraordinary year for global temperatures. Last month, the planet experienced its hottest June since records began in 1850. July 6 was its hottest day. And the odds are rising that 2023 will end up displacing 2016 as the hottest year. At the moment, the eight warmest years on the books are the past eight.

Persons: ” Petteri Taalas, El Niño Organizations: World Meteorological Organization Locations: North America, Europe, Asia, European

☆ July 2023 is planet's hottest month on record, Copernicus reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

We have just lived through the hottest three-week-period on record – and almost certainly in more than a hundred thousand years. “These are the hottest temperatures in human history,” said Samantha Burgess, deputy director at Copernicus. Remo Casilli/ReutersThe news that July will be the hottest month comes amid a slew of alarming records that have already been broken – and then broken again – this summer. Last month was the hottest June on record by a “substantial margin,” according to Copernicus. On July 6, the global average temperature rose to 17.08 degrees Celsius (62.74 Fahrenheit), according to Copernicus data, beating the previous temperature record of 16.8 degrees Celsius (62.24 Fahrenheit) set in August 2016.

Persons: Copernicus, ”, Samantha Burgess, Ronda Churchill, Carlo Buontempo, it’s, Burgess, El, Remo Casilli, we’ve, Fethi Belaid, Kim Cobb, ” Petteri Taalas Organizations: CNN, World Meteorological Organization, Visitor, Popolo, Getty, Brown University, WMO Locations: , California, AFP, Asia, US, China, Europe, Rome, Melloula, Tunisia

☆ Is this extreme weather the ‘new normal?’ There’s no such thing, some scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Just over halfway through July and already a slew of extreme weather records has been broken. Southern Europe is experiencing one of its most extreme heat waves on record, with wildfires raging in Greece, Spain and Switzerland. It’s a shifting baseline of ever-more devastating impacts as long as the Earth continues to warm.”For scientists like Mann and Cloke, this year’s extreme weather has largely not been surprising. Extreme heat could be quickly followed by heavy rainfall impacting society, agriculture, and ecosystems in unusual ways,” she told CNN. The planet is around 1.2 degrees Celsius warmer than it was before the industrial revolution – still short of the 1.5 degrees scientists are warning the planet should stay under.

Persons: Petteri Taalas, ”, Hannah Cloke, Kim Hong, Reuters Michael E, Mann, we’ve, Cloke, Brandon Bell, Peter Stott, –, ” Mann, Vikki Thompson, ” Thompson, ” Read Organizations: CNN, Southwest, World Meteorological Organization, University of Reading, Reuters, University of Pennsylvania, UK Met Office, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute Locations: Northern, Southwest United States, Phoenix , Arizona, Southern Europe, Greece, Spain, Switzerland, Asia, China, South Korea, Japan, India, Cheongju, Antarctica, North, Phoenix, “

☆ California's Death Valley could top 130 degrees Fahrenheit this weekend – the hottest temperature recorded on Earth
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

California's Death Valley could top 130 degrees Fahrenheit this weekend – the hottest ever on Earth. Excessive heat warnings and heat advisories now cover over 100 million people in the US, per National Weather Service. California's Death Valley could topple the hottest temperature recorded this weekend amid what the US National Weather Service dubbed "sweltering and dangerous heat." John Locher/APSummer temperatures in the infamously dry national park often top 120 Fahrenheit, according to the National Parks Service. Heat could surpass 130 Fahrenheit this weekend, the record for the hottest temperature ever reliably measured on Earth, according to the Scientific American.

Persons: John Locher, Petteri Taalas Organizations: Service, World Meteorological Organization, Weather Service, National Weather Service, National Parks Service, Scientific American, Guardian, Meteorological Organization Locations: West, Phoenix , Arizona, Europe, Turkey, Morocco, Argentina, Patagonia, Iraq

☆ Extreme weather in Latin America unlocks vicious cycle that further fuels climate dangers
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Nelson Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HAVANA, July 5 (Reuters) - Extreme weather is wreaking havoc across Latin America, racking up billions worth of damage and unleashing a vicious cycle that leads to higher demand for fossil fuels and more climate change, the World Meteorological Organization said on Wednesday. Temperatures have warmed an average 0.2 degree Celsius per decade over the past 30 years – the highest rate on record, according to the State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean 2022 report. As temperatures rise, extreme weather events become more common, with often unexpected consequences that stoke climate change, the report said. “Many of the extreme events were influenced by the long-running La Nina but also bore the hallmark of human-induced climate change," said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas. "We are facing increasingly strong impacts from climate change, but the decisions adopted in climate negotiations for the implementation of the Paris Agreement do not advance at the same rate," she said.

