NEW DELHI: The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has confirmed that 2023 was the warmest year in recorded history. On Friday, Dr Colin Morice, a Climate Monitoring and Research scientist at the UK’s Met Office, said, “2023 marks the warmest year globally in 174 years of observations.” The UK Met Office is one of six leading international organisations monitoring global temperatures. Throughout 2023, unprecedented monthly records were set, with global average temperatures and ocean surface temperatures hitting new highs since June and April, respectively.
The WMO had initially projected 2023 as the warmest year based on data available up to October. The report emphasizes that rising temperatures exacerbate socio-economic inequalities. The annual global average temperature in 2023 was 1.45 ± 0.12 °C above the pre-industrial era (1850-1900).
These escalating temperatures lead to long-term climatic changes, impacting daily life. In 2023, extreme heat affected health and exacerbated wildfires. Intense rainfall, floods, and powerful tropical cyclones caused widespread destruction and economic losses.
Prof. Saulo, secretary-general of WMO, highlighted the impact of rising temperatures on sustainable development, exacerbating poverty, hunger, ill-health, displacement and environmental degradation.
The annual global average temperature is nearing the critical 1.5° Celsius threshold set by the Paris Agreement. All six leading international datasets, including National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA’s Goddard Institute, and the UK’s Met Office Hadley Centre, ranked 2023 as the warmest year on record.
A joint study by WMO and the UK’s Met Office predicts a 66% chance that the global average temperature between 2023 and 2027 will exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for at least one year.