The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) has declared that 2024 is on track to be the hottest year in recorded history, with global temperatures surpassing previous records.
According to C3S’s report released Thursday, the average global temperature from January to October 2024 was 0.71°C above normal, making it 0.16°C warmer than the same period in 2023.
To avoid breaking this record, global temperatures would need to drop to near-zero anomalies for the remainder of the year—an unlikely scenario, according to climate experts.
October 2024 registered as the second-warmest October globally, with a surface air temperature of 15.25°C, marking an increase of 0.80°C over the 1991-2020 average for the month.
The report also highlighted concerning trends in ocean temperatures. October 2024 recorded an average sea surface temperature of 20.68°C, the second-highest on record for the month, just 0.10°C below the peak set in October 2023.
The deputy director of C3S, Samantha Burgess, emphasized the urgency of these findings ahead of the upcoming COP29 climate conference.
“After 10 months of 2024, it is now virtually certain that 2024 will be the warmest year on record and the first year with temperatures exceeding 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels,” Burgess said.
She added that the new record “should serve as a catalyst to raise ambition” at COP29, urging world leaders to take stronger action against climate change.
With temperatures reaching unprecedented highs, scientists and environmental advocates are calling on global leaders to address the rising urgency to mitigate climate impacts and reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the upcoming climate summit.
