The United Nations warned on Thursday that global average temperatures could reach record levels in the next five years.
According to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization, the average annual temperature in 2026-2030 could be 1.3 degrees Celsius to 1.9 degrees Celsius higher than the 1850-1900 average.
What else does the report say?
The report said there is a 75% chance that global average temperatures will be 1.5 °C (2.7 °F) above the 1850–1900 average.
This limit is the agreed long-term warming limit set by the Paris climate agreement in 2015.
However, scientists believed that the likelihood of global average temperatures exceeding 2 °C above pre-industrial levels was “extremely unlikely”.
It also predicted that the hottest year in 2024 was ‘likely’ to surpass the record.
“There is a possibility (86% probability) that a year between 2026 and 2030 will surpass 2024 as the hottest year on record,” the WMO report said.
Arctic temperatures over the next five winters are also projected to be 2.8 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average.
Northern Europe could see much wetter winters over the next five years, one of the major climate threats to the region and will also bring with it the risk of flooding.
El Nino effect in 2027
WMO also said that projected average temperatures in the central tropical Pacific point towards El Niño conditions, particularly in 2027 and 2028.
“El Niño is predicted for the end of 2026, making the following year, 2027, more likely to be the next record-breaking year,” said Leon Hermansson, lead author of WMO’s Global Annual-to-Decade Update.
El Niño is a climate phenomenon characterized by warm sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean near the equator, causing disruptive effects on global weather patterns.
The last El Niño contributed to making 2024 the hottest year on record by about 1.55 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average.
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Edited by: Zack Crellin