Persons: Petteri Taalas, Daniel Becerril, Elba Rosa Perez, Nelson Acosta, Dave Sherwood, Marguerita Choy Organizations: World Meteorological Organization, stoke, Nina, REUTERS, El Nino, for Research, Meteorological Institute, Environment, Development, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, America, Latin America, Caribbean, South America, Monterrey, Mexico, El, Havana, China, Cuba, Paris

☆ El Niño is here and the world must prepare for more extreme heat, UN weather agency warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The WMO said there was a 90% probability of El Niño continuing during the second half of 2023 at moderate strength. Along with increased ocean warming, El Niño events are usually associated with increased rainfall in parts of southern South America, the southern United States, the Horn of Africa and central Asia. In India, a major rice producing nation, El Niño can weaken the monsoon that brings the rainfall the country relies on to fill aquifers and grow crops. El Niño this year could also dent US economic growth, potentially impacting everything from food prices to winter clothing sales, a recent study found. The study attributed $5.7 trillion in global income losses to the 1997-98 El Niño and $4.1 trillion in losses to the 1982-83 El Niño.

Persons: El Niño, El, ”, Petteri Taalas, Niño, Chris Hewitt, “ Organizations: CNN, World Meteorological Organization, WMO, United Nations, El Locations: El, South America, United States, of Africa, Asia, Australia, Indonesia, Central America, Pacific, India, Paris, Europe, Americas

☆ El Niño has officially begun. UN says phenomenon likely to threaten lives, break temperature records
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Japan experienced its warmest spring on record this year, the national weather agency said June 1, as greenhouse gasses and El Niño combine to send temperatures soaring worldwide. El Niño has arrived. The U.N. weather agency on Tuesday declared the onset of the major climate phenomenon, warning its return paves the way for a likely spike in global temperatures and extreme weather conditions. "Early warnings and anticipatory action of extreme weather events associated with this major climate phenomenon are vital to save lives and livelihoods." The update follows a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in early June, which said El Niño conditions were present and "expected to gradually strengthen into the Northern Hemisphere winter."

Persons: Niño, El, Petteri Taalas Organizations: World Meteorological Organization, El, WMO, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration Locations: Japan, El

☆ Heat, drought and fire: Europe's year of extremes in 2022 will not be a 'one off,' new report finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The climate crisis is taking an enormous toll on Europe, which was ravaged by extreme heat, drought, wildfires and glacier melt last year, a new analysis has concluded. The cracked ground of La Vinuela reservoir during a severe drought in La Vinuela, near Malaga, southern Spain August 8, 2022. Europe experienced the second-largest burned area on record in 2022, the report found, with Central Europe and the Mediterranean, in particular, seeing large areas scorched by fire. And oceans were unusually warm, with average sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic the hottest on record. With the arrival of El Niño, a natural climate phenomenon with a global warming effect, many scientists are concerned 2023 could see even starker climate extremes.

Persons: ”, Carlo Buontempo, Jon Nazca, El, Petteri Taalas Organizations: CNN, World Meteorological Organization, Central, North Atlantic, WMO Locations: Europe, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, France, La Vinuela, Malaga, Central Europe, North

☆ Heat Will Likely Soar to Record Levels in Next 5 Years, New Analysis Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Brad Plumer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The NewsGlobal temperatures are likely to soar to record highs over the next five years, driven by human-caused warming and a climate pattern known as El Niño, forecasters at the World Meteorological Organization said on Wednesday. The previous record for Earth’s hottest year was in 2016. There is a 98 percent chance that at least one of the next five years will exceed that, the forecasters said, while the average from 2023 to ’27 will almost certainly be the warmest for a five-year period ever recorded. “This will have far-reaching repercussions for health, food security, water management and the environment,” said Petteri Taalas, the secretary general of the meteorological organization. “We need to be prepared.”

LONDON, May 17 (Reuters) - For the first time ever, global temperatures are now more likely than not to breach 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7F) of warming within the next five years, the World Meteorological Organization said on Wednesday. But that did not necessarily mean the world would cross the long-term warming threshold of 1.5C above preindustrial levels set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement. Partially responsible for boosting the chance of hitting 1.5C is an El Niño weather pattern expected to develop in the coming months. During this natural phenomenon, warmer waters in the tropical Pacific heat the atmosphere above, spiking global temperatures. The El Niño "will combine with human-induced climate change to push global temperatures into uncharted territory", said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas in a press statement.

Breaching 1.5 degrees may only be temporary, the WMO said. Countries pledged in the Paris Climate Agreement to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees – and preferably to 1.5 degrees – compared to pre-industrial temperatures. Scientists consider 1.5 degrees of warming as a key tipping point, beyond which the chances of extreme flooding, drought, wildfires and food shortages could increase dramatically. “This report does not mean that we will permanently exceed the 1.5 degrees Celsius level specified in the Paris Agreement which refers to long-term warming over many years. However, WMO is sounding the alarm that we will breach the 1.5 degrees Celsius level on a temporary basis with increasing frequency,” said WMO Secretary-General Professor Petteri Taalas, in a statement.

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